People Talk About 13 Commonly-Believed Myths and Explain Why They’re so Dumb

You can immediately verify pretty much any fact these days by looking it up on Google. If you’re savvy enough, you’ll have the truth within a few minutes. But once upon a time, misinformation spread really easily. To this day, there are a ton of “facts” that countless people believe are true, even though they couldn’t be more false.

A Reddit user asked, “What stupid myth do too many people believe?”

The people answered, and let’s just say everyone should read this thread to avoid looking stupid.

1. Frogs don’t jump out of boiling water.

“That if you put a frog in tepid water and slowly raise the temperature, the frog won’t try to escape and save itself when the temp gets too high.

Great for illustrating certain points, but completely untrue.”

2. Goldfish live in bowls.

“That goldfish ARE NOT meant to live in bowls! The average goldfish gets about fourteen inches long in proper conditions, and because they’re such dirty animals (they generate ammonia like you wouldn’t believe) they need heavy proper filtration. Yes, you should have 20 gallons per goldfish. That means two goldfish go into a FILTERED forty gallon tank. No, an air pump is not a filter. No, a plant is not a filter. No, you cannot put other tropical fish with your goldfish, because goldfish require lower temperatures (65 degrees Fahrenheit) while tropical fish require higher temperatures (78 degrees Fahrenheit).

Goldfish can live up to 25 years. Putting them in a bowl means you are stunting their growth, but not the growth of their inner organs. They stay 2 inches while their organs keep growing inside of them, which is why they die in 2 years, instead of living to be 25 years old, and over a foot long.

That turned more into a rant than anything but oh well, PSA brought to you by a humble aquatics associate at a pet store.”

3. The Bermuda triangle.

“For any given same-sized sea area there is statistically the same amount of missing ships and planes.

No, it’s not fucking a magically dangerous place.

Grow up.”

4. Gum stays in your stomach for seven years.

“Actual truth is that you shit out a piece of gum within a day or two in case anybody wanted to know.

So yeah… this one is complete bullshit”

5. You can target belly fat.

“Spot reduction of fat.

People think that doing sit-ups will burn fat around your belly area.

How stupid can you be?”

6. Fire sprinklers go off whenever the alarm does.

“They don’t all go off by pulling a fire alarm.

They’re individually heat-activated.”

7. Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.

“All it is is just gas bubbles popping.

Also some guy did a long term experiment (several decades I think) where he constantly cracked all knuckles in one hand and left the other one alone.

After the experiment was over, they took X-rays and tests to find that both hands were practically identical in terms of condition.”

8. How to cure a snake bite.

“You can suck venom out of a snake bite…..”

“My cat bit a friend who was catsitting for me, he tried to suck out the venom’ and spent several days in hospital with sepsis.”

9. Rabbits love carrots.

“This isn’t actually that stupid really but it’s my favorite weird myth: That rabbits love carrots.

They don’t, you give a hungry rabbit a carrot it’ll probably eat it, but they likely wouldn’t be high on it’s preference list. So why are carrots stereotyped as a rabbit’s favorite food? Weirdly, because of Bugs Bunny.

Bugs is always munching on a carrot, but why if rabbits don’t really eat carrots normally? Because he was created in 1938 and that particular quirk was a parody of Clark Gable’s character from the 1934 movie It Happened One Night, who had a famous scene being a wiseacre while munching on a carrot. The movie is mostly forgotten today but was a huge hit at the time. Contemporary audiences (who would have also been seeing the cartoons in a movie theater as pre-show shorts) would have recognized the reference as easily as early 2000s audiences would recognize a bullet dodging scene as Matrix parody.

The carrot munching bit became Bugs’ signature and over time the origin was mostly forgotten. Everyone associated rabbits with carrots so strongly because of that that it eventually became “common knowledge” that rabbits love carrots despite it not being true at all.

The myth is prevalent enough that pet shops will commonly warn people getting pet rabbits to make sure they feed them a proper diet, because carrots are not sufficient and the poor bunny can actually starve to death.”

