The 20 Biggest Myths That People Won’t Stop Believing

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 6 hours ago in facepalm

If you've been paying attention, you'll know that many people aren't. 'Fact' and 'Fiction' are nearly interchangeable.

As such, dozens of myths from the days of snake oil and witch trials still exist, and as long as dumb people walk the Earth they'll be taken as fact.

Here are the 20 biggest myths that some people just won't stop believing.

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1. Do Not Swim For Three Hours After Eating
Exercising is not recommended immediately after eating a big meal, but there is nothing special about swimming in this regard.
2. Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brains
Ackchyually… we use almost all of our brains all the time.
3. Cutting Hair Makes it Grow Back Faster
Hair grows from your body, not its ends, so cutting makes no difference. The same goes for shaving, and nails.
4. Saturn Would Float in a Giant Bathtub
While much of Saturn is less dense than water, it doesn't float. Saturn’s dense core would sink, while its gasses would disperse in the water. Really, Saturn is more like a giant bath bomb.
5. The Lion is the King of the Jungle
Lions live on the African savannah, which is very much not the jungle.
6. Cracking Knuckles Will Give You Arthritis
There is nothing wrong with occasionally cracking your knuckles, and the “crack” sound comes from a release of gas. Improper cracking might hurt you, but it will not give you Arthritis.
7. If You Touch a Baby Bird, Its Mother Will Reject It
Birds are not capable of telling whether or not another bird has been touched by a human, and will not reject one that has.
8. You Swallow Eight Spiders Every Year in Your Sleep
Odds are, you won’t swallow any spiders in your sleep… ever. Spiders are not likely to crawl across a living person’s mouth.
9. Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest
Gum might not digest well, but it will get flushed out along with the rest of your normal bowel movements. This one was made up to stop kids swallowing gum.
10. Your Tongue’s Taste Zones
Tongue taste zones were even taught in school, but there is no legitimacy to them. All forms of taste buds are scattered all around the tongue.
11. Goldfish Only Have a Three Second Memory
In actuality, goldfish can remember quite a bit.
12. Sugar Makes You Hyper
There is actually no correlation between high blood sugar and energy levels, despite what moms and the placebo effect might have you believe.
13. Daddy-Longlegs are Venomous, But Their Fangs Can’t Bite You
False. Daddy-longlegs are neither venomous, nor an actual species of spider. They're called cellar spiders.
14. Urine is Sterile
The bladder contains bacteria that become part of urine, so no it isn’t.
15. Your Heart Stops When You Sneeze
No, it doesn’t. That would be really bad.
16. Blood Returning to the Heart is Blue
It is still red, textbooks just use the blue to help distinguish between arteries and veins.
17. The “Alpha” Wolf
There is no “alpha” wolf, and the original researchers who pitched the idea have since retracted it.
18. Get Out of the Cold, You’ll Get Sick
Sickness is caused by germs, not temperature. That being said, it can prompt certain states that predispose you to sickness.
19. Wash Your Chicken
Washing chicken only disperses its bacteria around your sink. If you need to thaw your chicken, you can use warm water, but leave the chicken in its packaging.
20. Wearing Hats Can Cause You to Go Bald
Come on now people, this one is simply not true. Don’t mix up cause and effect.

