There’s a lot that we don’t know about the world around us. At the same time, there’s quite lot we do know and we just merely refuse to do a little investigation. Instead, we tend to perpetuate pseudo-science and myths to such a degree that they’ve become universal assumptions, facts to be taken for granted.
Just to show you a few of these “myth-facts,” we’ve assembled a list of some of the most common and universally accepted myths that we continue to pass down to anyone willing to listen.
1. “There’s no gravity in space”
Quite to the contrary, there’s a great deal of gravity in space. Astronauts appear to be weightless because they are orbiting the earth. Like satellites, they’re falling towards the earth, but moving abundantly sideways to miss it. In other words, they’re always falling but never landing. Gravity exists nearly in all areas of space. Even as a shuttle reaches orbit height—about 250 miles above the earth—gravity is reduced by only 10%.
2. “The Five Second Rule“
Really this myth should be pretty obvious, but it’s funny and a favorite. If there are germs on the floor (which there certainly are) and food lands on them, they’ll definitely stick to it. The reason why the “rule” is generally acceptable is that eating germs and dirt is not always a bad thing. For one, they’re usually harmless. Two, they can actually help us to develop a more hearty immune system.
3. “Polaris is the Brightest Star”
Polaris is the current North Star. It’s a very important star, especially for navigation. Nowadays we have GPS, radar, satellite phones, and the use of the North Star for finding your way is greatly diminished. Polaris is the brightest in the constellation it comprises—Ursa Minor. Just not in the whole sky.
4. “If a Brain Cell Dies, it’s Never Replaced”
Part of what made this myth spread so broadly and be widely believed is that it was taught by the science community for a long time. It wasn’t until 1998 that scientists discovered that brain cells in mature humans can in fact regenerate. The previous belief was that complex brains would be seriously disrupted by new cell growth. Instead, the study found that the memory and learning center of the brain can generate new cells.
5. “Lightning never strikes the same place twice”
Hopefully is has become more of an old wives tale than still a widely believed myth. Lightning can and often does strike the same place twice. Lightning obviously favors certain spots such as high trees or buildings. In an open field, the tallest object is likely to be struck multiple times until the lightning moves far enough away to find a new target.
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