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| + | vcWgou <a href="http:// pqmrqybtirqd.com/"> pqmrqybtirqd</a>, [url=http:// hpvetjzrgiad.com/] hpvetjzrgiad[/url], [link=http:// mwqmsiuygmlx.com/] mwqmsiuygmlx[/link], http:// tjdthvrbhtqc.com/ |
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| − | This '''list of common misconceptions''' details various ideas described as widely held by the general populace, but which are fallacious or flawed.
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| − | ==History==
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| − | * The belief that [[gunpowder]], even though it was a Chinese invention, was first used for war by the Europeans is a misconception. The Chinese used flamethrowers and gunpowder arrows for military purposes from the 900s onward.<ref>[http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/miltech/firearms.htm Gunpowder and Firearms]</ref>
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| − | * [[Paul Revere]] was not the only American colonist who rode to warn the Minute Men of the British before the [[battle of Lexington and Concord]] of the [[American Revolutionary War]]. The story of Paul Revere is largely based on the poem "[[Paul Revere's Ride (poem)|Paul Revere's Ride]]", written by [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] in 1860 (see ''[[Paul Revere's Ride (poem)#Historic event|Paul Revere's Ride]]'').<ref>[http://www.colorpro.com/wmdawes/theride.html The William Dawes who Rode]</ref>
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| − | * [[Christopher Columbus]]'s efforts to obtain support for his voyages were not hampered by a European belief in a [[flat Earth]].<ref>[http://www.bede.org.uk/flatearth.htm The Myth of the Flat Earth]</ref> In fact, sailors and navigators of the time knew that the [[spherical Earth|Earth was spherical]], but (correctly) disagreed with Columbus' estimates of the distance to the [[Indies]] (see ''[[Flat Earth]]''). If the Americas did not exist, and Columbus had continued to the Indies (even putting aside the threat of mutiny he was under) he would have run out of supplies before reaching them at the rate he was traveling.
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| − | * [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s [[Emancipation Proclamation]] did not immediately free all American slaves, just those in the area under revolt (i.e. the South). Since that area did not recognize his authority, only a few slaves were immediately freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. Most slaves were freed as Confederate territory came under Union control over the course of the war. It took the [[thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] to free slaves in the few Union slave states.
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| − | [[Image:Eastlake - Napoleon on the Bellerophon.jpg|thumb|right|Painting of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]]]
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| − | * [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] (pictured) was not especially short. After his death in 1821, the French emperor's height was recorded as 5 [[Foot (unit of length)|feet]] 2 inches in French feet. This corresponds to 5 feet 6.5 inches in modern [[International foot|international feet]], or 1.686 [[metres]], making him slightly taller than an average Frenchman of the 19th century.<ref>[http://www.napoleon.org/en/essential_napoleon/faq/index.asp#ancre54 www.napoleon.com]</ref> The metric system was introduced during his lifetime, so it was natural that he would be measured in feet and inches for much of his life. His nickname, "''le petit caporal''", adds to the confusion, as non-francophones mistakenly take ''petit'' literally as meaning "small"; in fact, it is an affectionate term reflecting on his camaraderie with ordinary soldiers. He also surrounded himself with soldiers, his elite guard, who were always six feet tall or more.
