Top 10 Ridiculously Common Science Myths

[Oneironaut]

List (http://listverse.com/science/top-10-ridiculously-common-science-myths/)

I actually didn't even know that one side of the moon always faced Earth. I've always heard the term "Dark Side of the Moon," but I just thought it was referencing whichever side of the moon was facing away from Earth at any specific time.

[Snooze]

i think you would love
www.cracked.com

[Tornado Joe]

I actually didn't even know that one side of the moon always faced Earth.
haha, yeah I recently learned that too when I was reading about the phases of the moon. I still have trouble trying to picture how the earth, moon and sun all rotate and orbit in space. There's got to be some 3D modeled movie clip somewhere online (that's accurate) that depicts this.

How the hell do they consider the 5-second rule "science"?

[SnakeCharmer]

What about "humans use only 10% of their brains" myth? It seems it's more common in popular culture than myths found in that list.

[Xei]

Yeah that's the one I always think of first.
I actually didn't even know that one side of the moon always faced Earth. I've always heard the term "Dark Side of the Moon," but I just thought it was referencing whichever side of the moon was facing away from Earth at any specific time.
You never noticed how it always looks exactly the same? Lord...

Yeah the lowest energy an orbiting body can have is if it rotates on its axis at the same speed that it orbits the body.

[DuB]

#10 (the one about evolution) is frustrating for me. Living in the Bible Belt, I hear all kinds of misconceptions, uninformed objections, and blatant straw-men regarding evolution. My roommate literally thinks that evolution implies a chimp giving birth to a human baby. :facepalm:

[Specialis Sapientia]

#10 (the one about evolution) is frustrating for me. Living in the Bible Belt, I hear all kinds of misconceptions, uninformed objections, and blatant straw-men regarding evolution. My roommate literally thinks that evolution implies a chimp giving birth to a human baby. :facepalm:

This one is for Evolution, I think people should read it and learn something from it.

http://listverse.com/science/top-15-misconceptions-about-evolution/

[SnakeCharmer]

#10 (the one about evolution) is frustrating for me. Living in the Bible Belt, I hear all kinds of misconceptions, uninformed objections, and blatant straw-men regarding evolution. My roommate literally thinks that evolution implies a chimp giving birth to a human baby. :facepalm:

The hardest part is accepting that it doesn't even make sense to debate those people using logic or scientific evidence because they will just ignore your argument.

This one is for Evolution, I think people should read it and learn something from it.


Those who need to read it the most are the same people that will never read it.

[Oneironaut]

Yeah that's the one I always think of first.

You never noticed how it always looks exactly the same? Lord...


No. I've never spent that much time looking at it. I look up and see a white orb with craters. Judging by your "Lord...", I'm guessing you've concluded that I'm, at the least, virtually unobservant. If it's all the same to you, I'll simply assume that you've spent more time looking at the moon than I have

[Xei]

There's a massive blotch on the front which looks vaguely like Africa... it's pretty distinctive.

Dunno, I just thought everybody knew that the moon doesn't turn round. Maybe it's because I live in the countryside or something.

Then again my friend was unable to tell me what caused days to happen yesterday. :l

[Oneironaut]

Then again my friend was unable to tell me what caused days to happen yesterday. :l

I'm find myself hoping that you're not comparing me to your friend. :wtf:

And no. Without getting opinions from anyone else on the subject, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that not 'everyone,' or - I'd go so far as to say - not even a majority of the populace - knows that the moon doesn't turn around. Knowing how well-read you seem to be, I have to wonder if it's something that you just realized through observation, or if you've actually read it somewhere, over the years. Whatever the case: no, I hadn't actually noticed.

[Xei]

I'm find myself hoping that you're not comparing me to your friend.
No, just adding a pinch of salt to the wise country-people theory.

I'm pretty sure I first heard it in primary school and many times since, but yes I have read into the physics of it so it's pretty well locked into my consciousness. I'll ask around I suppose.

But yes, an appalling number of people in my experience have no idea what causes a day, or a year, or think that the sun is not a star, and that we are at the centre of reality, and have no distinction between the concept of a galaxy and the universe. They have no concept at all of how old the universe is, how long humans or civilisation has been here, and on top of that, they seem completely disinterested when I tell them. Something like 65% of secondary school students think that electricity is caused by positive charge flowing through wires... these people must literally spend more than a decade of their lives sitting in classrooms and listening to nothing at all.

Is this really the state of the human condition? Is modern society just completely nullifying human curiosity? I'm undecided, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were entirely to blame.

I mean, is it not commonly held that curiosity is the ultimate of human virtues? That which distinguishes us from animals - the thing which has brought us the entirety of human distinction - art, science, civilisation?

Although, perhaps that is myth; what if it is only the case in a tiny minority of people... perhaps civilisation has always been entirely due to an elite brand of human which carries the curiosity gene? The rest seem happy as proles.

[dajo]

#10 (the one about evolution) is frustrating for me. Living in the Bible Belt, I hear all kinds of misconceptions, uninformed objections, and blatant straw-men regarding evolution. My roommate literally thinks that evolution implies a chimp giving birth to a human baby. :facepalm:

Your roomate is right though. See?

