When we were kids, we pretty much believed everything our parents and teachers told us. But some “facts” we were taught turned out to be wrong – but many of us still believe them today!
One example: knuckle cracking. Many of us were told it would lead to arthritis and many of us still believe it. But it’s not true
Reader's Digest recently came up with many other things people were taught as kids and still believe but that aren’t true.
1. If you swallow gum, it'll stay in your stomach for years. Swallowing gum is not great for the stomach, which cannot digest it well, but there is certainly not a pile of swallowed gum sitting around in your stomach. It takes slightly longer for your body to digest gum but definitely not years.
2. You have to wait an hour after eating to swim. This is a classic from many of our childhoods. Nothing put a dampener on poolside fun quicker than a stern parent warning you to wait an hour after eating that burger before you can swim again. Well guess what? It is simply not true. You could get cramps, or bring your food back up, but you won't drown.
3. The North pole is on the North side of the planet. Surely north is north? Not exactly. "A small bar magnet is said to have north and south poles, but it’s more accurate to say it has a 'north-seeking' pole and a 'south-seeking' pole," explained physics experts Raymond Serway and Chris Wuille. "By these expressions we mean that if such a magnet is used as a compass, one end will 'seek' or point to, the geographic North Pole of earth and the other end will 'seek' or point to the geographic South Pole of Earth. We conclude that the geographic North Pole of earth corresponds to a magnetic south pole, and the geographic South Pole of Earth corresponds to a magnetic north pole."
4. Sitting too close to the TV can damage your eyes. Parents would never tell you this but TV doesn't cause any permanent eye damage to your eyes. However, the blue light from the screen can cause some eye strain.
5. Never wake up someone who is sleepwalking. Despite what we were told, waking up a sleepwalker is not dangerous -- for them at least. However, it is not uncommon for sleepwalkers to lash out or attack the person who woke them up. If you can, try to gently guide them back to bed.
6. Dogs only see black and white. This is another "fact" that science has debunked. Dogs actually see the world in hues of in yellows, blues, and grays. Another interesting fact is that dogs only have 20% to 40% of a human's visual acuity.
7. You can only report a person missing after 24 hours. This may apply in certain instances but if you have reason to believe that a person is in trouble, it is important to contact the police immediately. While authorities recommend waiting 24 hours if someone is late coming home from work or a party, this falls away if there is reason to question a person's safety.
8. Penguins are monogamous. So much for the romantic story about penguins being mates for life. These furry creatures may be monogamous during mating season but they find new mates each year. Even more disappointing is that female penguins could have up to three partners each season.
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