Myths, Rumors, Lies, Debates...

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 02 Oct 2005 12:03

I have been nursing this idea for a thread for awhile, but decided i didnt really have enough material to go on. but im bored now, so i decided to give it a shot. Basically im interested in common myths and stuff that some people do actually believe, and may or may not be true. and if you have something to add (something you think isnt true that is commonly accepted, or something you definitely think is true but others may disagree...), go for it!
im thinking stuff like...

1. you shouldnt go swimming until half an an hour has passed, after you eat a large meal.
my father's mother (my grandmother) was probably the biggest proponent of this idea of anyone i ever heard of, and took it as gospel truth. she would time, to the very MINUTE, exactly half an hour from a meal to allow my dad to go swimming. i think large amounts of food CAN lead to a slight increase in stomach cramps, depending on your disposition, but coming from someone who had swim practice for an hour and a half 4 nights a week, half of the year, for 11 years straight, directly after dinner, and pretty much never felt any discomfort at all in the stomach, i dont think this idea holds much weight.

2. the great wall of china is the only man-made structure visible from space.

definitely not true. there are NO man-made structures visible from space. thats all i can say about this one...its just not true.

3. mountain dew lowers sperm count. im really not sure about this one. i heard that it isnt true, but im not sure either way. anyone?

4. humans only use 5% of our brains
clearly not true. i have read that it isnt true...dont have the sources on hand, but im sure you could find some yourself. but if you think about it logically, it doesnt even seem true. subconcious functions and regulatory processes occupy a large part of your brain, and that has nothing to do with your cognitive thinking.

5. Marie Antoinette said: 'Let them eat cake."
apparently, not true. I quoth the "Absolutely Absorbing Bathroom Reader" (i know, doesnt seem credible, but im sure there sources are good...unlisted in this article.)

"She was alleged to have said it just before the French Revolution. But the phrase had already been used by then. It has been cited as an old parable by philosopher Henri Rousseau in 1778--a decade or so before Marie Antoinette supposedly said it. Chances are, it was a rumor spread by her political enemies."

6. Bats are blind.
They are not blind. i was aware of this myself, but again, i quote the bathroom reader...

"Bat's aren't blind. But they have evolved as nocturnal hunters, and can see better in half-light than daylight" and that doesnt even factor in their sonic-location system of sensing bugs and objects.

7. Bumblebee's flight violates the law of aerodynamics.
i have actually heard this one claimed several times. clearly ridiculous.

8. Monkeys remove flea's from each other's fur during grooming.

nope. they are removing dead skin, not fleas. they eat the dead skin.

9. Shaving your hair makes it grow in faster.
definitely not true. it feels thicker because it is stubble, but the rate doesnt vary based on shaving, just on genetics, and age (puberty, that is)

10. The captain of a ship at sea can perform weddings.

Bathroom Reader:
"US Navy regulations --and those of the navies of many other nations--actually prohibit ships commanders' from joining couples in marriage.

thats all i got for now. tell me what you think...add your own...debate...
especially find some solid evidence that contradicts what i have already posted. i dare yah

carl winslow · Post by **carl winslow** » 02 Oct 2005 12:22

i heard that you can see the lights of las vegas from space

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 02 Oct 2005 12:26

doesnt seem too likely. granted, while you are in the midst of the city, it may be one of the brightest places around, but they ARE just regular lights...they would have to be massively supercharged lights, and possibly all on top of a skyscraper the width of texas.

NotHisRealName · Post by **NotHisRealName** » 02 Oct 2005 13:48

What about this?

More info found at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/p ... 10102.html

ted · Post by **ted** » 02 Oct 2005 13:51

Nope, still don't believe you. Doesn't seem possible.

NotHisRealName · Post by **NotHisRealName** » 02 Oct 2005 13:51

NotHisRealName wrote:

What about this?

More info found at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/p ... 10102.html

Also, you've never really set the boundries for what you call space, and you've didn't state the viewing would need to be with the 'naked' eye.
I agree that there are very few (if any) stand alone, man made structures that can be ovserved by the naked eye from outside of Earths atmosphere.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 02 Oct 2005 13:57

NotHisRealName wrote: Also, you've never really set the boundries for what you call space, and you've didn't state the viewing would need to be with the 'naked' eye.
I agree that there are very few (if any) stand alone, man made structures that can be ovserved by the naked eye from outside of Earths atmosphere.

yeah. i should have specified. but i think space counts as outside the atmosphere...could be wrong.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 02 Oct 2005 17:07

This thread looks interesting, but because of Gareth`s photo, its too much of a pain to read, because the formatting is all messed up.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 02 Oct 2005 19:12

I have no idea what Ken is talking about - it all looks fine to me... Too much sun for Ken I think.

Incidentally who is a good mod?

Those are interesting, I think Peter's comments are a little brief though.

I'd like to comment more when I have time but don't right now

Anyway regarding the 5% of the brain figure. I think the actual "fact" is that humans only use about 5% of our brain at any one time - although more 'enlightened' people use larger percentages. There is this theory put forward by people who have no idea what they're talking about that it would be possible to use 100% of your brain and you'd have all kinds of powers etc if you did. This is completely ridiculous (although Phillip K Dick writes a great short story callled "the electric ant" about it) - your brain has a huge amount of tasks that it does unrelated to thinking. To be using all your brain you'd have to be sleeping, taking a shit, having sex, eating, almost dieing and in a great deal of pain etc. all at once. People can't do everything at once - there are lots of things that your brain can definitely not do both of at once - for example talking, breathing and swallowing all at once - that's impossible - hence we'll never be able to use 100% of your body. Stupid fucking spiritualists who read little facts that they don't understand just make themselves look stupid.

Spawn · Post by **Spawn** » 02 Oct 2005 20:54

that pictures with the map doesnt have any lights in Canada. we have large cities also. lol

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 02 Oct 2005 20:57

Geography in Canada must be even worse than it is in the American schools.

Spawn · Post by **Spawn** » 02 Oct 2005 20:58

...i meant it doesnt have as many lights than the usa..which i founded quite funny.

professor · Post by **professor** » 02 Oct 2005 22:37

Tsiangkun wrote:Geography in Canada must be even worse than it is in the American schools.
Spawn wrote:...i meant it doesnt have as many lights than the usa..which i founded quite funny.

And apparently worse english.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 03 Oct 2005 00:20

Tsiangkun wrote:Geography in Canada must be even worse than it is in the American schools.

professor wrote:And apparently worse english.

But America still has the biggest jack asses!

sPinko-Mania · Post by **sPinko-Mania** » 03 Oct 2005 00:39

slapdash: http://www.snopes.com/toxins/yellow.htm

That deals with the mountain dew thing. Snopes and The Straight Dope are awesome for debunking shit like this.

And Ken was talking about the picture breaking the page margins - it depends on your resolution setting I guess but it breaks mine too.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 03 Oct 2005 01:43

oh that sucks, I was just kidding because I'd resized the picture to make it much smaller. Smaller still? What resolution do you have your monitor set on?

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 03 Oct 2005 08:58

NotHisRealName wrote:

"Welcome to the darkest Australia."

Bander87 · Post by **Bander87** » 03 Oct 2005 11:42

Keep in mind that in the space picture, one part of the world is daytime while the other is night time.

Bander87 · Post by **Bander87** » 03 Oct 2005 11:46

And 10 percent myth

http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percnt.htm

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 03 Oct 2005 13:12

That's a myth,

All of the night globe is captured during the night, and stitched together to make the whole map . . .right ?

How would you photograph both sides of a sphere at the same time . . .