10. Porcupines can shoot quills.

“Too many people believe that porcupines can shoot their quills when they actually have to jab you with their quills.”

11. Being an organ donor is risky.

“That if you’re an organ donor then doctors won’t try hard to save you and might ‘let you die’.

I’m a doctor, when I’m treating a patient whether the patient is an organ donor or not never crosses my mind, I will genuinely have no idea. And even if I did, why would I want to sacrifice MY patient for some random other patient across the country? Surely that would just make me look like a shit doctor!”

12. Humans only use 10% of their brain.

“Good grief I can’t listen to people who say this is true. The worst thing is, my teacher in elementary school thinks that humans only use 10-15% of their brain, and the reason Albert Einstein, for example, was super smart is that he used about 30% of his brain. The biggest amount of bullshit I’ve ever heard, and the person saying it is a science teacher…”

13. A fractured bone is different than a broken one.

“In my experience, it seems that most people think a fracture is when it’s not broken the whole way and broken means it’s broken clean in half (or multiple pieces).

In this case, I understand their intent, they simply don’t know the right words. Still annoying though, they do mean the same thing.”

So what did you think about those myths? Have your mind blown by any of that info?

Tell us a myth you couldn’t believe wasn’t true in the comments. Sharing is caring!

The post People Talk About 13 Commonly-Believed Myths and Explain Why They’re so Dumb appeared first on UberFacts.

Disney Park Employees Must Follow These 5 Rules

Disney World is a place where dreams are supposed to come true.

And while we all tend to focus on the riveting rides and captivating castles, we tend to forget about the driver behind it all: the employees.

Well, cast members, actually.

Working at Disney can be a fantastic career, but it takes much more than a great smile and love of cartoons to be successful. In fact, the company implements some interesting rules that its employees must live by while working.

Act Right

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Terminology matters big time in the world of Disney. In fact, their employees are technically referred to as “cast members.”

That title extends to everyone who works in the park, including characters, ride operators and gift shop salespeople. The concept of Disney is that the park is actually a stage, and we are all engaged in one fantastical show.

Measure Up

Disney has strict height requirements for both its rides and its characters. Specific character roles require a prospective “cast member” to check the all-important height box.

For example, a Disney princess must measure in between 5’4″ to 5’8″. Of course, if you don’t meet the requirement, you could always play a different character.

Take Care of Your Looks

Photo Credit: Pexels

In order to capture every essence of a character, Disney makes sure its cast members look the part. And I mean down to the whisker.

Women are allowed to have subtle highlights in their hair, but otherwise it must be styled in a classic and natural look. On the other hand, men are forbidden from having long hair and may only have facial hair no longer than a quarter of an inch thick.

Sound Check

Photo Credit: Pexels

While our favorite Disney princesses and heroes have recognizable voices, you won’t hear a peep from some of the other characters in costume. And that’s done purposefully.

Characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the Beast cannot speak while in costume. That can be a challenge for employees, who often are tasked with acting the part for hours without being able to utter a sound.

No Work-Related Social Media

Photo Credit: Pexels

Playing the part also means maintaining anonymity. Disney employees are not allowed to reveal what character(s) they portray on social media.

And as for backstage sneak peaks? Those are also a no-go in Disney.

Disney employees have to hold up to strict standards, but that plays a large role in why the company—especially its magical theme parks—is such an iconic brand.

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Mumbai is Testing Traffic Lights That Stay Red if They Detect Honking

Police in Mumbai, Indian are testing red lights that won’t turn green if drivers are laying on their horns. It’s a perfect solution for a busy city where noise pollution is one of its biggest problems, right?

Photo Credit: Needpix

Last year, Indian authorities conducted a trial with sensors attached to traffic light poles that detected street decibel levels. If noise levels registered more than 85 decibels, the traffic lights were set to delay turning green.

Mumbai’s lights, like other Indian cities, displays a timer on each light so drivers can see when it will change.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Police spokesman, Pranay Ashok, told CNN, the trial started with a run at several major intersections for 15 minutes a day. Police hope to roll the system out to the “entire traffic management system.”

