Sometime many beliefs are stuck in our minds, so we never question how true they are.
Here are 8 well-known truths that have actually been debunked:
1. You can drown in quicksand
False: There is a belief that if you fall into quicksand, you might drown if there isn’t anyone to help you.
True: Quicksand is a mix of sand and water. The density of this mix is more than the density of water, so if you fall into quicksand up to your chest your body will float in that position. If you’re trapped in quicksand, try to lean back to spread the weight evenly and wait until the water pushes you out.
2. Coffee is made of seeds, not beans
False: Coffee is made from the seeds of the plant.
True: Only evergreen forest species with red seeds are used in the production of coffee. After processing, we get the coffee beans, which everybody is familiar with. In fact, there is no connection between bean plants and coffee beans.
3. Vitamin C can prevent or treat colds
False: Vitamin C can fight infections and viruses.
True: Consuming vitamin C on a regular basis only can prevent getting cold or relieve the symptoms. There is no evidence of the fact that vitamin C can actually fight infections and viruses.
4. Penguins are monogamous and mate for their whole life
False: Penguins are monogamous and have one partner for the whole life.
True: Yes, penguins can be monogamous, but only from time to time. They spend the day and night with the same partner, but only during the breeding seasons, which last for 20-30 days. They also spend 2 months taking care of newborn baby penguins, but the rest of the time penguins completely forget about their partners and move to different locations.
5. Hair grows back thicker and darker after shaving
False: Shaving your legs makes your hair thicker and darker.
True: Actually shaving your legs doesn’t influence the growth and thickness of the hair. The growth is determined by your genes and hormones. When a hair starts to grow after shaving, its end is blunted. That’s why it seems thicker than it actually is.
6. You shouldn’t wake a sleepwalker
False: We should never wake a sleepwalker.
True: Actually, if you wake a sleepwalker, you can only confuse them but you can’t hurt them. The chance of getting dangerous for them is to wake suddenly in their sleep.
7. Mars is the red planet
False: Mars is known as the Red Planet.
True: In fact, its atmosphere contains a high concentration of an iron oxide dust, and that’s why the color of the planet’s surface can vary from pink to brown. The planet has more of a butterscotch color.
8. The SOS signal means “save our souls.”
False: The international signal SOS means “save our souls”.
True: This widespread belief is completely false. The code is created this way so you can easily translate it into Morse code: 3 dots, 3 dashes, 3 dots.