Someone Asks “What Is A Popular Belief That Has Been Scientifically Proven Wrong?” And People Deliver 30 Illuminating Responses

The tricky thing with beliefs is that we all think ours are correct. When actually, almost everything we believe, at some point in our lives, will eventually be at least partially wrong.

Not only are we often unaware of it, but we also have no idea of how to determine which of our pieces of common knowledge are incorrect. So when someone asked “What is a popular belief that is scientifically proven wrong?” on Ask Reddit, the responses started rolling in one by one.

From thinking that you can catch a cold by being in cold temperatures to the belief that gum gets stuck in your stomach for eternity, here are the most popular beliefs that are very far from true.

We reached out to Audrey Tang, Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan, spokesperson, and award-winning author who shared some very interesting insights into how popular beliefs and common knowledge emerge, how they are passed through generations, and how it all comes down to the fact that humans are social creatures. Scroll down for the interview below!

#1

Homosexuality has been proven to be natural. It’s not a disease or whatever. It has been observed in hundreds of species.

Image credits: lovin_da_dix

“Stories have a way of taking on a life of their own, especially in the landscape of social media,” Audrey said. She explained: “Citations are not always given, elements may be changed as the story moves along, and a little bit like gossip, or the ‘broken telephone’ – eventually a narrative makes its way into popular belief and often is so removed from the original as to be unrecognizable (and example of this is the oft-cited in leadership posts (especially on LinkedIn).”

More importantly, stories are compelling because they give us a sense of completeness. “Research into false memories has shown that when elements of memory are missing we ‘fill in the gaps’ – and this may not be an accurate account.”

#2

Torture doesn’t work.

It has never worked. It was proven that torture doesn’t work before America was colonized.

Torture DOES produce confessions, but it doesn’t reveal the truth.

Image credits: MBergdorf

#3

You don’t have to wait 24 hours to call the police to file a missing person’s report. Never wait 24 hours. Every hour that passes means you are less likely to find said person. Dead or alive.

Image credits: MinnieCreations

#4

As a cat lover, it always drives me insane that so many people will automatically give a stray they found milk. Most cats are lactose intolerant.

Image credits: _Jacket_Slxt_

Furthermore, Audrey explained, “We tend to make sense of those gaps based on our world experience at the time – an example of this is, sadly, where a child of divorce may think that a parent left ‘because of them’ – if it has not been explained to them in accessible and understandable language.”

“This is not always the parent’s fault as they too are going through a great deal of emotional upheaval, but dismissing a child’s questions can sometimes lead to the child reconstructing an approximation of what is really going on.”

Related to that, Audrey continues, “When a story resonates with an experience we have been through (or believe we have been through!), we are also more likely to connect with it because of the familiarity.”

#5

Back in the olden days, people just turned 30 or so and died.

The infant mortality rate was just much higher, but if you made it to adulthood, living to be a senior was not that rare.

Image credits: maisymowse

#6

Most dietary information that is widely accepted by the public was from studies that have been proven wrong since the 70s

Image credits: sgt_taco891

#7

Goldfish have a three second memory.

They don’t and, supposedly, you can even train them to do tricks.

Image credits: twerkette

Audrey argues that research suggests that our brains seem better wired to process and recall facts set out as a story rather than facts alone.

“For example, the colors of the rainbow may be remembered using the mnemonic ‘Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain,’ and similarly, groups of numbers which can be ‘chunked’ into memorable dates, e.g,. 1066 instead of 1,0,6,6, are better recalled as well.”

And when it comes to popular myths, Audrey suggests that they may occur through people connecting with them and repeating them. “Perhaps if details are changed to suit the storyteller, again, that story takes on even more strength as more people may relate to it and repeat it,” she told Bored Panda.

#8

There is an alpha wolf in a pack.

Like the person who made the first claim debunked his own claim, but nobody cared.

Image credits: Kinjal_Ghosh

#9

Used to be a popular belief that if you sit to close to the tv your eyes will go bad. But Ive recently come to realize that children who sit “too close” to the tv might already have poor vision, but cannot communicate it, so when they go get their eyes checked it appears that the causation is them sitting to close to the tv, when it was probably genetics or other factors. Thus causing people to think that the cause was them sitting too close to tv.

Image credits: justafang

#10

You can catch colds from being outside without a hat. Colds are caused by viruses, not cold temperatures

Image credits: crabbyabbyyy

There’s also an explanation for why particular common beliefs disappear while others remain something people believe throughout generations. “Many beliefs that are passed through generations have a strong link with culture and tradition, and even though there may be no reason for engaging with them because they are part of your personal story, you feel connected with it,” Audrey explained.

According to her, Christmas traditions are a lovely example of this: “my own mother-in-law always makes a Christmas Gift Cracker as this was something that she had enjoyed when she was young. Not having children personally, it is not something I will be passing down, but my husband’s cousins might, and thus whenever this tradition plays out, we are reminded of the happy times at Christmas.”

#11

Most things that tout “detoxifying” properties.

Image credits: Thefreshestproduce

#12

We only use 10% of our brain

Image credits: Key-Wallaby-9276

#13

Cracking knuckles = arthritis

Image credits: bigfart99

On the other hand, sometimes certain beliefs are extremely questionable as society changes, Audrey added. “It is hoped that many rules also change accordingly, or, where that is not possible, that enough people become aware of the original rule, find no basis for it to be true, and create their own, which then grow because of their acceptability in the modern world.”

