Nick Martin 
You can probably recall a time when you stumbled upon a piece of information that confused you, because it actually exposed a widely known fact to be false. We have experienced that feeling numerous times! There are a lot of things that the majority of people consider to be an undisputable fact, but they are definitely false, just like the one that astronauts are weightless while in space! The list below consists of some of the most popular ones.
1. We all know about the so-called 5-second rule
Well, we definitely thought that this was totally true and we have taken advantage of that rule before! If only we knew that it was not real! Come to think of it, it does not make sense when you hear it, but since everyone thought that it was a fact, we also considered it to be a real thing. In reality there is no way for food to avoid bacteria contamination, because bacteria can attach to a piece of food almost immediately after it hits the ground!
2. The myth about the ever-lasting McDonald’s food
We believed in this for so long that we felt a bit ashamed when we realized that it was not true. It was scientifically proven to be a false fact. The fact that they contain preservatives does not make them last indefinitely. When you place a burger in the right environment, such as a really dry place with the right temperature, the burger might look good but it would definitely not be okay for consummation! We do not recommend trying it!
3. The urban legend about lemmings is not true as well
We have never heard of this one before but we find it to be a really curious thing. There was apparently an urban legend about lemmings that stated they can willingly take their own lives! It sounds absurd but that is how the legend goes. It all began when a Disney film crew decided to add some drama to a scene they were filming. When the footage showed a huge number of lemmings jumping off the edge of a cliff, some people believed it happens in real life, too.
4. This is something you will be glad to know
Chances are that your parents told you how you should wait before going into the water after you had a meal at the beach. Contrary to the popular belief that you can get cramps if you go swimming immediately after eating something, there is not a single piece of evidence to support such a things, therefore it remains a myth!
5. Sharks can suffer from cancer
Now this is something that might make you react with a raised eyebrow and a ‘so what’ line, but there is a reason for it to be on the list. Apparently one person tried to convince everyone that sharks do not suffer from cancer because he wanted to sell shark cartilage intended to cure people who suffered from it. It turned out to be a scam and it is scientifically proven that sharks suffer from numerous kinds of cancer!
6. Here is another shark-related myth
This is also a belief the majority of people have when it comes to shark. You have probably heard that sharks are able to sense blood from miles away. It might sound like a cool fact to use in a thriller, but it is not true. We are not sure how this myth was initiated, but it was debunked by science. Sharks can really smell blood, but the can sense it from a couple of hundred yards, which is a far smaller distance compared to a few miles.
7. Chocolate isn’t an aphrodisiac
Well, some of you might not actually be surprised to hear this, but it is a fact. There is a belief that chocolate sweets have an effect similar to other aphrodisiacs but it is just not so. We know that it would have been nice if that was proven to be a real thing, but there is not a single scientific fact that can back up such a theory! Of course, chocolate lovers will still continue to enjoy chocolate because there is no substitute for the sensation it brings!
8. Dogs and cats actually see color
This was the one myth that we strongly believed in for so many years! We have no idea why we considered it to be a fact because we could never see the logic behind it, but we still thought it was how things are. It turns out that canines and felines really do have a different vision than hours because of the color spectrums they are able to see in, but they do see color after all. What is true is that their eyesight is better in low-light conditions.
9. The Great Wall of China is not visible from the Moon
You have probably heard that one before! It sounds really curious and we have always considered this to be possible but we had no way of knowing it for sure. Well, it is not and this is proven fact. No man-made object can be seen from the surface of the Moon. You can see the Great Wall of China, as well as other objects, from different crafts orbiting the Earth, such as the International Space Station. We guess this is impressive enough!
10. It is not true that we use only 10% of our brain capacity
We have always believed this one to be a weird statement, and we were right. Every human uses a significantly bigger percentage of their brain’s capacity! It is hard to calculate just how much of it we use on a daily basis, because different parts of it serve different functions and activities. The total, however, is much more than ten percent! What we know for sure is that approximately 20% of the energy our bodies produce is consumed to support brain activity and related functions. This is a fact we were not aware of until recently.
11. This one will definitely make your jaw drop
Now this is something that can really puzzle you! Everyone knows that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth, right? Well, it turns out that it is not true! It sound crazy but the facts suggest it is not. It is actually the tallest mountain to be standing above sea level, but Mauna Kea in Hawaii is approximately a mile higher! The volcanic island stands above Everest if you add the part of it which is under the sea level.
12. Organic fruits and veggies is not actually better than the rest in the majority of cases
This one really puzzled us but there is a reasonable explanation for it. The current craze about eating organic food is more or less a marketing stunt. Sure enough, organic food is more expensive, but it is not free of pesticides! Even if we neglect that part, we need to add that in terms of nutritional value it is the same thing – there are no advantages whatsoever. This was the conclusion after a big number of studies and experiments conducted by experts.
13. Many people consider Sahara to be the biggest desert on our planet
Well, here is another widely known fact that turned out to be nothing but a myth. We also believed in it for a long time until we learned that it is not. Of course, it is the most famous one and this was probably the reason for the myth to be born. Antarctica is actually the biggest desert on Earth, spreading across 5.4 million square miles, which is one and a half times bigger than Sahara! Antarctica is exactly as dry as Sahara is.
14. Vitamins are not as beneficial as most people consider them to be
This might surprise you, but often people overrate vitamin intake and they consider this to be an essential part of a healthy person’s way of life. In reality, vitamins can hardly make a difference in the health condition of someone with a balanced diet. If someone suffers from a vitamin deficiency, they should probably take vitamins after a medical examination, but in other cases taking in vitamins is just overrated. It is a far better choice to eat right and make sure you take all the essential nutrients from your diet plan.
15. Humankind did not evolve from chimps
This is something the majority of people still believe in! We guess that most people would have a hard time accepting that this is not a real fact. Sure enough, it appears to be plausible, but it has nothing to do with the truth. Actually we have something in common with this species. Chimps and humans actually evolved from the same ancestor, so there is definitely a connection, but this is as close as we get to them in terms of evolution.
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