1. Do Not Swim For Three Hours After Eating
Exercising is not recommended immediately after eating a big meal, but there is nothing special about swimming in this regard.
2. Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brains
Ackchyually… we use almost all of our brains all the time.
3. Cutting Hair Makes it Grow Back Faster
Hair grows from your body, not its ends, so cutting makes no difference. The same goes for shaving, and nails.
4. Saturn Would Float in a Giant Bathtub
While much of Saturn is less dense than water, it doesn't float. Saturn’s dense core would sink, while its gasses would disperse in the water. Really, Saturn is more like a giant bath bomb.
5. The Lion is the King of the Jungle
Lions live on the African savannah, which is very much not the jungle.
6. Cracking Knuckles Will Give You Arthritis
There is nothing wrong with occasionally cracking your knuckles, and the “crack” sound comes from a release of gas. Improper cracking might hurt you, but it will not give you Arthritis.
7. If You Touch a Baby Bird, Its Mother Will Reject It
Birds are not capable of telling whether or not another bird has been touched by a human, and will not reject one that has.
8. You Swallow Eight Spiders Every Year in Your Sleep
Odds are, you won’t swallow any spiders in your sleep… ever. Spiders are not likely to crawl across a living person’s mouth.
9. Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest
Gum might not digest well, but it will get flushed out along with the rest of your normal bowel movements. This one was made up to stop kids swallowing gum.
10. Your Tongue’s Taste Zones
Tongue taste zones were even taught in school, but there is no legitimacy to them. All forms of taste buds are scattered all around the tongue.
11. Goldfish Only Have a Three Second Memory
In actuality, goldfish can remember quite a bit.
12. Sugar Makes You Hyper
There is actually no correlation between high blood sugar and energy levels, despite what moms and the placebo effect might have you believe.
13. Daddy-Longlegs are Venomous, But Their Fangs Can’t Bite You
False. Daddy-longlegs are neither venomous, nor an actual species of spider. They're called cellar spiders.
14. Urine is Sterile
The bladder contains bacteria that become part of urine, so no it isn’t.
15. Your Heart Stops When You Sneeze
No, it doesn’t. That would be really bad.
16. Blood Returning to the Heart is Blue
It is still red, textbooks just use the blue to help distinguish between arteries and veins.
17. The “Alpha” Wolf
There is no “alpha” wolf, and the original researchers who pitched the idea have since retracted it.
18. Get Out of the Cold, You’ll Get Sick
Sickness is caused by germs, not temperature. That being said, it can prompt certain states that predispose you to sickness.
19. Wash Your Chicken
Washing chicken only disperses its bacteria around your sink. If you need to thaw your chicken, you can use warm water, but leave the chicken in its packaging.
20. Wearing Hats Can Cause You to Go Bald
Come on now people, this one is simply not true. Don’t mix up cause and effect.

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NEXT GALLERY 23 Photos of What Life Looked Like in 1923

1. Do Not Swim For Three Hours After Eating Exercising is not recommended immediately after eating a big meal, but there is nothing special about swimming in this regard.

2. Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brains Ackchyually… we use almost all of our brains all the time.

3. Cutting Hair Makes it Grow Back Faster Hair grows from your body, not its ends, so cutting makes no difference. The same goes for shaving, and nails.

4. Saturn Would Float in a Giant Bathtub While much of Saturn is less dense than water, it doesn't float. Saturn’s dense core would sink, while its gasses would disperse in the water. Really, Saturn is more like a giant bath bomb.

5. The Lion is the King of the Jungle Lions live on the African savannah, which is very much not the jungle.

6. Cracking Knuckles Will Give You Arthritis There is nothing wrong with occasionally cracking your knuckles, and the “crack” sound comes from a release of gas. Improper cracking might hurt you, but it will not give you Arthritis.

7. If You Touch a Baby Bird, Its Mother Will Reject It Birds are not capable of telling whether or not another bird has been touched by a human, and will not reject one that has.

8. You Swallow Eight Spiders Every Year in Your Sleep Odds are, you won’t swallow any spiders in your sleep… ever. Spiders are not likely to crawl across a living person’s mouth.

9. Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest Gum might not digest well, but it will get flushed out along with the rest of your normal bowel movements. This one was made up to stop kids swallowing gum.

10. Your Tongue’s Taste Zones Tongue taste zones were even taught in school, but there is no legitimacy to them. All forms of taste buds are scattered all around the tongue.

11. Goldfish Only Have a Three Second Memory In actuality, goldfish can remember quite a bit.

12. Sugar Makes You Hyper There is actually no correlation between high blood sugar and energy levels, despite what moms and the placebo effect might have you believe.

13. Daddy-Longlegs are Venomous, But Their Fangs Can’t Bite You False. Daddy-longlegs are neither venomous, nor an actual species of spider. They're called cellar spiders.

14. Urine is Sterile The bladder contains bacteria that become part of urine, so no it isn’t.

15. Your Heart Stops When You Sneeze No, it doesn’t. That would be really bad.

16. Blood Returning to the Heart is Blue It is still red, textbooks just use the blue to help distinguish between arteries and veins.

17. The “Alpha” Wolf There is no “alpha” wolf, and the original researchers who pitched the idea have since retracted it.

