Many times we come across certain facts that are generally accepted as universal truths in the eyes of people. Some of them have endured for quite a lot of time so we think it is time to get rid of them once in for all. I mean some of them are just blatant lies that may harm someone or even spoil him. So here are 15 of these best-kept lies:
1. Alcohol Keeps the Body Warm
Wrong. Alcohol only appears to keep the body warm. It does this by making the blood thin, and thus blood vessels move closer to the skin and we seem to be warmed up. In fact, the body loses more heat and eventually results in cooling instead.
2. Salt Water boils quickly
Adding salt to water increases the boiling temperature, and thus more heat is required to do it.
3. Albert Einstein Failed Maths at School
Underperforming high school and college students often use this excellent “anecdote” to stress their point that grades don’t matter. It is not true at all. Einstein displayed genius in mathematics from the very beginning and used to stand out in tests. He only failed an entrance test once during his schooling years.
4. Waking Up Sleepwalkers Harms Them
Physically or mentally, sleepwalkers aren’t disturbed by waking up abruptly. Still it is inadvisable to do so, as waking up makes feel disillusioned and startled for some time resulting in imbalance and thus increased chances of falling.
5. Ostriches Bury their head in ground when scared
It is also an inaccurate conclusion drawn from studying their behavior. Ostriches consume a lot of gravel and sand to help digest their food. They do so by burying their heads in the ground. They don’t hide their heads because when they are afraid.
6. Microwaves Cause Cancer
Microwaves from the oven don’t carry the kind of energy able to damage the DNA of tissue, so they can’t cause cancer. The only way it can use cancer is if non-microwave friendly plastic containers are used for heating food, which results in the formation of carcinogens
7. Seasons are Caused By Earth Being Closer to The Sun
Although many people know the real reason behind seasons, the majority don’t. The phenomenon of seasons is that Earth’s rotation is tilted around its axis. At some points, a hemisphere receives longer time of sunshine and other times it receives very less.
8. Bulls are Enraged By Red Color
Yes, another well kept lie. Bulls can’t even see red color as they are color blind to it. They only see blues and yellows. What angers them is the flapping of the cloth.
9. A goldfish memory is 3 seconds
Now this is just nuts. The majority of us believe this “fact”. In reality, goldfishes have an excellent memory, and they can be trained to respond to several stimuli. They may experience some short term memory loss in between but don’t we all to some extent?
10. Blood is blue before oxygenated
Although not a common misconception, but it still prevails due to one reason or another. Blood is always red, but the intensity of the color varies according to oxygenation levels.
11. Dropping a coin from Empire State Building Can Kill
A coin can build up a lot of momentum before hitting the ground from such height. However, the limiting terminal velocity due to air friction makes it impossible for a person to die because of its impact.
12. Your Fingernails Keep Growing After You Die
No, they don’t. The body mechanisms that promote the growth of nails are shut down after you die. Due to dehydration, the overall body shrinks, so the size of nails appears larger than normal, but it is in fact almost the same.
13. Bats are Blind
Bats aren’t blind. Some species do depend on echolocation more than eyes, but none of them are blind. They are mammals, and their eyesight isn’t that sharp.
14. Caffeine dehydrates you
Good news for the coffee loving engineers! Caffeine never dehydrates you. They may cause a mild tendency to urinate earlier, but it doesn’t increase the risk of dehydration.
15. Vikings Wore Horned Helmets?
My life has been a lie! The use of horned helmets persisted during the Germanic Iron Age, but there is no evidence at all to suggest that Vikings wore horned helmets.