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| − | * During [[World War II]], King [[Christian X of Denmark]] did not thwart [[Nazi]] attempts to identify [[Jew]]s by wearing a yellow star himself. Jews in Denmark were never forced to wear the Star of David. The Danish government did help most Jews flee the country before the end of the war.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/history/govern/denmark.htm Snopes on Denmark]</ref>
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| − | * [[Italy|Italian]] dictator [[Benito Mussolini]] did not make the trains run on time. Much of the repair work had been performed before Mussolini and the [[National Fascist Party|Fascist]]s came to power in 1922. Accounts from the era also suggest that the Italian railways' legendary adherence to timetables was more myth than reality.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/history/govern/trains.htm Snopes on Mussolini]</ref>
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| − | * It is believed that the phrase ''"Qu'ils mangent de la [[brioche]]"'' (''"Let them eat cake"'') was not said by [[Marie Antoinette]], but by another noble (a princess in another country, at another time). An argument to support this theory is that the brioche had not been invented at the time of the [[French Revolution]]. Also, [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]] recounts the anecdote (with "pastry" in place of "brioche") in the 6th book of his [[Confessions (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)|''Confessions'']] three years ''before'' Marie Antoinette joined the court at [[Versailles]] in 1770.<ref>[http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html Phrases.org on this attribution]</ref>
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| − | * The German crowd witnessing [[John F. Kennedy]]'s speech in Berlin in 1963 did not mistake ''[[Ich bin ein Berliner]]'' to mean "I am a jelly doughnut."<ref>[http://www1.stadtkind.com/item/135/ich-bin-ein-berliner-john-f-kennedy-west-berlin.htm Ich bin ein Pfannkuchen. Oder ein Berliner? | Stadtkind: Berlin<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The notion that he should have said "Ich bin Berliner" and that "Ich bin ''ein'' Berliner" is an incorrect Americanism, is itself wrong. (A jelly donut-like pastry is called a ''[[Berliner (pastry)|Berliner]]'' in different parts of Germany).
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| − | * [[Cinco de Mayo]] ([[May 5]]) is not [[Mexico]]'s [[Independence Day]]. It is a regional holiday primarily celebrated in the state of [[Puebla]], and commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in the [[Battle of Puebla]]. Mexico's Independence Day is on [[September 16]]. Many Americans believe Cinco de Mayo to be analogous to the United States' [[Fourth of July]] independence celebration, whereas a closer comparison might be the regional holiday of [[Patriots' Day]].
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| − | ==Cooking==
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| − | <!--Unsourced
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| − | * [[French fries]] probably originated in [[Bolivia]] or [[Peru]] around 2000 years ago when the potato was first cultivated. There are at least two etymologies. One says that the name comes from the cooking term "to [[wiktionary:French#Verb|french]]" which means to cut food into strips, hence they are "frenched and fried". The other and more probable explanation is connected with US soldiers in Belgium during the World War II. People in the southern part of the country speak French. French fries are something like a national dish in Belgium.
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| − | * The generally accepted story is that a French army officer named Parmentier was taken prisoner during the Seven Years War (1756-1763), and ate potatoes as part of his prison diet in Hamburg, Germany. He found that he liked them. After his release, he managed to introduce them to the French court ("Your majesty, the potato. Potato, I have the honour to introduce King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. Introductions all the way round.") Marie Antoinette reportedly once wore a potato flower as a corsage. What the queen did was what everyone did, so the potato became fashionable and entered French cuisine. From France, to the world.-->
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| − | <!--{{Contradict-other|French dressing}}
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| − | * American-style [[French dressing]] neither originated, nor has been popular, in [[France]]. UK-style French dressing (a mix of vinegar and olive oil), while popular in France, is more correctly referred to as [[Vinaigrette]].-->
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| − | <!--Unsourced, and [[Danish_pastry]] suggests there is no certainty about this. This article is supposedly about uncontroversial clarifications
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| − | * [[Danish pastry|Danish pastries]] do not come from [[Denmark]] but Austria. In Danish, and the other Scandinavian languages, they are known as "wienerbrød" ("Viennese bread").-->
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| − | <!--In fact a lot of items with names which include the name of a country are different in various countries. For example, "Chinese" is added to checkers and jump rope, and "French" is added to dressing and fried potato sticks in the USA, but in other countries the very same items can be associated with different countries' names—or no country names—attached to them. The custom has origins in a perception that some goods and some country names (which can change through time) are exotic.-->
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| − | <!--unsourced, and [[Croissant#Origin]] suggests that there little certainty about the origin o croissant. This article is supposedly about uncontroversial clarifications
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| − | * The [[croissant]] did not originate in France; it came from a type of pastry made after the [[Battle of Vienna]] to celebrate the defeat of the Ottomans, as a reference to the crescents on the Turkish flags. This version is supported by the fact that croissants in France are referred to as Viennoiserie and the French belief that the Viennese-born Marie Antoinette introduced the pastry to France in 1770.-->
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| − | * [[Searing]] meat does not "seal in" moisture, and in fact may actually cause meat to lose moisture. Rather, searing meat is done to create a brown crust and to add a rich flavor.<ref>[http://www.cookthink.com/reference/7/Does_searing_meat_really_seal_in_moisture Does searing meat really seal in moisture? | Cookthink<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name=McGee>{{cite book | author=McGee, Harold | title=On Food and Cooking (Revised Edition) | publisher=Scribner | year=2004 | id=ISBN 0-684-80001-2}} Page 161, "The Searing Question".</ref>
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| − | * [[Vegetarian|Vegetarians]] do not eat fish.<ref>[http://www.vegsoc.org/fish/ The Vegetarian Society - Vegetarians don't eat fish]</ref><ref>[http://www.ivu.org/faq/definitions.html International Vegetarian Union - Definitions]</ref> Because some semi-vegetarian [[pescetarians]] label themselves as vegetarians, this is often a subject of confusion at restaurants.
