10 Well Known Myths Debunked
We've all heard Myths and Legends that we think are true but how do we know they're right? Today we've gathered 10 Well Known Myths Debunked, ranging from historical facts to recent discoveries thought to be true. You might be surprised with what you read below and find is a myth. If you find these myths interesting or know any more myths yourself, why not share your comment below!
Right or Left Brain
The Myth: The Left Side of the brain is more creative then your right side.
The Truth: Think again. It’s true that certain regions of each hemisphere are specialised for particular functions. But an individual person does not use one half more than the other.
Einstein was bad at Maths
The Myth: There is a persistent if somewhat unlikely myth that Albert Einstein, one of the most important scientific thinkers of all, was bad at maths.
The Truth: He was brilliant from an early age. What did happen is he failed his entrance exam to the Swiss Polytechnic in Zurich (despite excelling in the maths and physics sections), but he was only 16, two years younger than most people applying for university and he was under pressure from his dad to enter a technical profession rather than pursue learning.
Hair & Nails Keep Growing
The Myth: Fingernails and hair keep growing after death
The Truth: Once you die, everything in your body will start to decay, even your hair and fingernails. Although the origin of this myth is disputable it probably stems from the fact that when the skin starts to recede from a dead body it makes the hair and nails appear longer.
Napoleon Wasn't Short
The Myth: Napoleon Bonaparte’s shortness has even given name to a psychological complex, but he was in reality an average height for the time.
The Truth: While it suited British propagandists to paint him as an angry midget, Napoleon was 5 foot 6 inches in height. Some of confusion comes down to the difference between French and English measurement: the pouce, a pre-revolution unit that is slightly longer than a British inch. So 5’2” in pouce is 5’6” in feet and inches.
The Great Wall of China
The Myth: The Great Wall of China is the only man made structure visible from space
The Truth: First of all we have to define where “space” starts. Is it 50 miles, 100 miles, the moon? For our purposes we will use the International Space Station, and guess what? Thats right, you can’t see the Great Wall of China from there. By the way, the ISS is about 173 miles above sea level which is considered low Earth orbit. That’s barely even space. There are man made structures visible from that height, however, one being the Pyramids.
Drinking Kills your Brain Cells
The Myth: Drinking Kills your Brain Cells
The Truth: Alcohol can shrink your brain cells and alter brain function, but moderate drinking does not kill your neurons. Binge drinking or years of chronic abuse will do, though.
Vikings Wore Horned Helmets
The Myth: Coming from the 19th century revival of all things Norse, when horned Viking warriors were put into epic paintings and productions of Wagner. In fact the whole thing may be the fault of Prof. Cale Emil Doepler, Wagner’s costume designer.
The Truth: Despite them being associated with Nordic raiders in popular culture, the Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets into battle. The 9th century Oseburg tapestry shows someone in a horned helmet, but either it’s someone performing a ritual or it’s supposed to be a god. It wouldn’t be a very practical thing to wear while cutting down unsuspecting English Christians with your sword.
Empire State Building
The Myth: Dropping a penny from the Empire State Building would kill someone.
The Truth: Pennies only weigh about a gram and they tumble as they fall so the air resistance is significant. If it reaches its terminal velocity it would be falling at about 100 miles/hour. So when it finally hit you on the head with about 1 foot-pound of energy it would hurt a little but you would quickly forget about it.
Gladiators
The Myth: Gladiators Killed Each Other
The Truth: Gladiators didn’t kill each other as often as you might think. The most prized fighters were worth a lot of money as trained entertainers and many lived very long lives. A grave found at Ephesus in modern-day Turkey in 2007 found the remains of 67 men aged between 20 and 30 – many had sustained serious wounds but they had healed over time, suggesting they had been prized individuals with access to medical care.
Female vs Male Brains
The Myth: Men’s and women’s brains are “hardwired” to be different.
The Truth: While there are differences in the brains of women and men in general, there’s nothing to show that most of these differences are “hardwired”. And we don’t have a clear understanding of how these differences are linked to behaviour. Research that has been done, such as a 1992 study that showed women had more connecting fibres between the two halves of their brains, tends to be used to confirm existing stereotypes. The study was widely reported as showing women are better at multitasking, but the finding was never replicated.