OO_gvrqU7vI

[Xei]

By the way, about the exploding in space thing... has that been tested..?

I mean, on Earth, our bodies exert an outwards force equivalent to 10 tonnes per square metre, but it's balanced by atmospheric pressure. If we were suddenly dropped into space with that amount of force pushing outwards, why would we not explode..?

I don't think anybody's actually put a mammal in a vacuum before.

[Oneironaut]

I don't think anybody's actually put a mammal in a vacuum before.

With all of the animal testing we do in the name of science (or just out of boredom), I wouldn't doubt it in the least.

[Specialis Sapientia]

Chimps and monkeys have been used in vacuum experiements.

Regardig to outer space exposure:

"How long can a human live unprotected in space?"

"If you don't try to hold your breath, exposure to space for half a minute or so is unlikely to produce permanent injury. Holding your breath is likely to damage your lungs, something scuba divers have to watch out for when ascending, and you'll have eardrum trouble if your Eustachian tubes are badly plugged up, but theory predicts -- and animal experiments confirm -- that otherwise, exposure to vacuum causes no immediate injury. You do not explode. Your blood does not boil. You do not freeze. You do not instantly lose consciousness. "

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html

[youssarian]

So, as for the moon, I'm still confused. Does it rotate ever? Or does one side of it always face the Earth?

[Lucid fanatic]

What about "humans use only 10% of their brains" myth? It seems it's more common in popular culture than myths found in that list.

Actually that myth is horribly untrue. Only 10 percent of the cells in are neurons and the rest are glials. The glials are incapable of performing the same functions as the neurons. Common misconception.

[DuB]

Yeah - I think that's why he referred to is as a "myth," in the thread about science myths.

No one is exactly sure how the ten percent myth originated, but I highly doubt it was based on glial cells. Some have traced it back to a quote by seminal psychologist William James in a 1908 book of his: "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources." How you get the 10% figure from that is not clear, but this appears to be the best guess at the origin of this myth.

[Lucid fanatic]

Yeah - I think that's why he referred to is as a "myth," in the thread about science myths.

No one is exactly sure how the ten percent myth originated, but I highly doubt it was based on glial cells. Some have traced it back to a quote by seminal psychologist William James in a 1908 book of his: "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources." How you get the 10% figure from that is not clear, but this appears to be the best guess at the origin of this myth.

Ah but the ratio that glails outnumber neurons is by 10:1, so there must've been some illinformed guy spreading rumours which reached the internet at some stage :? Its not like i was accusing him of anything i was just saying... cause you know.... he asked....

[juroara]

the fifth one is refreshing..... but can you regain lost memories?

[DuB]

Well, a "lost" memory, by definition, is one that cannot ever be recovered. If a memory is no longer physically located in one's brain, then it would not be possible to spontaneously reacquire that lost information regardless of how many new neurons one grew.

The more interesting question is whether or not we ever really lose memories permanently or if it's a matter of the memory being "in there" somewhere but unable to be retrieved. I personally believe that we do physically/permanently lose memories on a regular basis, but there are significant problems with trying to confirm this hypothesis. Even if I am never able to recall what shirt I wore on my 5th birthday, that doesn't prove that the memory is not physically in my brain somewhere. This may be a good topic for a new thread... :-?

[plg6067]

the fifth one is refreshing..... but can you regain lost memories?

If they were just "lost" in your subconscious or whatever I guess, but if you have brain damage I think not.


anyway speaking of nuerogenisis, (for those who don't know from my thread about cancer I am very interested in cannaboids) cannaboids happen to cause neurogenisis http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509/version/1 a good bit of info there although there are some misleading bits about cannabis.

[Lucid_boy]

The hardest part is accepting that it doesn't even make sense to debate those people using logic or scientific evidence because they will just ignore your argument.



Those who need to read it the most are the same people that will never read it.

Christians say the same about other books.

[Zhaylin]

lol- I always thought humans exploded in space until about a couple of years ago :D
And until now, I believed the myth about the falling Penny. I *knew* there was gravity in space, I just thought it was so slight it didn't affect people and object the same way as on earth.

Thanks for the link! It was very informative and entertaining :)

[Xei]

But we're in space too. I don't understand that one. People think that the atmosphere causes gravity or something?

Maybe it's talking about outer space, as in objects in orbit around Earth. Dunno.

[Abra]

My favorite is #1.

[guitarboy]

the fifth one is refreshing..... but can you regain lost memories?

Well, not really 'lost' memories, but I think that you can jump start your cerebral cortex, or something near that, with electricity and you can remember things better. Or at least House can.

[Bonsay]

The Myth: There is a dark side of the moon

Actually - every part of the moon is illuminated at sometime by the sun.

This makes no sense to me. There is obviously a dark side of the moon. I mean, just search moon in google to see it.

[DuB]

The key part is "at some time." The insinuation behind the phrase "dark side of the moon" is that there is a part of the moon that never, ever sees sunlight. They are correctly stating that every part of the moon - at some time - receives sunlight; not that the entire moon does at once.