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| − | ==Law==
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| − | * [[Entrapment]] law in the United States does not forbid police officers from going undercover, or from denying that they are police. It is a common misconception among persons engaged in low-level crime that if an undercover police officer is asked, "Are you a cop?" that they must reveal themselves to avoid entrapment.<ref>[http://volokh.com/posts/1197871566.shtml Volokh] [http://www.snopes.com/risque/hookers/cop.asp Snopes]</ref>
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| − | * Although the [[United States Constitution]] upholds the right to a [[Trial by Jury]], it does not state anywhere that it is a jury of peers.<ref>[http://www.crfc.org/americanjury/jury_peers.html Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago]</ref> In actuality, the [[Magna Carta]] upholds the right for a "lawful judgment [by] his Peers".
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| − | ==Science==
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| − | ===Astronomy===
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| − | [[Image:Great Wall of China, Satellite image.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|A satellite image of a section of the [[Great Wall of China]], running diagonally from lower left to upper right.]]<!--COMMENT: the Great Wall is only faintly visible in this thumbnail, and is much less prominent than the river running along the other diagonal.-->
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| − | * While in a low orbit (an altitude of about 185 km), a viewer of good eyesight can see portions of the [[Great Wall of China]] (pictured here in a satellite image) from space. It isn't, however, unique in that regard. From such a height, a multitude of land features and man-made objects are visible, including: [[highway]]s, [[ship]]s in the sea, [[dam]]s, [[railroad]]s, cities, fields of crops, airports, and even some individual buildings. As to the claim that it is the only man-made object visible from the Moon, this is completely false. None of the [[Project Apollo|Apollo]] astronauts reported seeing ''any'' man-made object from the Moon, and certainly not the Great Wall. The Great Wall, while massive, is comparatively thin, no wider than 10 feet (3 meters) along most of its length. Moreover, the colour of the Great Wall is very similar to that of the soil around it, making it hardly distinctive. The misconception is believed to have been popularized by [[Richard Halliburton]].<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/science/greatwal.htm Great Walls of Liar], Snopes.com. Accessed [[2 January]] [[2008]].</ref> (See ''[[Great wall#Visibility from space|Great wall's visibility from space]].'')