18. Get Out of the Cold, You’ll Get Sick Sickness is caused by germs, not temperature. That being said, it can prompt certain states that predispose you to sickness.

19. Wash Your Chicken Washing chicken only disperses its bacteria around your sink. If you need to thaw your chicken, you can use warm water, but leave the chicken in its packaging.

20. Wearing Hats Can Cause You to Go Bald Come on now people, this one is simply not true. Don’t mix up cause and effect.

1. Do Not Swim For Three Hours After Eating

2. Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brains

3. Cutting Hair Makes it Grow Back Faster

4. Saturn Would Float in a Giant Bathtub

5. The Lion is the King of the Jungle

6. Cracking Knuckles Will Give You Arthritis

7. If You Touch a Baby Bird, Its Mother Will Reject It

8. You Swallow Eight Spiders Every Year in Your Sleep

9. Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest

10. Your Tongue’s Taste Zones

11. Goldfish Only Have a Three Second Memory

12. Sugar Makes You Hyper

13. Daddy-Longlegs are Venomous, But Their Fangs Can’t Bite You

14. Urine is Sterile

15. Your Heart Stops When You Sneeze

16. Blood Returning to the Heart is Blue

17. The “Alpha” Wolf

18. Get Out of the Cold, You’ll Get Sick

19. Wash Your Chicken

20. Wearing Hats Can Cause You to Go Bald

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eBaum's Picks

1. Do Not Swim For Three Hours After Eating
Exercising is not recommended immediately after eating a big meal, but there is nothing special about swimming in this regard.

2. Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brains
Ackchyually… we use almost all of our brains all the time.

3. Cutting Hair Makes it Grow Back Faster
Hair grows from your body, not its ends, so cutting makes no difference. The same goes for shaving, and nails.

4. Saturn Would Float in a Giant Bathtub
While much of Saturn is less dense than water, it doesn't float. Saturn’s dense core would sink, while its gasses would disperse in the water. Really, Saturn is more like a giant bath bomb.

5. The Lion is the King of the Jungle
Lions live on the African savannah, which is very much not the jungle.

6. Cracking Knuckles Will Give You Arthritis
There is nothing wrong with occasionally cracking your knuckles, and the “crack” sound comes from a release of gas. Improper cracking might hurt you, but it will not give you Arthritis.

7. If You Touch a Baby Bird, Its Mother Will Reject It
Birds are not capable of telling whether or not another bird has been touched by a human, and will not reject one that has.

8. You Swallow Eight Spiders Every Year in Your Sleep
Odds are, you won’t swallow any spiders in your sleep… ever. Spiders are not likely to crawl across a living person’s mouth.

9. Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest
Gum might not digest well, but it will get flushed out along with the rest of your normal bowel movements. This one was made up to stop kids swallowing gum.

10. Your Tongue’s Taste Zones
Tongue taste zones were even taught in school, but there is no legitimacy to them. All forms of taste buds are scattered all around the tongue.

11. Goldfish Only Have a Three Second Memory
In actuality, goldfish can remember quite a bit.

12. Sugar Makes You Hyper
There is actually no correlation between high blood sugar and energy levels, despite what moms and the placebo effect might have you believe.

13. Daddy-Longlegs are Venomous, But Their Fangs Can’t Bite You
False. Daddy-longlegs are neither venomous, nor an actual species of spider. They're called cellar spiders.

14. Urine is Sterile
The bladder contains bacteria that become part of urine, so no it isn’t.

15. Your Heart Stops When You Sneeze
No, it doesn’t. That would be really bad.

16. Blood Returning to the Heart is Blue
It is still red, textbooks just use the blue to help distinguish between arteries and veins.

17. The “Alpha” Wolf
There is no “alpha” wolf, and the original researchers who pitched the idea have since retracted it.

18. Get Out of the Cold, You’ll Get Sick
Sickness is caused by germs, not temperature. That being said, it can prompt certain states that predispose you to sickness.

19. Wash Your Chicken
Washing chicken only disperses its bacteria around your sink. If you need to thaw your chicken, you can use warm water, but leave the chicken in its packaging.

20. Wearing Hats Can Cause You to Go Bald
Come on now people, this one is simply not true. Don’t mix up cause and effect.