A (hilarious) video posted to Twitter showed the effects of rampant noise pollution. In it, police describe the city as “the honking capital of the world.” Explaining what they call “The Punishing Signal,” they advise that if motorists want to keep moving, they should stop laying on the horn.

According to the TomTom Index, Mumbai has a serious problem with traffic congestion, ranking the fourth worst in the world last year.

The amount of congestion in the city translates to a loss of eight days and 17 hours per year for every driver and passenger.

It will be interesting to see if these monitored traffic lights make a difference. There are so many more pleasurable activities to do with that time than sit in traffic and listen to angry horns.

Don’t you agree?

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15 Memes About the Broomstick Challenge

Internet fads come and go – some are destined for lasting greatness, others are doomed to become obscure punchlines.

Luckily, the internet is forever, so even the more niche trends get permanently archived, like in this #BroomstickChallenge compilation.

This all started, apparently, with a viral twitter video claiming that “NASA said” your broom could stand up on its own today only (because…gravity? I guess?).

For the record, that’s not how anything works. Getting a broom to stand up on its own is just a balancing trick, and no special circumstances are required.

But it was one of those ideas that creates an itch in the human brain. A feeling of “That’s dumb…I wanna try it.”  And thus… a meme was born.

Enjoy how people made fun of other people on the internet.

1. Twitter got in on the fun

2. Then historians chimed in

3. Retail employees everywhere were deeply annoyed

4. The “Nobody:” meme got used in a big way

5. Demons were summoned

6. Interventions were held

7. Walmarts were ruined

Source: someecards

8. The 1% sneered at us

Source: someecards

9. Salem was unimpressed

Source: someecards

10. People were distracted

Source: someecards

11. Judgement was passed

Source: someecards

12. Some good came of it all

Source: someecards

13. Contrarians talked about how they weren’t talking about it

Source: someecards

14. Classics were invoked

Source: someecards

15. Reality peeked back in

Source: someecards

Where does the #BroomstickChallenge rank in the great memes of history?

Tell us your scholarly opinion in the comments.

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12 Examples of ‘Accidental Comedy’ Are Just What You Need Today

Once in a while, the funniest things in life happen completely by accident.

I’m talking about totally random, hilarious things that just pop up, well, randomly!

Here are some of the best examples of the phenomenon of “accidental comedy” we could find… on purpose.

What I’m saying is that we put some effort into this. Accidental comedy doesn’t just come to us, people! We have to go find it.

Okay, whatever… enjoy!

1. Go ahead and eat next door.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

2. How could they think that?

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

3. Yassssss KFC!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

4. They had to tell the world.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

5. Egg Man had a lot of good tunes.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

6. I see you!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

7. This doesn’t look good.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

8. Be careful which bus you board.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

9. No way this is real, right?

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

10. Sup hoes?!?!

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

11. Pixar throwing some shade.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

12. Yes. He is running.

Photo Credit: pleated-jeans

Happy accidents! That’s what we like to call those!

Have you ever captured any examples of accidental comedy like these photos?

If so, please share them with us in the comments!

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Wholesome Tweets to Make You Feel Better on Those Really Shabby Days

All of us have those terrible days where nothing seems to be going our way. The weather sucks, you feel a little bit sick, your boss won’t stop giving you a hard time… and we could go on and on, but we won’t put you through that.

Overall, it’s just rough.

But thankfully, we’re here to help. Yes, we want to get rid of those blues, at least for a little while.

So take a look at these wholesome tweets that highlight some of the positive, nice things that are happening in our universe.

We think these will do the trick, and if they don’t, well… let’s not think about that right now.