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| − | * Modern spacecraft [[reentry|returning from space]] do not suffer a [[communications blackout]]. While the heated [[atmosphere]] in front of the spacecraft prevents direct communication with Earth, and in the early days of the [[space program]]s of the world indeed meant that no communication was possible during reentry, systems like the [[TDRSS|Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System]] have removed this problem.<ref>[http://mrtmag.com/mag/radio_shuttle_blackout_myth/ Shuttle Blackout Myth Persists], MRT Mag. Accessed [[18 March]] [[2008]].</ref>
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| − | * The phrase "dark side of the Moon" does not imply that only one side of the moon receives sunlight. It refers to [[Far side of the Moon|the side of the moon away from Earth]].<ref>[http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980309b.html NASA on the ''dark side of the moon'']</ref> The word ''dark'' is being used in the less common sense of unknown or unseen as in such expressions as "[[darkest Africa]]" or the "[[Dark ages]]". Since the Moon is in a [[Tidal locking|tidally locked]] orbit, it always keeps the same face, or side, toward the Earth, and therefore the far side is never visible from Earth (see also [[tidal acceleration]] for a more quantitative description of the Earth-Moon system). Once per [[synodic month]], the near side of the Moon is indeed largely illuminated by the Sun, and the far side is literally "dark". At this time, we are able to see most of the area of the near side, resulting in a [[full moon]]. Likewise, once per synodic month the far side of the moon is so illuminated, leaving the near side dark, resulting in a [[new moon]].
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| − | * When a star evolves into a black hole, the gravitational attraction at a given distance from the body is no greater than it was for the star. That is to say, were the Sun to be replaced by a black hole of the same mass, the Earth would continue in the same orbit. Due to their formation being explosive in nature, some of the mass of the parent object is ejected or turned into energy, and so a black-hole would be of lower mass than the parent object, and have a lower gravitational pull.
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| − | :Only where one is close to a black hole, within the radius of the body which formed it, will the gravitational attraction become greater than the parent body. This is as the parent body is extended, and a consequence of [[Isaac Newton|Isaac Newton's]] laws of [[gravitation]], any mass at a greater distance from the centre-of-mass than the position of the test object will not contribute to the gravitational attraction - e.g. gravitational attraction at the bottom of a mine shaft is a little lower than it is on the surface of the Earth, despite being close to the core, as the mass of rock and earth above one is attracting an object in the opposite direction to the mass of the rest of the Earth.
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| − | :Black holes, unlike the common image, do not act as cosmic vacuum cleaners any more than other stars.
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| − | * When a [[meteor]] lands on Earth (after which it is termed a [[meteorite]]), it is not usually hot. In fact, many are found with [[frost]] on them. A meteor's great speed during [[reentry]] is enough to melt or [[Sublimation (chemistry)|vaporize]] its outermost layer, but any molten material will be quickly blown off ([[ablation|ablated]]), and the interior of the meteor does not have time to heat up because rocks are poor [[heat conduction|conductors of heat]]. Also, atmospheric drag can slow small meteors to [[terminal velocity]] by the time they hit the ground, giving the surface time to cool down.<ref>[[Philip Plait]] (2002). ''Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax".'' John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-471-40976-6.</ref>
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| − | * The North Star, [[Polaris]], is not the brightest star in the northern hemisphere night sky. This honor is held by [[Sirius]], with an [[apparent magnitude]] of -1.47 (Polaris in comparison is 1.97, barely making the top-50 [[brightest stars]] list). Its importance lies in its proximity to the [[celestial pole|north celestial pole]], meaning its location in the sky currently marks North.
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| − | * [[Seasons]] are not caused by Earth being closer to the sun in summer than in winter. Rather, they are caused by Earth's tilted axis. In July, during Northern Hemisphere summer, Earth actually reaches its furthest distance from the sun, but the northern part of the planet is tilted towards the sun, giving longer days and more direct sunlight; in winter, it is tilted away. The seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, which is tilted towards the sun in January and away from the sun in July. The [[tropics]] do not have substantial seasonal variation in sunlight.
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| − | <!--* Space is not cold. In fact, space has no [[temperature]] at all since temperature is a measure of a quality found only in [[matter]] of which the vacuum of space has very little. The few particles that are encountered has varying temperature from near [[absolute zero]] to thousands of degrees Kelvin depending on their nature but since they are so few and far between, their influence is [[negligible]]. Fictional depictions of people freezing instantly when exposed to space, such as in for instance the movie [[Mission to Mars]] are works of fantasy for dramatic reasons. Objects in space will eventually reach a temperature where their radiatied heat is the same as the heat received from radiation such as from stars near and far and from celestial bodies like planets and moons. This equilibrium temperature could be regarded as an equivalent of the temperature of space but stricly speaking space has no temperature. See [[Temperature#Temperature_of_the_vacuum]].-->
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| − | * The [[lunar phases]] are not caused by the Earth's shadow ([[lunar eclipse]]s, by contrast, are). Instead, as the Moon orbits Earth, we see its illuminated half from differing angles in relation to the Sun
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| − | ===Health===
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| − | [[Image:Taste buds.svg|thumb|right|100px|A "tongue map" showing zones supposedly sensitive to the tastes bitter, sour, salty and sweet. In reality, there are no such zones.]]
