18 Facts You Learned in Class That Have Been Totally Debunked
Education is one of the things no one can take away from you. However, are you confident that everything you learned from school is accurate?
Many facts that you were taught in school are debunked or updated over time. Doing your own research strengthens your knowledge and helps you gain new insights. It also corrects any mistakes made by your teachers, if there are any.
A lot could change over time, and myths could be debunked at any moment. Here is a carefully curated list of common myths and outdated beliefs that you may still think are true.
1. There Are Only Three States of Matter
Everything in this world is composed of matter, and we were taught of its three states —solid, liquid, and gas. Memorizing these three states is quite simple, so they were easily ingrained in our minds. However, we’ve missed out on another primary state of matter — plasma.
Contrary to the three primary states of matter introduced to us, there are four primary states of matter. These four states are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma and are called fundamental because they naturally occur in the universe. Furthermore, given specific conditions and factors, there are more states that appear under very specific circumstances, like Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC).
2. Chameleons Change Colors to Camouflage Themselves
Chameleons have been the icon of camouflage for many years. While this fascinating behavior is true, they don’t change color for the sole reason of avoiding predators. There are a number of factors concerning this behavior, including mood, temperature, and communication.
Did you know that a big part of why they change colors is because of their emotions? The colors they display are not like human emotions — like those from the film “Inside Out,” though. These colors evoke emotions around mating, expressing the urge to fight or reassuring others that they are not threats.
3. Dinosaurs Look like Big Lizards
Dinosaurs dominated Earth millions of years ago and are described as lizard-like creatures. In fact, dinosaur means “monstrous lizard” in Greek. Contrary to their name, scientists have found evidence that dinosaurs were not as lizard-like as we once thought.
We now have reason to believe that dinosaurs had colorful feathers — well, in some species, at least. More evidence is still needed to generalize dinosaurs as feathered animals. But for now, it’s fun to picture them with fluffy feathers and massive teeth.
4. Cracking Your Fingers Causes Arthritis
When we were young, old people usually henpecked us when they saw us cracking our fingers. They would often say that it would hurt our bone health in the long run and cause arthritis. However, there’s no concrete link between this behavior and arthritis.
Cracking the bones of our fingers is satisfying, but although it doesn’t cause arthritis, repetitiveness can cause pain. If you feel pain when doing this, it might be a sign of underlying issues.
5. George Washington’s Wooden Teeth
A popular myth around the 19th century and an anecdote often told in schools suggests that Washington battled oral issues while growing up and had bad teeth health. He started losing teeth in his 20s and was advised to wear dentures early in his life.
Sure, the blemishes in his teeth might have made it look like wood, but they are not. His dentures were actually crafted with human and animal teeth.
6. The Food Pyramid
In middle school, we were taught a pyramid indicating the food types and how much of these our body needs. However, recent criticisms and research have debunked it. It’s also accused of promoting an unhealthy diet by placing foods high in sugar at the bottom, like bread and cereal.
Dietary guidelines are updated every five years, but perhaps the convenient visual representation of a pyramid was so catchy. The best way to get on track with your health and diet is to visit your doctor.
7. Panda Bears Weren’t Always Really Classified as Bears
Pandas have been on a rollercoaster ride over whether they are bears. There was a long-running argument about whether pandas were bears or raccoons. In 1995, blood protein results confirmed that pandas are indeed bears.
Their unique buildup made it confusing for scientists to immediately point out whether they were bears. These cute, cuddly yin-yangs are definitely bears and can give you a bear hug.
8. Pluto Is a Planet
Did you live to see Pluto as a planet? Many millennials and Gen Zs were taught that Pluto was a planet somewhere during their educational lives. However, after 76 years, Pluto was removed as our ninth dear planet.
On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted Pluto out. This is the story of how the smallest planet in the solar system was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
9. The Wall of China Is Visible From the Moon
The Great Wall of China is the longest manmade structure in the world. It’s so long that it was thought to be visible even from the moon. As it turns out, this was just a popular myth that seemed too believable for people to fact-check.