[derb]

i dont get number 1... isnt it possible to both fall and move sideways at the same time? diagonally?

[Xei]

The point is when you do this around a sphere, if you are moving sideways, the ground 'falls away from you' as fast as you fall towards it. That's what an orbit is.

[derb]

ohh... by ground you mean whatever youre in? i thought it meant you were falling toward the earth both down and sideways... i get it now, thanks for the answer.

[Xei]

By ground I mean the surface of the Earth. Which is curved and so falls away underneath you if you move tangentially (sideways).

[slash112]

i pretty much knew all that, exept the meteor thing and the penny thing, the meteor thing is quite interenting

[DeathCell]

Dunno, I just thought everybody knew that the moon doesn't turn round. Maybe it's because I live in the countryside or something.



You aren't the only one, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time staring at it. Lots of people these days pay little if any attention to the world around them.

[marcc]

I've known this for a while. here's a way of showing it:
get a wooden spoon and a pot. Align the spoon with the inner edge of the pot, and revolve and rotate the spoon around the center of the pot (i.e. make it turn and move it along) and make sure you do this at the same speed. One could also do this with two people: make your volunteer orbit you, and at the same speed revolve; you'll end up always facing them.


Also, Wikipedia's List of Common Misconceptions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_misconceptions)

[Sylph]

So, as for the moon, I'm still confused. Does it rotate ever? Or does one side of it always face the Earth?

Dunno, I just thought everybody knew that the moon doesn't turn round. Maybe it's because I live in the countryside or something.



I always heard (and saw) that we always see the same side of the moon. I was always confused by it because from what I also heard, planets just went around spinning on their axis and around each other. It wasn't until last month or so that I heard that NO, the Moon doesn't spin on its own axis.
I was like A-HA! Finally!
I kind of feel like a total moron at times like this even though it's not really my fault.


But yes, an appalling number of people in my experience have no idea what causes a day, or a year, or think that the sun is not a star, and that we are at the centre of reality, and have no distinction between the concept of a galaxy and the universe. They have no concept at all of how old the universe is, how long humans or civilisation has been here, and on top of that, they seem completely disinterested when I tell them. Something like 65% of secondary school students think that electricity is caused by positive charge flowing through wires... these people must literally spend more than a decade of their lives sitting in classrooms and listening to nothing at all.

:shock:
One would think they'd at least get the basics on space from movies and computer games.
These days you have the acumulated knowledge of many civilizations spanning thousand of years just a mouse-click away - how i would have loved that when I was kid and there's was nothing and no one to get answers from. One of my oldest memories is about me lying in bed in the middle of the day trying to figure out how people managed on a flat Earth. :D

[Emi Chan]

:shock:
One would think they'd at least get the basics on space from movies and computer games.


I do not think that would work very well. Keep in mind movies and video games are primarily for entertainment so certain aspects are going to be quite exaggerated. Watch a good stars wars movie and you'll see a lot of misconceptions regarding space. One of the basic ideas in entertainment dealing with space is to do away with is sound because you wouldn't hear anything in space as there is no air to carry sound.

[Kordan]

:shock:
One would think they'd at least get the basics on space from movies and computer games.

Actually, that's a reason people have many of these misconceptions in the first place.

And the issue with the moon... How long does it take people to realize that they always see "the man on the moon"? We should put them in the same place we put the people who thought the moon actually got bigger and smaller as the phases of the moon occured. :roll:

[Sylph]

By basics I meant planets orbiting stars; starts as part of galaxies; galaxies as part of the universe. Those are usually portrayed reallistically just hanging out in space.
The really, really basics. :)

[Noogah]

A penny dropped from a very high building can kill a pedestrian below

Lol! What bufoon came up with that?

Meteors are heated by friction when entering the atmosphere

That's a myth? I sure fell for it...until now.

The Empire State Building gets struck around 25 times a year.

Oh cool! Never knew that.

They are falling towards the earth but moving sufficiently sideways to miss it.

I knew that, but gravity isn't universe wide, right? In order to have gravity, there must be a large object to supply it. Right?

Thanks for this list. That was fun!

[Alric]

The empire state building is just a giant lightning rod, so of course it get struck a lot by lightning. In fact, that is the point. I think counting lightning rods, kind of goes against the heart of the myth. Though it probably does hit other areas more than once as well.

They say that before lightning strikes you can tell from the build up of static electricity in the area(things like your hair suddenly starting to stand up is one sign). If you feel a sudden increase of static electricity in the area, your supposed to drop to the ground and roll up into a ball to minimize both your area, and your height so that the lightning will strike something else.

[Naiya]

I knew about the moon! :D

And they did the 5 second rule on Mythbusters. If I remember right, it seemed to have something to it according to their experiments. :P

[The Invisible Man]

There's no Dark Side of the Moon? Ask Pink Floyd.

[DeathCell]

As a matter of fact it's all dark..

[Naiya]

There's no Dark Side of the Moon? Ask Pink Floyd.

:D