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| − | * Different [[taste]]s can be detected on all parts of the [[tongue]], contrary to the popular belief that specific tastes correspond to specific sites on the tongue.<ref>Huang A. L., et al. {{cite web | title="The cells and logic for mammalian sour taste detection" | url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7105/abs/nature05084.html}}, Nature, 442. 934 - 938 (2006).</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Scenta | title = How sour taste buds grow | url=http://www.scenta.co.uk/Home/1061938/how-sour-taste-buds-grow.html| accessdate = 2006-08-28}}</ref><ref>Roberts, David. 2002. Signals and Perception. Palgrave MacMillan.</ref> The original "tongue map" was based on a mistranslation by a Harvard psychologist of a German paper that was written in 1901.<ref>Hänig, D.P., 1901. Zur Psychophysik des Geschmackssinnes. Philosophische Studien, 17: 576-623.</ref> Sensitivity to all tastes occurs across the whole tongue and indeed in other regions of the mouth where there are [[taste bud]]s ([[epiglottis]], [[soft palate]]).<ref>Collings, V.B., 1974. Human Taste Response as a Function of Locus of Stimulation on the Tongue and Soft Palate. Perception & Psychophysics, 16: 169-174.</ref>
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| − | * People do not use only ten percent of their [[human_brain#Common_misconceptions|brain]]s. This myth is thought by some to have emerged after the discovery of [[glial cells]] in the brain, or it could have been the result of some other misunderstood or misinterpreted legitimate scientific findings, or even been the result of speculation by [[self-help]] gurus.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percnt.htm Snopes on brains]</ref>
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| − | * There is no single theory that satisfactorily explains [[myopia]] – in particular, studies show that "eyestrain" from close reading and computer games does not explain myopia. There is also no evidence that reading in dim light causes vision to deteriorate.<ref>[http://www.99main.com/~charlief/vi/myths.html Vision myths]</ref>
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| − | * Shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker or coarser. This belief is due to the fact that hair wears down over time, whereas, immediately after it has grown back, it has had no time to wear. Thus, it appears thicker, and feels coarser due to the sharper, unworn edges.
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| − | * Hair and fingernails do not continue to grow after a person dies. Rather, the skin dries and shrinks away from the bases of hairs and nails, giving the appearance of growth.
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| − | * Eating [[sucrose]] (a kind of [[sugar]]) raises blood sugar or [[glucose]] levels in the blood, but eating other foods, such as white bread, can raise blood sugar even more when the body is able to quickly break it down into individual glucose units (see ''[[Glycemic index]]'').
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| − | *There is no "cure" for split ends or damaged hair. Shampoos and Conditioners that advertise themselves as being able to reverse damage or reduce split ends are bogus. Scientifically, the only way to "cure" split ends is by a simple haircut. Once the cuticle of the hair shaft is split, it can often still grow split, but can never be mended. Haircare products can be used to soften the texture by using fillers that attach to the hair shaft, making the hair appear healthier.
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| − | <!--* Colder temperatures have not been proven as a cause of the common cold. Contrary to popular belief, exposure to cold weather alone will not cause the body to break out in a cold. Rather, the common cold can only be caught by carriers of the rhinovirus. It is probably believed that cold temperatures cause colds because people spend much more time indoors during colder seasons, thus leading to a higher probability of catching infectious viruses.-->
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| − | * In spite of reports of successful non-surgical techniques for [[penis enlargement]], there is no known scientific study that has demonstrated the efficacy of such techniques, other than surgery.
