10 Everyday Myths You Thought Were True (But Aren’t)
We hear them from friends, parents, and even teachers – “facts” that we’ve accepted for years but that just aren’t true. Here’s a look at some of the most common myths, the truths behind them, and why we’ve believed them for so long.
1. Myth: Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brains
Reality: You’re using pretty much your whole brain, even when you’re daydreaming.
The “10% of your brain” myth probably comes from a misunderstanding of neurological research from the 19th century. Modern brain scans have shown that almost every part of the brain has a function, whether it’s for thinking, emotions, movement, or basic survival. According to a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, even while at rest, most of the brain shows activity in an intricate “networking” process that’s always running behind the scenes.
Fun Fact: During tasks requiring problem-solving or creativity, brain activity increases in specific regions, but at no point is only a small section engaged.
2. Myth: Goldfish Have a 3-Second Memory
Reality: They can remember for months and even learn tricks.
Goldfish have gotten a bad reputation for being “dumb,” but studies show they’re actually capable of memory and learning. Researchers in Israel trained fish to react to a sound for feeding and found that even after months without exposure, they remembered the training. In fact, goldfish memory can be linked to survival instincts, helping them remember routes and safe hiding spots in their environment.
Fun Fact: Goldfish can even recognize their owners and will often approach them at feeding time!
3. Myth: Shaving Makes Hair Grow Back Thicker
Reality: It just seems that way because of how hair grows.
When you shave, you’re cutting hair at the surface, so it grows back with a blunt edge, making it feel stubbier and rougher. A study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology confirmed that shaving doesn’t affect the root or the rate of growth. This perception likely comes from the thicker, darker “stubble” of new hair against the skin.
Fun Fact: Hair actually grows at about the same rate regardless of whether it’s been shaved or not.
4. Myth: Bats Are Blind
Reality: Bats can see quite well, and some species even have excellent night vision.
The saying “blind as a bat” is misleading. Although many species of bats rely on echolocation to navigate and hunt, they still have functional eyes, and many can see in low light. A paper published in Science found that certain species, like the Egyptian fruit bat, have vision comparable to other mammals and use sight along with echolocation to navigate.
Fun Fact: Some bats can even see UV light, a trait not commonly found in other mammals.
5. Myth: Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice
Reality: Lightning often strikes the same places, especially tall objects.
Lightning is more likely to strike objects like skyscrapers, mountains, or tall trees multiple times because these spots act as attractors. The Empire State Building, for example, is struck by lightning an estimated 20-25 times a year. The misconception probably arose as a way of saying that rare events don’t happen twice, but when it comes to physics, lightning follows the rules of electrical conductance, not superstition.
Fun Fact: When lightning strikes a tree, it can reach temperatures of 30,000 kelvins—about five times hotter than the surface of the sun.
6. Myth: Cracking Knuckles Causes Arthritis
Reality: No conclusive link between cracking knuckles and arthritis has been found.
Studies have shown that the popping sound is due to bubbles in the joint fluid bursting, not bone damage. Dr. Donald Unger famously cracked only one of his knuckles daily for 60 years and experienced no arthritis in that hand, a playful yet telling experiment published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Long-term studies still haven’t linked knuckle-cracking to arthritis, though some suggest it can reduce grip strength slightly.
Fun Fact: The knuckle-popping noise, called “cavitation,” happens when gas bubbles collapse in the joint fluid.
7. Myth: Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive
Reality: Studies suggest it’s more about expectations than sugar itself.
The “sugar high” myth persists because parents often associate sweets with kids’ high energy. However, clinical trials published in The Journal of the American Medical Association have repeatedly shown no direct link between sugar intake and hyperactivity in children. The effect appears to be psychological – parents expect kids to be more hyper, so they perceive them as such.
Fun Fact: Sugary foods can cause blood sugar spikes, but they don’t directly affect behavior as strongly as people think.
8. Myth: Bulls Hate the Color Red
Reality: Bulls are colorblind to red – they respond to movement, not color.
Bulls actually can’t distinguish red from other colors since they’re dichromatic (similar to red-green colorblindness in humans). The tradition of using a red cape in bullfighting likely stuck for dramatic flair. A study published in Animal Behavior confirmed that it’s the movement, not the color, that triggers their aggression.
Fun Fact: Bulls are primarily sensitive to shades of yellow and blue.
9. Myth: We Swallow Spiders While Sleeping
Reality: Spiders generally avoid people, and there’s no evidence they crawl into mouths at night.
This creepy myth probably started as an internet joke, but spiders are more scared of us than we are of them, and they typically avoid sleeping humans. A biologist at the University of Florida noted that spiders can detect vibrations and are unlikely to approach a large, breathing mammal.
Fun Fact: Spiders actually do us a favor by eating pests, so it’s a win-win that they avoid human faces.
10. Myth: You Lose Most of Your Body Heat Through Your Head
Reality: You lose heat from any exposed body part equally.
This myth originated from a military study done in the 1950s, which claimed that without a hat, most body heat was lost. However, that study involved people fully dressed but hatless in cold conditions, skewing the results. In reality, heat loss is proportional to exposed skin, whether it’s your head or your hand, as confirmed by a British Medical Journal study.
Fun Fact: A person without any hat or gloves in freezing weather loses heat equally from the head, hands, and any other exposed area.
