False Myths

[Arra]

There are a lot of myths going around which most people assume are facts. If something isn't completely outrageous, and is common knowledge, we generally believe there must be a good reason for believing it. If we hear several people casually tell us that all polar bears are left handed, we're likely to believe they are for the rest of our lives. After all, if they weren't, where the hell did everyone get the idea that they were? They must have done some study, at some point, and that's how the fact came to be known, right? ...Wrong. I have no idea how certain myths begin to circulate, but they do and are, and the chances that you believe several of them right now to be true are almost certain. This thread is for ridding its readers of some of that false mind contamination. I'll post a few here to start. 1) Myth: All polar bears are left handed. Spoiler for Source: Polar Bears International Great white bears are not left-pawed. Scientists observing the animals haven't noticed a preference. In fact, polar bears seem to use their right and left paws equally. 2) Myth: You swallow an average of [insert # here, usually 4-5] spiders in your lifetime. Spoiler for Source: Burkemuseum.org: Spider Myths: Gulp! For a sleeping person to swallow even one live spider would involve so many highly unlikely circumstances that for practical purposes we can rule out the possibility. No such case is on formal record anywhere in scientific or medical literature. 3) Myth: Wait a half hour after eating before you can safely go swimming. Spoiler for Source: Medicinenet.com (Debunking summer medical myths) While it's true that the digestive process does divert the circulation of the blood toward the gut and to a certain extent, away from the muscles, the fact is that an episode of drowning caused by swimming on a full stomach has never been documented. Neither the American Academy of Pediatrics nor the American Red Cross makes any specific recommendations about waiting any amount of time after eating before taking a swim.

[Carrot]

I used to be told not to bathe with a full stomach. But I would most probably not do any form of exercise after eating because I like to stuff myself silly, don't want myself to vomit all over. Then there's the argument whether homosexual is nurture or natural? Is ghost a myth? Or people are being delusional the whole time when they see or sense something there? I think the most common myth in our daily lives is people complaining how bad a certain laptop brand is when different results occur with two different people using the same laptop. There can be people claiming that Acer is a bad brand when the users themselves don't look after their laptop or overwork it.

[Warheit]

Can we discuss "false myths" that actually matter? Bigger fish to fry than polar bear hand usage, laptop preference and if we swallow spiders.

[Arra]

Like what? Myth: God is real. <---- ??? lol (somehow I doubt that would end well, this isn't in ED)

[Warheit]

Like what? Myth: God is real. <---- ??? lol Not going to take the bait.

[Burke]

I like the source of your #2 myth. Who knew I had a museum! Also for the spider one I heard that it was about 8 a year, not 4-5 in a lifetime.

[Xei]

Myth: opposites attract. The correct idiom is in fact 'birds of a feather flock together'. Similar personality types are more attracted to one another and their relationships are more likely to last for a long time.

[Wayfaerer]

We just learned that in my psychology class the other day. I wasn't surprised at all, that myth always struck me as naive.

[Xei]

Yeah, I learned it in the Yale psychology lectures, which are online for free. It wasn't surprised either, the more similar somebody is to me in interests and personality, the more attractive I find them.

[Phion]

Yeah, I learned it in the Yale psychology lectures, which are online for free. It wasn't surprised either, the more similar somebody is to me in interests and personality, the more attractive I find them. gotta love free lecture/courses. mit and yale are great.

[Wayfaerer]

Definitely. I was actually relieved to hear that, I thought maybe I was doing something wrong for wanting that in a relationship. It is probably why I'm still single though lol.

[Carrot]

Myth: opposites attract. The correct idiom is in fact 'birds of a feather flock together'. Similar personality types are more attracted to one another and their relationships are more likely to last for a long time. Not necessary true. You can be attracted to an opposite but it wouldn't last long.

[Xei]

No, honestly, it's necessarily true. It's a statistical observation. It isn't a law of course, but it's one of the most important factors. Who wants to guess what the single most important factor is? gotta love free lecture/courses. mit and yale are great. Totally, I completed the vector calculus course and it really shored up my knowledge. That Aroux guy is a great lecturer. I knew 95% of the stuff already, but getting a different perspective is very helpful. Was gonna look at linear algebra this summer before I do representation theory next year. May also look at Electromag and Classical Dynamics for the lulz; not gonna be a physicist though.

[Phion]

Totally, I completed the vector calculus course and it really shored up my knowledge. That Aroux guy is a great lecturer. I knew 95% of the stuff already, but getting a different perspective is very helpful. Was gonna look at linear algebra this summer before I do representation theory next year. May also look at Electromag and Classical Dynamics for the lulz; not gonna be a physicist though. linear algebra is neat, i use(d) poole's textbook.

[Xei]

I've done a couple of courses in it now. Very dry stuff in my opinion. But like I say, it's good to retread the basics from a different perspective... our courses are rather pure, compared to MIT's more practical and intuitive bent.

[♥Mark]

It wasn't surprised either, the more similar somebody is to me in interests and personality, the more attractive I find them. We always knew you were a narcissist!

[DeletePlease]

Yeah, I learned it in the Yale psychology lectures, which are online for free. Link? .-. Myth: Crack is purer than powder cocaine, and is more potent. Fact: There is no pharmacological difference between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Crack cocaine is simply powder cocaine which has been converted into a solid "rock" form that may be smoked. The effects of smoking crack cocaine may be more intense, but this is a result of the mode of ingestion rather than the drug's purity. Regardless, it is difficult to rationalize the extreme sentencing disparity between crack and cocaine.

[Seroquel]

"We only use ten percent of our brains."

[♥Mark]

"We only use ten percent of our brains." It's true of the people that believe that.

[Xei]

Link? .-. Introduction to Psychology | Yale Video Course I watched all of these in a couple of days last term when I should have been studying maths. Definitely recommend.

[louie54]

The first thing I thought when I saw this thread was the "we only use %10 of our brains" myth which I get tired of hearing. The other one I can think of (but not as popular) is how hypnotism is some kind of evil mind control. Edit: Oh and "if you die in dreams, you die in real life". HA!

[OldNutter]

The first thing I thought when I saw this thread was the "we only use %10 of our brains" myth which I get tired of hearing. ! I hear someone tell me that one more time, and I will beat them.

[Solarflare]

The statement "If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb." is false. It would require you to eat over 5 million calories a day or constantly produce farts equal to 330 horsepower Posted at Random and Cool Facts

[Carrot]

I hear someone tell me that one more time, and I will beat them. How many % do we use then?

[Abra]

Most women experience PMS.