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| − | <!--* You can't actually <i>burn</i> a calorie. A calorie is a unit of measurement associated with heat.<ref>http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/search.aspx?q=calorie</ref> Calories (as far as a diet is concerned) are used to determine how much theoretic heat will be required to waste off the excess fat generated by a particular item of food. This is not to be confused with a degree, which is used to measure temperature. While temperature is a measure of energy, heat is a measure of how energy is transfered. This transfer, or heat, is measured in calories. While burning calories may entail the transfer of fat into energy, the term "burning calories" is an inaccurate explanation of what is actually happening.-->
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| − | <!--* The number of human [[senses]] is often said to be five but this number is too low. Senses not usually mentioned include sense of [[balance]] and [[acceleration]], temperature, [[proprioception]] and pain.-->
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| − | ===Biology===
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| − | * [[Stereotypes of Native Americans|American Indians]] can grow facial hair, contrary to the common misconception that they cannot.<ref name=indian_facial_hair>{{cite web
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| − | | url = http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/memorial/68/aipics.html
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| − | | title = Amerindian Pictures Painted by Those Who Were There
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| − | | publisher = Hutchison Research Center
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-05-08
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| − | }}
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| − | </ref><ref name=indian_facial_hair2>{{cite web
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| − | | url = http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/faq2.html
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| − | | title = Frequently Asked Questions - Page 2
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| − | | publisher = WWW Virtual Library - American Indians, Index of Native American Resources on the Internet
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-05-08
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| − | }}
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| − | </ref>
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| − | * [[Wart]]s on human skin are caused by viruses that are unique to humans ([[Human papillomavirus]]). Humans cannot catch warts from [[toad]]s or other animals; the bumps on a toad are not warts.<ref>[http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures/en-US/FocusOnHealth/Fall2002/Warts.htm www.londondrugs.com: ''Putting an End to Warts'']</ref>
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| − | * [[Koala]]s are not bears. They are not even placental mammals; they are [[marsupial]]s. The [[giant panda]], however, is a bear, while the [[red panda]] is related to raccoons.
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| − | * Some [[bat]]s use [[Animal echolocation|echolocation]] to navigate while flying in darkness. Bats are not blind, however. Their eyes are small and poorly developed, but they are still capable of sight, particularly long-range, and in fact can be severely disoriented by excessive light.
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| − | * The claim that a [[duck]]'s quack doesn't [[Echo (phenomenon)|echo]] is false, although the echo may be difficult to hear for humans under some circumstances.<ref>[http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/duck/ University of Salford Acoustics]</ref>
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| − | * The notion that [[goldfish]] have a memory of only three seconds is completely false. They have been trained to navigate mazes and can recognize their owners after an exposure of a few months.
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| − | *[[Lemming]]s do not engage in suicidal dives off cliffs when migrating. This misconception is due largely to the [[Disney]] film ''[[White Wilderness (film)|White Wilderness]]'', which shot many of the "migration" scenes on a large turntable in a studio. Photographers later pushed the lemmings off a cliff using a broom.
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| − | *Mammal [[blood]] is bright red or scarlet when oxygenated and a darker red when not oxygenated. It is never blue. [[Vein#Color|Veins appear blue]] through the skin because of [[Rayleigh scattering]], the same effect responsible for the blue sky. However some other animals, mostly sea creatures, like the [[horseshoe crab]], use copper based blood, which appears blue.<ref>{{cite book |url = http://books.google.com/books?id=0OSAKny-6M4C&printsec=frontcover#PRA1-PA276,M1| last = Shuster| first = Carl N|editor = Shuster, Carl N, Jr; Barlow, Robert B; Brockmann, H. Jane |title = The American Horseshoe Crab|chapter = Chapter 11: A blue blood: the circulatory system |page =276-277|publisher =Harvard University Press|date = 2004|isbn = 0674011597
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| − | }}</ref>
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| − | * The claim that individuals with a different number of [[chromosomes]] can never produce viable offspring is false - [[Przewalski's Horse]], for example, can produce viable offspring with the common horse, despite a different number of chromosomes. Such hybrids are also common in plants.