Despite its length of 13,171 miles, the Great Wall is not visible in space. You’d need high-powered lenses and equipment to actually see man-made structures like the Wall of China.
10. Taste Map of the Tongue
In our younger days, educators would often find ways to simplify learning, like drawing a visual representation of a concept. One of these maps was the taste map — mapping out the tongue into sections according to the taste they determine. While this map is handy, the truth is that the tongue can taste all tastes to almost the same extent.
Does the tongue only taste salty flavors through the tip of the tongue? The answer is no. Now that we know and memorize the different tastes, there’s no need to remember this map.
11. An Apple Falling on Newton’s Head
Middle school teachers have taught us that Newton discovered gravity because of an apple falling toward his head. The first anomaly in this story is that it was never officially mentioned that the apple hit his head. This anecdote is just a fun twist to the story of how Newton’s best ideas came to be.
Newton’s admirers knitted the story years after the original happened. It’s a representation of Newton’s inspiration. An apple tree, a version of the original one in his mother’s garden, was also planted at Cambridge.
12. Giant Pandas Are Endangered
Hooray, the cuddly Panda bears are no longer endangered. Pandas have been on the endangered list since 1990, but finally, they fought for their existence. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature removed them from the list.
However, these babies are still classified as vulnerable, with only less than 1,900 in the wild. This is a small number, so they still need to be under supervision and continuous conservation efforts.
13. People Are Either Left-Brained or Right-Brained
These two categories have been assigned heavy stereotypes that many still believe today. If you are left-brained, you are thought to be logical and mathematical, while right-brained people are more creative. However, there is no evidence to back up that your inclination to arts is because you are right-brained.
People are different in their own ways, and it cannot be solely attributed to a single side of the brain being more dominant. The brain works as a whole, and whether you are artsy or logical is a mix of who you are personally with your interests and talents.
14. It Takes Seven Years for Gum To Digest
Children who liked to chew gum were often warned with a familiar scare narrative that it takes seven years for gum to digest. While your body cannot digest gum, it does not sit for years in your stomach. Gum actually travels at normal speed through your digestive tract and is excreted through your feces.
While it’s generally harmless, ingesting too much gum can cause constipation. So, avoid swallowing gum as much as possible to keep your digestive tract on track.
15. Atoms Are Indivisible
Did you know that the word atom is derived from the Greek word ‘atomos,’ which means indivisible? In 1808, John Dalton postulated the atomic theory, stating that atoms are indivisible. Years later, a series of discoveries by J.J. Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, and James Chadwick debunked the theory.
These brilliant minds discovered that atoms are made of tinier subatomic particles — electrons, protons, and neutrons. The existence of subatomic particles refutes the theory that atoms are indivisible.
16. The Water Cycle Graphs
Many water cycle graphs are usually inaccurate and misleading. Many of these visual representations skip transpiration — a large contributor to the cycle. A huge chunk of water comes from plants and forests, and skipping this is inaccurate.
Transpiration, in simpler terms, is plants breathing out water. This process is similar to how we produce moisture when we exhale on glass.
17. Classical Music Makes You Smarter
Have you heard of the Mozart effect? This phenomenon is where people listen to Mozart and claim to get smarter. However, there is no evidence that classical music affects your long-term intelligence.
Music, in general, cannot have a permanent effect on a person’s intellect. Its contribution to our brains is limited to stimulation, mood regulation, etc. So, while listening to classical music can temporarily set the mood and improve concentration, it does not make you smarter per se.
18. The Hole in the Ozone Layer Is Irreparable
When we heard of the damage to the ozone layer in school, it seemed permanent. This is a serious issue because the ozone layer keeps the Earth inhabitable. Good news! The ozone hole is getting smaller and smaller over time, as per scientific observations.
This pleasant news does not mean we should lower our guard, though. Continuous efforts should still be made to protect our planet’s natural roof, as the healing process takes a lot of time and is ongoing.
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