Remember all those “facts” you learned in school? Well, get ready for a surprise. It turns out that some of the things we were taught as kids aren’t as true as we thought. From history to science, our textbooks weren’t always spot on.
In this article, I discuss 17 things you probably learned in school that aren’t quite right.
Columbus discovered America
Columbus didn’t actually discover America. Native people had been living there for thousands of years. Also, Vikings from Europe had visited North America long before Columbus. Columbus did start European exploration of the Americas, but he wasn’t the first to find it.
There are only three states of matter
We often learn about solids, liquids, and gases. But there’s actually a fourth common state: plasma. Plasma is found in lightning and stars. There are even more states of matter that scientists have discovered!
Tongue taste map
You might have seen a map of the tongue showing different taste areas. But this is wrong. All parts of your tongue can taste all flavors. Your nose also helps you taste food.
We only use 10% of our brains
This is a big myth. We actually use all of our brains, just not all at once. Different parts work for different tasks. Our brains are always active, even when we’re sleeping.
The Great Wall of China is visible from space
Astronauts can’t actually see the Great Wall from space with their eyes alone. It’s too thin and blends in with the land around it. Lots of other human-made things are easier to spot from space.
Sugar makes kids hyper
Eating sugar doesn’t actually make kids more active or hyper. Studies have shown this is just a myth. The excitement of parties or events where sugary foods are served might be the real reason kids seem hyper.
Humans evolved from monkeys
We didn’t evolve from the monkeys we see today. Instead, humans and modern apes evolved from a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago. We’re cousins to monkeys, not their direct descendants.
Lightning never strikes the same place twice
Lightning can and does strike the same place multiple times. Tall buildings and structures often get hit repeatedly. The Empire State Building gets struck about 25 times a year!
Different tastes on different parts of the tongue
Remember the tongue map? Well, this goes with that. All taste buds can sense all tastes. There aren’t special areas for sweet, sour, salty, or bitter. Your whole tongue works together to taste food.
Chameleons change color to blend in
Chameleons don’t actually change color to match their surroundings. They change color to communicate with other chameleons, control their body temperature, and show their mood. Their color changes are more about expressing themselves than hiding.
Blood is blue inside your body
Your blood is never blue. It’s always red, even inside your body. It looks blue through your skin because of how light travels through skin and veins. But if you could see it directly, it would be red.
The food pyramid is the best guide for eating
The old food pyramid isn’t considered the best guide any more. It suggested eating too many carbs and not enough fruits and veggies. New guides, like the food plate, give better advice for healthy eating.
You need to wait 24 hours to report a missing person
TV shows often say you have to wait 24 hours, but this isn’t true. If you think someone is missing, you should tell the police right away. The first hours are really important in finding people who are missing.
Humans have five senses
We actually have way more than five senses. In addition to sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, we can sense things like balance, temperature, and where our body parts are without looking. Scientists think we might have over twenty senses!
The dinosaurs all went extinct at once
Not all dinosaurs died out when the big asteroid hit. Some survived and evolved into birds. So, in a way, dinosaurs are still around today! Every time you see a bird, you’re looking at a modern dinosaur.
People in the Middle Ages thought the Earth was flat
Most educated people in the Middle Ages knew the Earth was round. The idea that people back then thought the Earth was flat is a myth that started much later. Ancient Greeks had figured out the Earth was round way before the Middle Ages.
You’ll catch a cold from being cold
Being cold doesn’t directly cause colds. Colds are caused by viruses. But being cold might make it easier for viruses to infect you. So, staying warm can help, but it’s not the whole story when it comes to avoiding colds.
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