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| − | *An [[earthworm]] does not become two worms when cut in half. An earthworm can survive being bisected, but only the front half of the worm (where the mouth is located) can survive, while the other half dries out or starves to death. If one cuts the worm too close to the saddle (the fat pink section where all of the worm's vital organs are located) then the worm may die.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/didyouknow_worms.shtml BBC - Gardening - Gardening with children - Worms<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On the other hand, species of the [[planaria]] family of [[flatworm]]s actually ''do'' become two new planaria when bisected or split down the middle.
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| − | *According to urban myth, the Daddy Long-Legs Spider (''[[Pholcus phalangioides]]'') is the most venomous spider in the world, but it is harmless to humans because its fangs cannot penetrate human skin. The spider can indeed pierce human skin, and the toxicity of this spider's venom has just a weak effect on insects.<ref>{{cite web | title=Spider Myths - If it could only bite | url=http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/daddyvenom.html }}</ref> Apparently, this myth arose because some [[pholcidae]] actually prey upon and eat other spiders, including the [[black widow spider]].{{Fact|date=July 2008}}
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| − | *It is sometimes claimed that half, or more than half, of all humans who were ever born are alive today. The claim itself is poorly defined, as there is no definite starting point for the human species. However, even adopting conservative values regarding the origins of humanity, a significantly lower proportion of the human population is currently alive.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/more_or_less/7324125.stm BBC - More or Less] Radio Programme, edition broadcast Monday [[7 April]] [[2008]].</ref> See also [[World population#Number of humans who have ever lived|World population: Number of humans who have ever lived]].
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| − | ===Physics===
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| − | {{refimprove|section|date=August 2008}}
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| − | * The [[Coriolis effect#Draining bathtubs and toilets|Coriolis effect]] does not determine the direction that water rotates in a bathtub drain or a flushing toilet. The Coriolis force is relatively small; it appears over large scales (like weather systems) or in systems such as the [[Foucault pendulum]] in which the small influence is allowed to accumulate over time. In a bathtub or toilet, the flow of the water over the basin itself produces forces that dwarf the Coriolis force. In addition, most toilets inject water into the bowl at an angle, causing a spin too fast to be affected by the Coriolis effect.<ref>{{cite web | title=Which way will my bathtub drain | url=http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/bathtub.html | publisher=Usenet Physics FAQ | accessdate=2008-08-07}}</ref>
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| − | * [[gyroscope|Gyroscopic forces]] are not required for a rider to [[bicycle and motorcycle dynamics#Other hypotheses|balance]] a [[bicycle]].<ref name="whitt">{{cite book
| |
| − | | title = Bicycling Science
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| − | | edition = Second edition
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| − | | last = Whitt
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| − | | first = Frank R.
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| − | | coauthors = David G. Wilson
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| − | | year = 1982
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| − | | publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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| − | | id = ISBN 0-262-23111-5
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| − | | pages = 198–233}}</ref><ref name="klein">{{cite web
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| − | | url = http://www.losethetrainingwheels.org/default.aspx?Lev=2&ID=34
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| − | | title = Bicycle Science
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| − | | last = Klein
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| − | | first = Richard E.
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| − | | coauthors = et al
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-08-04}}</ref><ref name="jones">{{cite journal
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| − | | journal = Physics Today
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| − | | volume = 23
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| − | | issue = 4
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| − | | year = 1970
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| − | | pages = 34–40
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| − | | title = The stability of the bicycle
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| − | | last = Jones
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| − | | first = David E. H.
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| − | | url = http://socrates.berkeley.edu/%7Efajans/Teaching/MoreBikeFiles/JonesBikeBW.pdf
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| − | | format = PDF
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-08-04
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| − | }}</ref> The stability of a bicycle is mainly a result of its geometry and the rider's ability to counteract tilting by steering.
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| − | | |
| − | [[Image:Equal transit-time NASA wrong1.gif|thumb|right|250px|An illustration of the equal transit-time fallacy.]]
