Popular Myths That Aren't True

This Article was written by Zanelle Awinyo and Joli Lindberg, Year 9

Taking a break from looking at Greek Gods this week; we have come up with a list of 10 popular myths that you may have been told all your life- that aren't actually true.

"Lightning can't strike the same spot twice"

The idea of lightning not being able to strike the same spot twice, has no real truth. Just because it hit that one spot doesn't mean you're safe and should seek shelter immediately. Within cities, many skyscrapers or large builders can get struck quite frequently but exactly where the lightning strikes, is completely random. (This doesn't mean that just because you're in an area with no tall buildings, that you're in the clear.)

"We have 5 senses"

Yes, it is true we have 5 senses. But our bodies have much more! There are so many more different senses within our body that help us survive and live (for example, pain tolerance.) Nevertheless, stick to only writing five on your science tests.

"You will get cramps if you swim right after you eat!"

Don't worry swimmers, you can still snack before your races; your body just needs time to digest the food. It's advised you don't eat right before you do any type of exercise; for swimming however it will not cause you to get cramps. Maybe don't eat too much so that you don't get sick whilst swimming your 50m butterfly race. The PE department would surely be horrified.

"Bulls become angry at the colour red"

You are not alone if you thought that bulls get aggrevated at the colour red. But, according to the American Science Guide, bulls are actually red-green colorblind. So what actually triggers the bull's anger is the movement of the cape.

"Bats are blind"

Contrary to popular belief, the idea that bats are blind is not true. In fact, these nocturnal creatures can see perfectly. National Geographic did a study and showed that they "Can see three times better than humans." So the joke's on us!

"Gold fish have a memory of 3 seconds"

Goldfish are are known for having bad memory; but it turns out that these orange fishy creatures could have a memory span of up to five months long. So the next time you say you have the memory of a goldfish, you're just saying you can remember information for a period of five months (but I guess that isn't good either.)

The truth about left and right side of your Brain

There are is no real separation between the left side of your brain being more "creative," whilst the right being is "wiser." These qualities can be mixed within the brain and this is natural for everyone. So if you are really smart but think you are not creative; thats not the case because there is always a bit of creativity in everyone.

"Gum takes 7 years to digest"

You don't have to worry about swallowing gum anymore now, because just like any other food item you eat, it will still make its way out the other end before the week is over. We don't advise you swallow gum as it can hurt your stomach if you do it too often.

"If you're lost, look for moss because it always grows facing north"

Moss mainly grows in shady areas that are moist or humid. Since moisture is a requirement and often comes from the poles, most times it will grow be on the north side of trees. However this also means if you're in the southern hemisphere it would grow on the south side of trees because the moisture there would be from the south Pole. These conditions can be just about anywhere, no matter which direction the surface faces because of microclimates.

"The sun is yellow"

DO NOT WORRY you can still draw you suns in the corner of the paper yellow. In reality, the sun is actually a lot of colours mixed together, which appear to our eyes as white. But you may be wondering why it looks yellow when you look up at the sun (which you shouldn't do without sunglasses?) ... Well, fellow reader; the reason we see the sun as yellow or orange most of the time is because their coloured wavelengths, which are longer than most others, are the only ones that make it to our eyes.

There it is! Did you know any of these? And which surprised you?

Let us know in the comments.