20 Things Accepted As Facts Forever That Were Wrong All Along

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 03/27/2025 in ftw

Just because your grandmother told you something with the confidence only a baby boomer can muster, doesn't mean that fact is true.

Plenty of generally accepted bits of common knowledge are actually completely incorrect.

Here are 20 examples of commonly believed facts that you need to unlearn.

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1. The Salem Witch Trials
No one was burned at the Salem Witch Trials. They were all either hanged, died in jail, or crushed by rocks.
2. Chameleons
Chameleons do not change color based on the background. It's based on health, temperature, and mood.
3. The Mayan Calendar Ended in 2012
No, it didn't. All that happened was that the Fifth Great Cycle of that calendar ended. The current version will not end before 4772.
4. Gladiator Games
Gladiator games in ancient Rome were not "two men go in, one comes out." Most studies point to a one in nine chance that a gladiator died in a munus. It usually wasn’t meant to be a fight to the death.
5. You Should Zig Zag Run From an Alligator.
In reality that will only slow you down, and it won’t zag with you. They can run up to 25mph, so your best bet is to turn around and run straight as fast as you can, sooner or later it'll give up.
6. Jim Jones and Kool-Aid
“The beverage used by Jim Jones to kill all of those people was not Kool-aid, it was another brand called Flavor-aid.”
7. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
Kellogg paid researchers to create studies confirming that statement and started using it as a slogan to sell more cereal.
8. Waking a Sleepwalker
“It's not dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. They won't have a heart attack or end up in a coma. They'll just be confused and it won't be pleasant for them, that's it.”
9. We Only Use 10% of Our Brainpower
We use pretty close to 100%, all the time.
10. The Iron Maiden
The medieval torture device “The Iron Maiden” is completely fake and made up in the 1800’s.
11. Fertilization
You weren’t the fastest sperm cell. The egg has an outer protective layer that takes several sperm to wear down before fertilization.
12. NASA Developed Pens For Space, While the Soviets Just Used a Pencil
In reality NASA bought the pens at about $7 a piece. Plus, using pencils in zero gravity will leave pencil shavings and graphite crumbs floating as you try to work and breathe. The Soviets wound up making similar pens too.
13. Tongue Zones
There are not different sections of the tongue for each taste.
14. Humans Eat Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep
Spiders generally like cool, dry places. The inside of your mouth is not an appealing place for them.
15. The Blood in Your Body is Blue Until it Hits Oxygen
All your body’s blood is red all the time. The color coordination only exists for clarification in diagrams.
16. "Beam Me Up, Scotty."
Kirk never once says this line in the show.
17. Cow Tipping
Cows don't sleep standing up.
18. Eating and Swimming
You don’t need to wait 30 minutes after a meal to go swimming.
19. Dogs are Totally Colorblind
Dogs do not see in black and white. They can see some color, it just looks really washed out.
20. Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight.
In WWII, the British had come up with a way to cover their invention of radar. They attributed their AMAZING ability to spot airplanes at night to their AA crews eating lots of carrots.

