50 Well-Known "Facts" That Are Actually Just Common Myths

[soybean]

40

You should urinate on someone if they get stung by a jellyfish.​

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Here's one "fact" you're probably relieved to hear is fiction. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the proper way to treat a jellyfish sting is with hot water. Not only is urine not an effective treatment method, but it can even worsen the sting!

 

[soybean]

41

President Richard Nixon was successfully impeached.​

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He probably would have been, but it never came to that. Official impeachment hearings against Richard Nixon began in May 1974, but the 37th president announced his resignation on Aug. 8 before anyone could successfully force him out of office.

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[soybean]

42

Brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs.​

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Brown eggs are no healthier than white eggs. The color of an egg's shell is simply determined by the type of chicken laying them. And here's a fun fact: Chickens with white earlobes typically lay white eggs!

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[soybean]

43

Going outside with wet hair makes you sick.​

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Stepping outside in sub-zero temperatures right after you wash your hair might make you chilly—and it might cause your hair to freeze—but it won't get you sick. Colds are caused by a virus, and they don't care whether your hair is wet or dry. "You cannot catch a cold or the flu simply from going out with wet hair during winter," Anita Skariah, DO, a physician who specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics at UNC Healthcare, told Bustle. "Some wives' tales are valid conclusions from observations people have made through the years, but this one has not been proven conclusively."

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[soybean]

44

Peanuts are a type of nut.​

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Despite the misleading name, peanuts are actually a type of legume. Though they're commonly served with nuts like walnuts and almonds, they are more closely related to clovers and chickpeas.

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[soybean]

45

Twinkies have no expiration date.​

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Sorry, but Twinkies aren't going to fend off hunger during a zombie apocalypse. As Theresa Cogswell, former vice president for research and development at Interstate Bakeries Corp. (and a self-proclaimed Twinkie fanatic), told The Washington Post, the sweet snack only has a shelf life of 25 days. While still a long time as far as pastries are concerned, it's unlikely that your Twinkie stash will make it through a nuclear winter.

 

[soybean]

46

There is one universal sign language.​

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Sign language is a manual form of communication, and there are variations depending on the country and region you're in, just like any other language. In the U.S., for instance, you'll find American Sign Language (ASL), which uses a one-handed finger-spelling alphabet, whereas British Sign Language (BSL) in the U.K. is a different language altogether that uses a two-handed alphabet. And the differences only go on from there!

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[soybean]

47

Sugar causes headaches.​

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It's not the sugar itself that's causing your headache; it's a rapid drop in your blood sugar levels that wreaks havoc on your head. For some people, eating a carbohydrate-heavy meal causes excess production of the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, which in turn makes glucose levels drop and results in that throbbing headache you so often experience after consuming one too many cupcakes.

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[soybean]

48

Putting your laptop on your lap will cause infertility.​

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This myth gained traction in 2011 when Argentinian researchers published a study in the journal Fertility and Sterility claiming that the radiation emanating from laptops could affect sperm production. However, other scientists were quick to debunk the findings.

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[soybean]

49

The odds are always 50-50 in a coin toss.​

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A group of Stanford University researchers proved this common misconception wrong in 2007 when they flipped a lot of quarters and found that a coin was more likely to land on the face that it started on. The researchers put your actual odds at closer to 51-49, so pay attention to which side of the coin faces the sky when you make your call!

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