We continue our countdown of the Top 30 Myths We All Think Are True with #21-25. To start from the beginning click here.
#25 – A Coin Thrown From The Empire State Building Can Kill Someone
The myth is that a coin dropped from the Empire State Building will build up so much velocity by the time it reaches the ground that it can bore a hole through someone’s head. In actuality, a coin is way too small to do this. It might sting a little, but it won’t kill anyone. You’ll need a brick for that.
#24 – Einstein Flunked Math
Speaking of gravity, people love the story about how Einstein flunked all his classes in school and then went on to be a math genius. Actually, Einstein’s grades were very good in school, even if his teachers famously said he didn’t have much potential.
#23 – Salty Water Boils Faster
Technically, this is true, but adding a little salt to your water to make it boil faster when you cook is not going to make a difference. You would have to add A LOT of salt to make any amount of water boil faster and that would just ruin your corn.
#22 – We Only Have 5 Senses
Ever hear someone say they have a 6th sense, claiming they can see ghosts or read people’s minds or something? Well, turns out we all do. We have no fewer than 25 different senses, including nociception (the ability to feel pain), chronoception (ability to feel the passing of time), and equilibrioception (sense of balance).
#21 – It Takes 7 Years For Gun To Digest
Some say when you swallow a piece of gum it sits in your stomach for years. This just isn’t true. Most if it digests like anything else and the rest passes through your digestive system and comes out in your waste. That’s where the expression “popping gum” comes from. Wait. No one says that?
Check out myths #30-26 here and #20-16 here.
More coming soon…