Ever since it was available for public use in the 90s, the internet has grown to become a place where people can easily share information without ever needing to leave the comfort of their homes. With the current world situation, even more information is being spread online about anything and everything.
However, with the increase of information, comes the increase of false information as well. Let’s take a look at some common misconceptions that most people don’t know about.
1. Cracking knuckles
Has your mom ever gotten mad at you as a kid because you cracked your knuckles too much, scared that you’d get arthritis? Well, we can prove mom wrong, as a review in the Swiss Medical Journal found no studies that claim that cracking knuckles cause arthritis.
One doctor even went as far as testing this on himself. For 50 years straight, he cracked the knuckles on his left hand 2 times a day but didn’t do this on his right hand. At the end of his experiment, there was no difference in both of his hands, and he had no sign of arthritis either. Talk about dedication!
2. Swallowing bubblegum
Let’s thank moms again for scaring us with this one – as kids, we were terrified of swallowing gum because we believed it would stay in our stomachs for seven years until it gets fully dissolved. It is true that our body can’t digest gum, but it actually does not stay in the stomach.
Anything indigestible moves through the digestive system and gets excreted in the stool, including bubblegum.
3. Drowning in quicksand
Hollywood has probably told you that when people get trapped in quicksand, they suffer a slow and terrifying death as they get fully submerged inside.
Fortunately, it is actually impossible for one’s body to be fully submerged inside quicksand. Although it is true that the more one struggles, the more they sink, due to buoyancy, no one can actually fully drown.
4. Playing violent video games
Any gamer has probably heard someone telling them to stop playing the new GTA they just bought. I mean after all; how can you play a game that tells you to murder people? After feeling the glory and ecstasy of fictional murder, wouldn’t you want to do it in real life?
Well according to numerous studies, there is no evidence that violent video games lead to aggression, more so to deadly real-life massacres or violence. In fact, with the popularity of gaming came the decrease in youth violence.
5. Getting struck by lightning
Ever heard the encouraging phrase, “Lightning never strikes the same place twice?” It was probably told to you whenever something bad happens, as to say that the bad thing won’t ever happen again. However, this quote is actually one of the oldest misconceptions.
Lightning will strike objects that at the right height and that are extremely conductive. As an example, the Empire State Building in New York gets hit by lightning about 25 times per year.
6. Diamonds and indestructibility
“Diamonds are forever.” Many have heard this quote before, which is why people use the diamond ring when proposing to their partner, as a representation of the “forever” in marriage.
However, despite being the strongest stone on earth, diamonds are not infinitely hard and are not indestructible. They can actually be scratched by other diamonds, and if hit the right way, they can even break.
7. 10% of our brains
There is this extremely popular notion that humans only use 10% of their brains. The movie “Lucy” used this notion as a basis for their story, as the main character found a way to become God-like after unlocking 100% of her brain for her use.
This is obviously a myth, most probably stemming from a simple misunderstanding in the early 1900s. Doctors who use brain scanning technology like PET and fMRI scans are able to see what is happening inside the live brain, and it clearly shows that the vast majority of the brain is used. Not all parts of the brain work at the same time, but are used when necessary.
8. The effects of microwave ovens
A long-standing theory has gone around the internet talking about microwaves and other products like cell phones, Wifi, and even 5g connections – apparently these can cause cancer and provide other health risks.
The truth is that these appliances use low-energy radiation specifically classified as non-ionizing radiation. Other forms of this radiation are radio waves and infrared or visible lights. If microwave radiation is under the same classification as radiation from visible light, then that means it is not harmful to humans at all.
All these misconceptions are just a few examples of the thousands of rumors and false information strewn around the internet and literature. It is important for us to figure out what is true and what is false, so that we would not spread more misinformation which can lead to chaos and confusion.
On the internet, we can use fact-checking websites like snopes.com to improve our internet literacy, and to help others figure out truthful information. Let’s strive for a truth-filled world!
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