1. Do you know him?

Photo Credit: Twitter

2. That is beautiful.

Photo Credit: Twitter

3. Good neighbors.

Photo Credit: Twitter

4. You did a great job.

Photo Credit: Twitter

5. I love this idea!

Photo Credit: Twitter

6. World’s Best Mom.

Photo Credit: Twitter

7. Finally reunited.

Photo Credit: Twitter

8. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Photo Credit: Twitter

9. Never forgot about each other.

Photo Credit: Twitter

10. I need a tissue.

Photo Credit: Twitter

11. Let’s bring this idea over here!

Photo Credit: Twitter

12. You can tell me anything.

Photo Credit: Twitter

13. Great job, Dad.

Photo Credit: Twitter

14. A gift from your best friend.

Photo Credit: Twitter

15. You had no choice.

Photo Credit: Twitter

That feels a little bit better, now doesn’t it?

We hope these tweets made your day just a little bit brighter.

Tell us how you’re doing in the comments and give us a life tip on how you fight the winter blues!

Please and thank you!

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A Tumblr User Took a Deep Dive on ‘Lord of the Rings’ Mythology

My entire knowledge of the Lord of the Rings universe is “Short man takes ring to volcano, Peter Jackson stretches The Hobbit into three unnecessary movies. ”

But then I’ll stumble upon things like this Tumblr essay from user mirkwoodest, and be reminded that the Lore of the Rings is richer and more complicated than just about anything else out there.

You get it? Lore of the Rings?

Nevermind, just check out this thread about Tolkien’s insane naming system.

It starts with something I never realized… that the Hobbits had different names?!?

Is this retconning gone wild? Not exactly.

But if you think this is just about TWO languages, hold onto your butt.

I’ve never seen anyone this excited about etymology.

Then come the Horse People.

Basically, it’s word-nerd inception.

God bless the internet and its ability to connect people who know way too much about their favorite things. And Tumblr seems to be THE repository for things like that.

What’s a topic you could nerd out about forever? Let us know in the comments!

Or write a lengthy, well-researched post on Tumblr and drop a link in the comments.

Either of those scenarios work for me.

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Mom of a Teenager Shares Tips on How to Teens Can Use Their Phones for Real World Experience

Raising kids is tough, so if you’re currently slogging through the long, interrupted nights with potty-training toddlers, well…I’m sorry to say that even though things will be different one day, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be easier.

Teens especially are leading completely different lives than their parents did thirty or forty-odd years ago, so we might often wonder what sort of wisdom we can offer when it comes to navigating this brave new world.

One mom of a teenager has some advice on using technology to prepare your almost-adult for taking on life after living at home, and personally, I’ll definitely be taking notes.

1. Have them conduct internet research for your family.

Image Credit: Pixabay

If you need to kill weeds or replace a fence or put your dog in day care or rent a car – anything you’d normally do, your kid can do (but of course double check!).

2. Have them pay medical bills.

If you get a medical bill, show them where to find the service date and invoice number and then sit there while they call or pay online.

3. Have them make actual phone calls to get help when something breaks.

Using the phone to make calls is a chore, but when our internet breaks, the water heater goes out, etc, your kid can make the calls and set up the appointments on their own.

4. Let them schedule their own appointments.

It might be time for them to schedule their own haircuts and dentist appointments, but make sure they actually get it done.

5. Have them renew your driver’s license or voter’s registration.

Image Credit: Pixabay

It can be intimidating to navigate official government processes, so why not let them practice while you’re still there as a safety net?

6. Let them order groceries online.

Online grocery shopping is amazing – and something everyone should know how to do when they’re on their own.

Show them how to re-order necessities, to check the pantry for recipe components, and to stay within a budget.

7. Make them responsible for cooking dinner once a week.

Image Credit: Pixabay

They should choose the recipe, make sure the ingredients get on the online grocery list, and then make the dinner for the family once a week.

8. Teach them how to use Microsoft Excel.

Use it to make a packing list, a personal budget, a schedule of activities – it doesn’t matter what for as long as they’re figuring out how to use the program.

9. Help them learn PowerPoint.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Like with Excel, PowerPoint is something they’ll likely need in college and, depending on their profession, beyond.

They can make birthday presentations, Mother’s Day presentations, etc – you could even use it as a punishment if they’ve done something wrong.

