March 15 isn’t just the Ides of March. It’s also “Everything You Think Is Wrong” Day, one of those National Day holidays of unknown origin. To celebrate, let’s explore some common misconceptions you might have been taught.
Food
Twinkies don’t last quite as long as you might think. Sorbic acid is the only preservative and its official shelf life is only 45 days, meaning that while the snack might look fine, you probably don’t want to eat it. So, if you’ve stocked up on Twinkies for any impending apocalypse, you might want to choose something with a little more nutritional value.
Additionally, fortune cookies aren’t Chinese. They were actually invented in Japan and are hard to find in China.
Animals
If you’ve heard of Spiders Georg, no need to worry—the average person does not swallow eight spiders a year in their sleep. The factoid was used as an example to show the importance of not believing everything you read on the internet. Scientists say that sleeping humans make noises and vibrations that scare away spiders. The BBC also comments, “Experts agree that most people would wake up if a spider was on their face.”
Speaking of spiders, did you know that daddy longlegs aren’t real spiders? While they are arachnids, they don’t have a distinctly segmented abdomen and their closest relatives might be scorpions.
A standard earthworm won’t regenerate into two worms when cut in half. If you’re lucky, you might get one shorter earthworm and a dead half of one. (However, flatworms, a different category from earthworms, can regenerate entirely from any amount of tissue.)
To round off these examples of animal misconceptions, chameleons don’t change colors just for camouflage. In reality, they use this mechanism for temperature control and communication and they can’t change their colors to match all surroundings.
Health
You may have heard that it doesn’t take seven years to digest swallowed gum or that cracking your knuckles doesn’t cause arthritis, but one fact surprised me. If you accidentally swallow gasoline, it won’t be that bad. You most likely wouldn’t need emergency treatment in this unusual situation unless it got into your lungs. (By the way, don’t drink gasoline.)
Also, drinking coffee can be a good source of hydration; carrots don’t improve night vision (a rumor made up by the British Royal Air Force in WW2 to cover up RADAR); shaving doesn’t make hair grow back thicker or darker, it’s just coarse from being cut; and alcohol actually lowers your body temperature, despite it giving a feeling of warmth.
Science
Here’s a dazzling scientific myth: diamonds aren’t formed from coal under high pressure. Sure, they are created deep in the Earth under immense heat and pressure, and both are forms of carbon, but most diamonds are dated to be older than the first land plants. As for the rest of the Earth’s interior, the mantle is solid, not molten rock. Some parts, usually close to volcanoes, are liquid, but apparently some solids can connect.
Finally, if you happen to drop your phone or other electronic device in some water while reading this article, I have good news: there’s no need to run to the store and buy a bag of rice. In reality, uncooked rice is one of your worst options. Other desiccants, such as cat litter or silica gel, work better, but nothing compares to letting your device dry in the open air. Just wipe them off a little to help speed along that process. And don’t forget to sanitize your screen after.
Dakota Steffen can be reached at [email protected].