Top 10 Common Misconceptions

Things people believe to be true that are factually incorrect. These false facts, old wives tales, rules of thumb, and other misconceptions are relatively common and some of them may be things you mistakenly think are true.
The Top Ten
1 Charles Darwin theorised that humans evolved from apes Charles Darwin's theory of evolution does not claim that humans evolved from apes, but rather that humans and modern apes share a common ancestor. His theory of evolution by natural selection is about how species evolve over time, not a linear progression from one specific species to another.
2 Jesus was born on December 25 Despite popular belief, the Bible does not specify December 25 as the birthdate of Jesus. The date was chosen by the early Christian church to coincide with existing pagan celebrations, and it has stuck around ever since. The actual birthdate of Jesus remains unknown.

Yes. Everyone seems to think that Jesus was born on December 25, he's not. He wasn't even born in winter. He was probably born in late spring or early summer. It seems like I'm one of the only people who knows this. Great list by the way.

We celebrate his birthday on that day. He wasn't born.

3 You have to drink 8 glasses of water everyday The idea that you need to drink exactly eight glasses of water each day isn't based on scientific evidence. While staying hydrated is important, the amount of water needed can vary greatly from person to person and depends on factors like age, sex, weight, activity level, and overall health.

You can't drink eight glasses of water everyday. I tried that once and I had to go to the bathroom for the whole day. Trust me. It's not fun.

Believe me, I've never done this. 3 is probably the most I've ever drank.

4 Humans only use 10% of our brain The claim that humans only use 10% of their brain is a myth. Neuroimaging studies have shown that all parts of the brain have a function and are active at some point, though not all areas are active at the same time. We use virtually every part of the brain, just not all at once.

We use 0% of our brain because we are dumb enough to destroy habitats and kill our own species, and aliens ( if they exist) will watch it while eating popcorn like some sick game. But hey, we can ignore that...

I believe that is knowledge wise, right? But if it's just in general then, would I be able to get rid of 90% and be ineffective?

This is the one that annoys me the most, as movies trot it out all the time like it's science.

All the people saying we use 100% of our brain probably never had an acid experience...

5 Men think about sex every seven seconds The idea that men think about sex every seven seconds is a popular but unfounded myth. The frequency of sexual thoughts can vary widely between individuals, and it's not solely dependent on gender. This belief has been debunked by numerous studies.

We're not all pedophiles. We think about other things, like video games, working, fixing the computer, and football (American football)

If we did then we would end up raping the innocent.

6 Whales are fish Whales are not fish, but mammals. They breathe air, have warm blood, give live birth, and nurse their young with milk. These are all characteristics of mammals, not fish. Whales being classified as fish is a common misconception due to their aquatic lifestyle.

Do people even assume that whales are fish anymore?

No. Whales are not fish. They are mammals.

They are mammals

7 The color red angers a bull Contrary to popular belief, bulls are not enraged by the color red. Bulls, like all other cattle, are colorblind to red. It's the movement of the matador's cape, and not the color, that provokes the bull's reaction.

Bulls are color blind. It's the waving motion that attracts them. The red color is for the benefit of the crowd.

Bulls are colorblind. It's the waving movement of the cape that annoys them.

Fun fact: Many restaurants in Spain serve bull testicles.

They are colorblind! When you wave the cape, they get annoyed ( for unknown reasons )

8 Elephant is the biggest mammal on Earth While elephants are the largest land mammal, the title for the largest mammal overall goes to the blue whale. Blue whales are the biggest animals to have ever lived, even larger than the largest dinosaurs.

No. The elephant is not the biggest mammal in the world. The blue whale is. They're also the world's biggest animals because they're even bigger than the dinosaurs! While the African elephant is the biggest land mammal, the blue whale is the biggest sea mammal.

The blue whale is the biggest mammal on earth.

The blue whale called. It wants his title back.

On land, the elephant is. But overall, no

9 Winter weather causes colds and the flu Colds and the flu are caused by viruses, not cold weather. However, these viruses spread more easily in the winter, possibly because people spend more time indoors in close proximity to each other. Cold temperatures themselves do not cause these illnesses.

Cols and the flu are caused by viruses, not the temperature of the air. Bad weather may cause people to congregate which leads to viruses being shared more frequently, but it does not cause the sickness.

10 Infant vaccinations cause Autism Multiple scientific studies have shown that there is no link between vaccinations and autism. This misconception started from a now-debunked and retracted study. Vaccinations are an essential part of infant and child healthcare.

This hypothesis was proven wrong years ago, yet some people (including Donald Trump) still believe it! Stop living in the past, Trump, and get your facts right up to date. To prove vaccinations don't cause autism, there is NO correlation between vaccination and autism rates.

Never been proven. The lone often cited study that fueled the whole debate was completely biased, disowned by the journal that published it, and authored by a researcher who may be criminally prosecuted.

How many times do we have to debunk anti-vaxxers to get it through their heads that it's a complete myth?... Ignorance is really a way of "saving people's lives" and instead of not accepting the fact that vaccines save lives, not kill.

Oh my gosh, I have cousins who didn't get vaccines bcs their mom was so afraid that they cause autism. Oh, so smallpox or polio or scarlet fever are better?
Not that my aunt is against kids who are autistic fyi. I guess she just didn't want to risk anything.

