6 most common myths adults believe
Even when we reach adulthood, there are stories, old wives’ tales, and myths that persist in hanging around. It can be hard to shake them off, even with cold hard scientific evidence to prove them wrong. Here are the six of the most common myths that adults believe to be true.
6 – Don’t shave; the hair will grow back thicker!
This old wives’ tale has been passed down to young women getting their first razor for generations. Yes, leg hair does grow back if you shave it. No, it does not get thicker every time. If it did women would be using blowtorches for depilatory purposes by the time they reached their 20s. The myth comes from the texture of hair when it grows back: blunt and jagged instead of pointed and fine. This is caused by the razor slicing the hair in a straight line when you shave: when you wax, the hair is pulled right out and grows back in a natural point. Your hair may look different when it grows back after a shave, but it isn’t any thicker or harder to remove.
5 – Don’t Wake a Sleepwalker!
There is a long-held belief that waking a sleepwalker is dangerous; some people even believe it will give them a heart attack. Sleepwalkers tend to be deeply asleep, so they are grumpy and confused when woken. If you have a sleepwalker in your family, take them gently by the arm and guide them back to bed. They probably won’t even remember being up.
4 – Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive!
We’ve all heard this one. “Don’t give him/her sugar, it’ll make them wild!” The truth is that sugar is no more likely to make a child excitable and energetic than any other food. A number of double-blind trials have revealed no differences in behaviour between children who ate sugar and children who did not. Even children with unrelated behavioural issues (such as ADHD) were not shown to have a reaction. There is the possibility that the placebo effect kicks in when kids are given a lot of sugar, or that parents are on the lookout for bad behaviour and are more aware of it. It’s also possible that kids are just more excitable on occasions when they get cake and sweets!
3 – People Can Have Photographic Memories!
There is no scientific evidence to support the idea of eidetic, or photographic, memory. No tests have ever revealed that people with exceptional memories have this kind of ability. There may be those who use great mnemonic devices or are particularly good at applying previous knowledge to a situation, but this is not the same as being able to, for example, look at a sheet of paper and instantly memorise its contents.
2 – Human Beings Only Use Ten Percent of Our Brains!
The idea that we all have 90 percent of our brains waiting in reserve for the day our potential can be unlocked is an enticing one. Unfortunately, it’s not true. When the brain is scanned during mental activity, most of it will light up at one point or another. The myth is promoted by films like Limitless and Lucy, where we see protagonists become superior to others by accessing that elusive 90 percent, but in truth they are just science fiction.
1 – Chewing Gum Stays in Your Body for Seven Years!
Many adults still believe that swallowing chewing gum is borderline poisonous because it hangs around in your body afterwards. No one is sure where: children tend to believe it sticks to the ribs, while adults imagine years’ worth of gum will appear during their next colonic irrigation. The truth is that the body can’t really digest chewing gum, so it simply allows it to pass through. If you swallow chewing gum, it will go harmlessly through your digestive system and out as nature intended. No harm done, but it’s still fine to spit it out as long as you use a bin.
Courtesy of http://www.uncoverdiscover.com/