1. The Salem Witch Trials
No one was burned at the Salem Witch Trials. They were all either hanged, died in jail, or crushed by rocks.
2. Chameleons
Chameleons do not change color based on the background. It's based on health, temperature, and mood.
3. The Mayan Calendar Ended in 2012
No, it didn't. All that happened was that the Fifth Great Cycle of that calendar ended. The current version will not end before 4772.
4. Gladiator Games
Gladiator games in ancient Rome were not "two men go in, one comes out." Most studies point to a one in nine chance that a gladiator died in a munus. It usually wasn’t meant to be a fight to the death.
5. You Should Zig Zag Run From an Alligator.
In reality that will only slow you down, and it won’t zag with you. They can run up to 25mph, so your best bet is to turn around and run straight as fast as you can, sooner or later it'll give up.
6. Jim Jones and Kool-Aid
“The beverage used by Jim Jones to kill all of those people was not Kool-aid, it was another brand called Flavor-aid.”
7. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
Kellogg paid researchers to create studies confirming that statement and started using it as a slogan to sell more cereal.
8. Waking a Sleepwalker
“It's not dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. They won't have a heart attack or end up in a coma. They'll just be confused and it won't be pleasant for them, that's it.”
9. We Only Use 10% of Our Brainpower
We use pretty close to 100%, all the time.
10. The Iron Maiden
The medieval torture device “The Iron Maiden” is completely fake and made up in the 1800’s.
11. Fertilization
You weren’t the fastest sperm cell. The egg has an outer protective layer that takes several sperm to wear down before fertilization.
12. NASA Developed Pens For Space, While the Soviets Just Used a Pencil
In reality NASA bought the pens at about $7 a piece. Plus, using pencils in zero gravity will leave pencil shavings and graphite crumbs floating as you try to work and breathe. The Soviets wound up making similar pens too.
13. Tongue Zones
There are not different sections of the tongue for each taste.
14. Humans Eat Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep
Spiders generally like cool, dry places. The inside of your mouth is not an appealing place for them.
15. The Blood in Your Body is Blue Until it Hits Oxygen
All your body’s blood is red all the time. The color coordination only exists for clarification in diagrams.
16. "Beam Me Up, Scotty."
Kirk never once says this line in the show.
17. Cow Tipping
Cows don't sleep standing up.
18. Eating and Swimming
You don’t need to wait 30 minutes after a meal to go swimming.
19. Dogs are Totally Colorblind
Dogs do not see in black and white. They can see some color, it just looks really washed out.
20. Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight.
In WWII, the British had come up with a way to cover their invention of radar. They attributed their AMAZING ability to spot airplanes at night to their AA crews eating lots of carrots.

salem witch trials - Witchcraft At Salem Village

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NEXT GALLERY 40 of the Funniest Tweets From This Week

1. The Salem Witch Trials No one was burned at the Salem Witch Trials. They were all either hanged, died in jail, or crushed by rocks.

2. Chameleons Chameleons do not change color based on the background. It's based on health, temperature, and mood.

3. The Mayan Calendar Ended in 2012 No, it didn't. All that happened was that the Fifth Great Cycle of that calendar ended. The current version will not end before 4772.

4. Gladiator Games Gladiator games in ancient Rome were not "two men go in, one comes out." Most studies point to a one in nine chance that a gladiator died in a munus. It usually wasn’t meant to be a fight to the death.

5. You Should Zig Zag Run From an Alligator. In reality that will only slow you down, and it won’t zag with you. They can run up to 25mph, so your best bet is to turn around and run straight as fast as you can, sooner or later it'll give up.

6. Jim Jones and Kool-Aid “The beverage used by Jim Jones to kill all of those people was not Kool-aid, it was another brand called Flavor-aid.”

7. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day Kellogg paid researchers to create studies confirming that statement and started using it as a slogan to sell more cereal.

8. Waking a Sleepwalker “It's not dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. They won't have a heart attack or end up in a coma. They'll just be confused and it won't be pleasant for them, that's it.”

9. We Only Use 10% of Our Brainpower We use pretty close to 100%, all the time.

10. The Iron Maiden The medieval torture device “The Iron Maiden” is completely fake and made up in the 1800’s.

11. Fertilization You weren’t the fastest sperm cell. The egg has an outer protective layer that takes several sperm to wear down before fertilization.

12. NASA Developed Pens For Space, While the Soviets Just Used a Pencil In reality NASA bought the pens at about $7 a piece. Plus, using pencils in zero gravity will leave pencil shavings and graphite crumbs floating as you try to work and breathe. The Soviets wound up making similar pens too.

13. Tongue Zones There are not different sections of the tongue for each taste.

14. Humans Eat Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep Spiders generally like cool, dry places. The inside of your mouth is not an appealing place for them.

15. The Blood in Your Body is Blue Until it Hits Oxygen All your body’s blood is red all the time. The color coordination only exists for clarification in diagrams.