The Contenders
11 Human blood in veins is blue Despite how it's often depicted in illustrations, human blood is not blue when it's in your veins. Blood is always red due to the iron in hemoglobin, but it may appear darker in veins beneath the skin due to light absorption and scattering.

Blood in the body is just as red as when it comes out. The apparent blue coloring is caused by the walls of the veins and your skin.

It's not blue it's just a myth.

12 Jesus was the founder of Christianity Although Jesus is a central figure in Christianity, he didn't establish the religion himself. It was his followers who formed the early Christian communities after his death, spreading his teachings and ultimately establishing the religion we know today as Christianity.

Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian. He was the messiah, and the actual son of God, which kind of makes it complicated.

He did not intend to create a new religion. It was his followers who did so.

13 Unionists were Democrats and the Confederates were the Republicans It's incorrect to say that Unionists were Democrats and Confederates were Republicans. During the American Civil War, the Union was largely supported by the Republican party, while the Confederacy was largely composed of Democrats. However, again, the political ideologies of these parties have changed significantly over time.
14 Humans only have 5 senses The belief that humans only have five senses - sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell - is not entirely accurate. Humans have many more senses, including balance, temperature, pain, and the sense of where our body parts are in relation to each other (proprioception), among others.

According to some scientists, humans actually have 21 senses.

They are way more such as sense of temperature.

I have 229839218748032 senses and 3 brain cells.

15 Europeans in Christopher Columbus’s time believed the world was flat The idea that Europeans in Christopher Columbus's time believed the world was flat is a myth. Scholars and educated people in the Middle Ages were well aware that the Earth was round, a fact known since antiquity. Columbus's dispute with contemporary experts was about the size of the Earth, not its shape.
16 All bats are blind Contrary to popular belief, not all bats are blind. While many bats use echolocation to navigate in complete darkness, all bat species have eyes and are capable of sight. In fact, some bats have excellent vision.

Although bats have tiny eyes, they are not blind. Bigger bats can see three times better than humans.

You're telling me that my elementary school teachers have lied to me this whole time?

"Blind as a bat" is a catchphrase now. People used to think bats where blind.

They're not blind, but several species do have poor eyesight.

17 Carrots improve your vision While carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is important for eye health, eating them won't improve your vision beyond its normal capacity. This misconception was popularized during World War II to explain why British pilots had excellent night vision, which was actually due to radar, not carrot consumption.
18 Suck out snake venom could save the victim Trying to suck out snake venom is ineffective and potentially dangerous. It's more important to keep the victim calm, limit movement to slow the venom's spread, and seek immediate medical help. Modern treatment involves antivenom injections and supportive care, not venom extraction.

Sucking out snake venom may lead to infection. A poisonous bite requires antivenom and treatment.

Get ready for lip infection, plus, you'll have lips like Kylie Jenner.

19 The Great Wall of China is one of only a handful of man made things that can be seen from space The idea that the Great Wall of China is visible from space is a myth. Astronauts have confirmed that the wall is not visible without aid from a significant height in space. Most man-made structures are not visible from such a distance without the aid of telescopic lenses.

True, you can see the wall from space, but it's difficult, you have to know what you are looking for, and the conditions have to be just right. But think about it. If you can see the Wall which is roughly the same color as the surrounding terrain and is less than 50 feet wide, then you can certainly see a 12 lane Los Angeles freeway that is over twice as wide as well as a whole bunch of other man made objects.

20 Crabs are pink Crabs are not always pink. The color of a crab can vary widely depending on the species and their environment. They can be brown, blue, red, or even green. Crabs often turn pink or red when cooked due to heat-induced chemical changes in their shells.
21 Daddy Long Legs are extremely poisonous, but their mouths are too small to bite people The belief that Daddy Long Legs are extremely venomous but can't bite humans due to their small mouths is a myth. The truth is, they don't possess venom glands or fangs at all. The term "Daddy Long Legs" can refer to several species, but none are known to be harmful to humans.
22 The Vikings wore horned helmets Despite popular depictions, there's no historical evidence that Vikings wore horned helmets. This image likely comes from 19th-century Romantic representations of the Vikings. Actual Viking helmets, as far as historical artifacts and contemporary depictions suggest, were conical and made of simple iron or leather, without horns.

Vikings have never wore horns on their helmets. and that's a good thing because that would be dangerous!

23 The fruit is named after the color orange The color orange was actually named after the fruit, not the other way around. The word "orange" was first used to describe the citrus fruit, and it was later used to describe the color because of the fruit's distinctive hue.

Other way around

I don't know how

24 Shaving causes hair to grow back thicker Shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker or darker. This misconception likely stems from the fact that shaved hair grows back with a blunt tip, which can feel coarser or look darker, but the hair's thickness or color does not actually change.

Short hair seems thicker, but it is just perception.

25 Lightning never strikes the same place twice The statement that lightning never strikes the same place twice is false. Lightning can and does strike the same place multiple times. For example, the Empire State Building gets struck by lightning about 25 times a year.

At the spire of Empire State building, lightning has already struck 38 times

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