“A less contentious example, but still a problematic one that is changing, is the view that in some cultures, mental ill health is simply not discussed. As we learn more about mental health diagnoses, cultures become more accepting as to why certain behaviors may be happening and what can be done about it, they blame less and grow more,” Audrey explained.

#14

The belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children. This belief has been around for decades, but numerous scientific studies have shown that there is no evidence to support it.

Image credits: Logpoze3

#15

“Fish don’t feel pain” , and simultaneously “Fish do feel pain” are both arguments which ignore centuries of research.

They lack a Neocortex which deems them unable to “process” pain, however they have several nociceptors located around the mouth which allows them to “feel it”. What does this mean? Well nobody actually knows yet, and it is largely open to interpretation. It’s unfathomably hard for us to understand, as we can both feel and process pain. Some scientists describe “acting on instinct” as symptoms of pain when these nociceptors become compromised. Some scientists describe it as just that though, acting on instinct based on what parts of their body are compromised and hence weaker or vulnerable.

For example : You hook and release a bass. That Bass now moves slower, eats a little less, and socializes less. Are these actions the result of the fish acknowledging the compromised nociceptors and acting accordingly while giving itself a chance to heal? Or is the fish genuinely hurting and sad? Research points to both being correct, but neither have enough evidence to prove anything yet.

All we know with certainty is that we don’t have a definite answer supporting either argument, so anyone that leans hard one way or another doesn’t know what they are talking about.

Image credits: goldieglocks16

#16

That if you shave it’ll grow back longer and thicker

Image credits: confusedgoofball

The Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan also argues that often, “a little bit like social media hashtags, the enduring narratives are those which resonate closely with the zeitgeist at the time, such as #metoo.”

Moreover, endorsements from celebrities can make a difference as well. “Not only does research show that celebrity endorsements are more likely to make you believe a certain thing, but to also not check it for credibility.”

Audrey explained that inviting a psychologist to comment on an article and adding the phrase “backed by science” can do the same thing. “As I always say – ‘backed by science,’ says NOTHING about the reliability, validity or even relevance of the research as a whole, nor the population it was based on.”

#17

Despite popular belief, urine is not sterile.

Image credits: koalamiracle

#18

That we taste different things in different areas on the tongue.

Image credits: redDKtie

#19

Hiding under a highway overpass is actually not a good way to survive a tornado.

It has been scientifically proven that the wind gets concentrated and the speeds increase underneath the overpass.

If you aren’t shielded by a bridge girder or something similar you’ll just get swept away and mulched.

Your best bet for survival if you cannot escape the tornado is to find the nearest deep ditch or hole.

Image credits: jitsbay

#20

Lightning never strikes in one place twice.

Image credits: JarJarLifts

#21

You can swim after you eat it’s no problem

Image credits: Thecooleo

#22

That bubblegum get stuck in your stomach for 99999999999900000 years

Image credits: Baller69max

#23

A frog thrown in a pot of boiling water will jump out immediately. If a frog is put in a pot of cool water and that water is slowly warmed, the frog won’t notice and boil to death.

This is indeed false

Image credits: Backwards_Pessimist

#24

That eggs are bad for you.
That eggs are good for you.

Its been proven that it completely depends on your own genetic makeup on if they are good or bad for you. For some people they’re healthy, for others they’re not and they’re bad cholesterol level skyrockets.

Image credits: BKDDY

#25

That rice will make the birds who eat it explode. Birds eat rice all the time! It’s actually good for them, especially brown rice.

I believe this myth was made up so people would stop throwing rice at weddings, but harming the birds wasn’t an actual risk. It was getting rice grains stuck in your ear that was.

Image credits: Mister_Moho

#26

Carrots do not improve your eyesight.

Image credits: RiotousRagnarok

#27

Don’t know if it’s been said yet still scrolling, but that male lions don’t hunt or do anything. Yes, lionesses do most of the hunting but males do help if the prey is too big and strong, such as with cape buffalo or giraffe. Males do a lot, staying back and protecting the territory which is very important if there are cubs, not to mention that the mane not only blows their cover more when hunting, but it tires them out quickly as it’s a bunch of hair weighing on their head. Males also have to leave their birth pride at a certain age which of course until they can find a pride, they at that point have to hunt.

Also on the topic of African animals (wildlife nerd) hyenas hunt more than lions and are more successful predators, and hyenas aren’t dogs. Elephants don’t think you or any human is cute.

Edit: I was told wrong a lion’s mane doesn’t weigh as much as I thought, but it does have more of a negative effect on their hunting compared to a lioness.

Image credits: wildnstuff

#28

That you can “alkalize” your body to prevent or cure disease.

#29

Women’s periods don’t sync up when they live together. Any syncing that occurs is a result of a coincidental overlap of their individual cycles.

Image credits: zumera

#30

I just read it recently that people believe that consuming alcohol moderately has some health benefits but it was proven by a recent study that it does not have any health benefits at all.

Image credits: iam_joyc3

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Author: Mantas Kačerauskas