16. "Beam Me Up, Scotty." Kirk never once says this line in the show.

17. Cow Tipping Cows don't sleep standing up.

18. Eating and Swimming You don’t need to wait 30 minutes after a meal to go swimming.

19. Dogs are Totally Colorblind Dogs do not see in black and white. They can see some color, it just looks really washed out.

20. Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight. In WWII, the British had come up with a way to cover their invention of radar. They attributed their AMAZING ability to spot airplanes at night to their AA crews eating lots of carrots.

1. The Salem Witch Trials

2. Chameleons

3. The Mayan Calendar Ended in 2012

4. Gladiator Games

5. You Should Zig Zag Run From an Alligator.

6. Jim Jones and Kool-Aid

7. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day

8. Waking a Sleepwalker

9. We Only Use 10% of Our Brainpower

10. The Iron Maiden

11. Fertilization

12. NASA Developed Pens For Space, While the Soviets Just Used a Pencil

13. Tongue Zones

14. Humans Eat Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep

15. The Blood in Your Body is Blue Until it Hits Oxygen

16. "Beam Me Up, Scotty."

17. Cow Tipping

18. Eating and Swimming

19. Dogs are Totally Colorblind

20. Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight.

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eBaum's Picks

1. The Salem Witch Trials
No one was burned at the Salem Witch Trials. They were all either hanged, died in jail, or crushed by rocks.

2. Chameleons
Chameleons do not change color based on the background. It's based on health, temperature, and mood.

3. The Mayan Calendar Ended in 2012
No, it didn't. All that happened was that the Fifth Great Cycle of that calendar ended. The current version will not end before 4772.

4. Gladiator Games
Gladiator games in ancient Rome were not "two men go in, one comes out." Most studies point to a one in nine chance that a gladiator died in a munus. It usually wasn’t meant to be a fight to the death.

5. You Should Zig Zag Run From an Alligator.
In reality that will only slow you down, and it won’t zag with you. They can run up to 25mph, so your best bet is to turn around and run straight as fast as you can, sooner or later it'll give up.

6. Jim Jones and Kool-Aid
“The beverage used by Jim Jones to kill all of those people was not Kool-aid, it was another brand called Flavor-aid.”

7. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
Kellogg paid researchers to create studies confirming that statement and started using it as a slogan to sell more cereal.

8. Waking a Sleepwalker
“It's not dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. They won't have a heart attack or end up in a coma. They'll just be confused and it won't be pleasant for them, that's it.”

9. We Only Use 10% of Our Brainpower
We use pretty close to 100%, all the time.

10. The Iron Maiden
The medieval torture device “The Iron Maiden” is completely fake and made up in the 1800’s.

11. Fertilization
You weren’t the fastest sperm cell. The egg has an outer protective layer that takes several sperm to wear down before fertilization.

12. NASA Developed Pens For Space, While the Soviets Just Used a Pencil
In reality NASA bought the pens at about $7 a piece. Plus, using pencils in zero gravity will leave pencil shavings and graphite crumbs floating as you try to work and breathe. The Soviets wound up making similar pens too.

13. Tongue Zones
There are not different sections of the tongue for each taste.

14. Humans Eat Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep
Spiders generally like cool, dry places. The inside of your mouth is not an appealing place for them.

15. The Blood in Your Body is Blue Until it Hits Oxygen
All your body’s blood is red all the time. The color coordination only exists for clarification in diagrams.

16. "Beam Me Up, Scotty."
Kirk never once says this line in the show.

17. Cow Tipping
Cows don't sleep standing up.

18. Eating and Swimming
You don’t need to wait 30 minutes after a meal to go swimming.

19. Dogs are Totally Colorblind
Dogs do not see in black and white. They can see some color, it just looks really washed out.

20. Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight.
In WWII, the British had come up with a way to cover their invention of radar. They attributed their AMAZING ability to spot airplanes at night to their AA crews eating lots of carrots.