Misconceptions are all around us, lurking in the shadows, whether they arise from personal experience, culture, outdated beliefs, media misrepresentation, or bias. Today, we will send some light on the truth and bring down these misconceptions once and for all.
Here are some of the most common misconceptions, the truth behind them, and why they’ve become so popular.
Wait 30 minutes after eating to swim
Ever heard your parents say “don’t swim after you eat”? Well, the next time they say that, you can tell them that there’s actually no scientific basis to support their claim. The worst thing that you could get from diving straight into the pool after eating is a minor cramp. This myth came from the belief that the blood going to your digestive tract after eating steals the blood needed to keep your arms and legs moving during swimming.
Bananas grow on trees
The “trees” that the bananas grow on are actually herb plants, whose “trunks” are actually layers of leaves that wrap tightly onto themselves. These herb plants aren’t considered trees due to their lack of a woody trunk/stem. This myth likely came to life as bananas planes look like trees.
The Great Wall of China is visible from space
The Great Wall of China is, in fact, not visible from space with the naked eye. In order to see the wall, not only would an astronaut need to use magnification, but the weather conditions have to be perfect as well. However, certain man-made structures such as the Bingham Canyon Mine can be seen from space. This myth came to be through the numerous historical claims made by different figures. For example, William Stukely in his letter during 1755 and Hendry Norman’s claim during 1895.
Waking sleepwalkers can give them heart attacks
This myth originated around the 12th and 13th century, when people believed that during sleep, your soul would leave your body and as such, awakening a sleepwalker would leave them without a soul. However, even though waking a sleepwalker won’t give them heart attacks or make them lose their souls, it could trigger a stress response. So, it is best to gently guide sleepwalkers back to sleep.
You lose most of your heat through your head
Since the head is the only uncovered body part, it would make sense that you lose the most heat through the right? Well, no. Even though there’s some truth behind this myth as heat loss is dependent on the surface area and the temperature at each body part, the top of the head is covered with hair which reduces heat loss. This myth came from a US army survival manual from 1970 that recommended covering the head as “40 to 45 percent of body heat" is lost from the head.
Bats are blind
Ever heard the phrase “blind as a bat”? Well, you should say “blind as an olm (an aquatic salamander)” because bats aren’t actually blind. And although bats don’t have the same sharp and colourful vision that we have, they can use their eyes to see in situations that we consider pitch black. This myth likely rose due to the bat’s rapid and weird movements that makes it seem like a person fumbling in the dark.
We are descendants of chimpanzees/monkeys
Although humans aren’t descendants of chimpanzees, they are our last common ancestor. About 6 to 7 millions years ago, the humans’ and chimpanzees’ last common ancestor (an ape) was roaming the Earth. This myth likely came to be as a result of the misunderstanding of Darwin’s theory of evolution (species undergo natural selection which increases their chances of survival).
Shaving causes hair to grow back thicker
Despite common belief, shaving your hair doesn’t cause them to grow back thicker. After you have shaved your hair, the new hair would start to grow with a coarser base that will eventually grow back to have the same blunt and thin tip as the previous unshaven hair. This myth likely made its way into our lives due to the fact that hair regrowth after shaving often has a different appearance, creating the illusion that it’s thicker.