Jace Lamonica
Some mistakes hide in plain sight—taught in school, repeated by adults, and passed along like trivia. Not everything we’ve accepted as true actually checks out. These everyday myths have fooled millions and still spread like wildfire. It’s time to fact-check your favorites, and here are 20 corrections.
Bats Are Not Blind
People think bats can’t see. They actually have excellent night vision and can even see during the day. In fact, they use echolocation to “see” with sound. Some bats can even spot things using ultraviolet light, which is pretty amazing.
Mount Everest Is Not The Tallest Mountain From Base-To-Peak
Above sea level, Everest is the highest, yet Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller from the base to the top. With its base underwater, it’s actually over 33,500 feet tall. So, if you count the whole mountain, Mauna Kea wins the crown.
Goldfish Have A Memory Longer Than Three Seconds
Goldfish are often thought to have poor memories, but they can actually remember things for months. They respond to light cues and colored shapes, demonstrating surprising recall. These graceful swimmers are far more cognitively capable than most people realize.
Humans Don’t Have Only Five Senses
Sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing aren’t the whole story. Beyond those, we also sense balance, temperature, and where our body is in space. Scientists say we may have over twenty senses. Now that’s body awareness.
Vikings Didn’t Wear Horned Helmets
Horned helmets look cool in movies; however, real Vikings didn’t wear them. Artists added horns in the 1800s to make Vikings seem wilder. In battle, horns would’ve been dangerous and silly. Real helmets were simple and strong.
The Great Wall Of China Is Not Visible From Space Without Magnification
For years, people believed astronauts could see the Great Wall from space, but that’s not true. It’s too thin and blends into the land around it. Interestingly, bright city lights are much easier to spot than a long, skinny wall.
Lightning Can Strike The Same Place Twice
Some say lightning never strikes twice, but that’s just a myth. In reality, tall buildings like the Empire State Building get hit around 25 times a year. Lightning simply takes the easiest path, so it returns to the same spot often.
Alcohol Doesn’t Warm You Up
That warm feeling after a drink is misleading; it pulls warm blood to your skin but cools your inside. Consequently, your body loses heat more quickly. In cold weather, alcohol doesn’t help at all; it can actually make things worse.
Toilets Don’t Always Flush In Opposite Directions In Hemispheres
You might’ve heard toilets flush one way in the north and another in the south, but that’s not how it works. The swirl depends on toilet design, not geography. The Coriolis effect only influences massive systems like hurricanes.
Sugar Doesn’t Cause Hyperactivity In Children
Kids getting wild after eating sugar sounds believable, yet studies show that’s not the case. The excitement usually comes from parties or holidays, not the treats. Sometimes, grown-ups expect sugar-fueled chaos and that expectation shapes what they notice.
Napoleon Wasn’t Short
People do picture Napoleon as tiny, but he was actually average height for his time: around 5 feet 6 inches. The mix-up started with different French and British measuring units. Plus, British enemies liked making him look small on purpose.
Humans Didn’t Evolve From Chimpanzees
It’s easy to think we came from chimps, but that’s not true. Instead, both humans and chimps evolved separately from a shared ancestor about six million years ago. Even more interesting, chimps are closer to us than they are to gorillas.
You Only Use 10% Of Your Brain Is A Myth
Since the brain uses so much energy, it’s clearly working hard all the time. People say we only use 10% of our brain, but that’s completely off. In fact, brain scans show activity in nearly every part, even while we sleep.
Dropping A Penny From A Skyscraper Won’t Kill Someone
There’s a rumor that a penny falling from a tall building could be deadly, but nope. While it might sting a little, it’s definitely not dangerous or deadly. Thanks to air resistance, the penny slows down and tumbles rather than slicing through the air like a bullet.
Swallowed Gum Doesn’t Stay In Your Body For Seven Years
Some folks believe swallowed gum lingers for years. However, it actually passes through your digestive system in just a few days. Though it’s not digested, your body treats it like fiber and moves it right along.
Hair And Fingernails Don’t Grow After Death
At first glance, it may look like nails and hair keep growing after death. What really happens is the skin dries out and shrinks, making them seem longer. This optical illusion has fooled people into believing in ghostly growth.
Shaving Doesn’t Make Hair Grow Back Thicker
Lots of people think shaving makes hair come back thicker. Instead, it just cuts hair at an angle, leaving a stubbly edge that feels rough. Even though it might seem thicker, the hair’s texture hasn’t actually changed.
Touching Baby Birds Doesn’t Make Their Mothers Reject Them
You may worry a mother bird will reject her chick if you touch it, but that’s not true. Most birds don’t rely on smell and won’t even notice. The real danger is handling them too roughly, not leaving your scent.
Cracking Knuckles Doesn’t Cause Arthritis
Cracking your knuckles might sound weird, yet it isn’t harmful. The noise comes from gas bubbles popping in your joint fluid, not from damaging bones. In fact, this theory has been tested for years, with no arthritis on either hand.
A “Blue Moon” Isn’t Actually Blue
It may sound magical, but a blue moon isn’t really blue. This phrase refers to the second full moon in one calendar month. Every so often, dust or smoke might make it look bluish, but that’s pretty rare.