There you have it – I’m not sure my husband can do all of these things, honestly, so I’ll definitely be making sure my sons can before they call themselves grown ups.

What do you do to try to use technology as a teaching tool? Are you going to try any of these in your home?

Talk to us in the comments!

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Some Parents Are Annoyed by a Hospital Poster Shaming Them for Looking at Their Cell Phones

We all have to answer questions in this day and age about how much, how often, when and where we choose to pick up our phones. Sometimes we’re reading emails from work, or answering texts from friends or family or looking up a recipe for dinner, and other times we might be scrolling through Facebook or keeping up with the latest snark on the news on Twitter.

The truth is that your kids have no idea what the difference is – they see you staring at your phone and they know you’re not paying attention to them, full stop.

It’s complicated, and we all have to decide for ourselves what we want technology in our homes to look like.

The personal nature of those choices is probably why new parents want to snarl at a hospital poster suggesting they’re going to screw up their brand-new bundle by picking up their phones instead of staring lovingly into their sleeping (or screaming) faces.

Even worse – this was posted in a U.K. version of a NICU, meaning that the parents there spend long, stressful hours waiting for the day they can take their child home.

And, if they’re anything like me (who had a healthy, if pissy, newborn), most of the things they’re staring at on their device are answers to panicked questions about all things baby and motherhood.

The sign reads “Mummy and Daddy, Please look at ME when I am feeding. I am much more interesting than your phone!!”

Surely, the person who wrote it intended it as a reminder of the importance of bonding, but it definitely comes across as shaming in a place where added stress is the very last thing anyone needs.

During those long, late hours spent feeding, worrying, and just disconnected from the real world in general, our devices can be like a lifeline to other people – something not to be discounted, even if moderation is obviously key.

The Yeovil District Hospital responded to the outcry with a statement:

“These posters were created by our Special Care Baby Unit nurses following UNICEF baby-friendly accreditation training and have been in place for a few months. They are intended to be used only within the context of the unit, where we support mums of premature or very poorly babies in building a healthy connection.”

Twitter clapbacked at that as well…

Which is fine, but someone should definitely work on their wording. A simple statement about the importance of bonding with premature infants would have sufficed.

Postpartum is a hard enough time, and we’re already questioning literally everything we’re doing – the last thing new parents need is the hospital staff pouring on more of the same.

What do you think? Good reminder or should the hospital just mind their own business?

Let us know in the comments!

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A Newly Discovered Weed Compound Might Be 30 Times More Potent Than THC

This is great news for anyone who’s ever used cannabis and thought to themselves, “Boy, I wish I was 30 times higher.”

A newly-discovered cannabinoid called THCP could potentially be over 30 times more potent than THC, according to recent reports.

Photo Credit: iStock

THCP stands for tetrahydrocannabiphorol. It was discovered alongside another previously unknown compound called CBDP. The latter compound seems to be a “cousin” to CBD, another popular cannabinoid that is often used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticonvulsant effects.

There are almost 150 cannabis compounds, and not all of them cause a psychoactive effect (or in other words, get you high). THC does, while CBD does not. Those are the two most-studied compounds in cannabis.

Photo Credit: iStock

It hasn’t yet been determined whether THCP creates a psychoactive effect in humans or not.

But in the lab, THCP has been shown to be 30 times more potent than THC. This is because it has a longer alkyl side chain, which is “the driving force behind a cannabinoid’s effects on humans,” CNN reports. While most cannabis compounds (including THC) have a five-atom chain, THCP has a seven-atom one.

If this new compound does have the ability to get you high, then that might explain why some strains of weed are stronger than others — more-so than can be explained by THC alone.

Dr. Cinzia Citti, lead author of the research, told CNN,

“In cannabis varieties where THC is present in very low concentrations, then we can think that the presence of another, more active cannabinoid can explain those effects.”

Cannabis compounds can be hard to isolate and study — not to mention all the legalization stuff. So it’s unlikely you’ll see THCP for sale anytime soon.

Still, the research is fascinating and promising!

What do you think about this news? Let us know in the comments!

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