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| − | * It is not true that air takes the same time to travel above and below an aircraft's wing.<ref>[http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/wrong1.html Incorrect Lift Theory<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This misconception, illustrated at right, is widespread among textbooks and non-technical reference books, and even appears in pilot training materials. If this were truly the case, there would be no [[lift (force)|lift]] generated by the wings and the plane wouldn't fly. {{see|Equal transit-time fallacy|List of works with the equal transit-time fallacy|Lift (force)}}.
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| − | * Airplanes flying long distances between two places usually take less time flying west-to-east than east-to-west, not because of the [[earth's rotation]] directly, but because airplanes at higher altitudes tend to benefit from natural air currents called [[jet stream]]s.
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| − | * Textbooks state that [[electricity]] within wires flows at nearly (or even exactly) the [[speed of light]], which can give the impression that [[electrons]] themselves move almost instantly through a circuit. The electrons in a typical wire actually move on the order of centimeters per hour (much slower than a snail). The random thermal motions of the electrons are much faster than this, but still much slower than light, and with no tendency to occur in any particular direction. It is the ''[[electrical energy]]'' or ''signal'' which travels almost at the speed of light. Imagine a hose which is full of water and connected to a closed faucet. When the faucet is turned on, water begins coming out of the other end of the hose almost immediately; the speed of the pressure wave which starts the water in the hose moving is analogous to the speed of the electrical signal. But it takes much longer for the water entering the hose at the faucet to transit the entire hose; the water itself, analogous to the electrons in a current-carrying wire, moves along the hose much more slowly than does the information that the faucet has been opened. In alternating current, as used in wall outlets, the direction of current alternates rapidly (50 or 60 times per second), and in this case, the electrons stay in about the same place the entire time (on the filament inside a light bulb for instance), while vibrating back and forth over a very small distance.
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| − | * The blue color of lakes and oceans is not only a reflection of the blue sky. Water looks blue because water ''is'' blue; the water molecules do absorb some light, and they absorb red frequencies more than blue. The effect is small, so the blue color only becomes obvious when observing layers of water many meters (or more) thick. (This effect is noticeable to a lesser amount in white-painted [[swimming pool]]s.) In salt water or mineral-laden fresh water, the color of dissolved minerals can also be seen. Sky-reflection does play a role, but it is not the only factor.
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| − | * Some believe that the sky looks blue because it reflects the color of the ocean. The sky actually looks blue because the color of air varies with the viewing angle to the illumination source. Sunlight reflected (scattered) from the air is of shorter wavelengths toward the violet end of the [[visible spectrum]], while the remaining transmitted sunlight has longer wavelengths of the red end of the spectrum. In fact, the sun appears reddish in the evening because the transmitted sunlight has lost much of its blue wavelengths because of scattering, leaving only the long wavelength red light to reach the observer. This phenomenon is referred to as [[Rayleigh Scattering]].
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| − | * Astronauts in orbiting spacecraft do not experience true "[[zero gravity]]". They accelerate along with the spacecraft. Because strong gravity in an accelerating [[free-fall]] environment is not easily detected, conditions of free-fall will simulate a "zero-gravity" non-accelerated environment. NASA refers to conditions with low G-force acceleration as [[microgravity]]. Earth's gravitational effects are very strong at the low orbit altitudes used by the [[space shuttle]] (about 85% of gravity at Earth's surface.) Gravity falls off rapidly as one leaves the Earth's surface, but one can never completely escape the gravitational pull of the Earth (or any other mass in the universe) even at vast distances, though the effect may be negligible. A free-fall situation can be more properly called "simulated zero-gravity" since the accelerated bodies are actually under a strong gravitational pull. Simulated zero gravity can be experienced in any near-freefall situation, including extremely fast elevators (that only simulate reduced gravity) and [[skydiving]] (near-real simulation of zero gravity for a short time). Astronauts ride inside free-falling airplanes for training (see [[Vomit Comet]]).
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| − | * The Earth's [[North Magnetic Pole]] is not a [[north magnetic pole]], but rather a south magnetic pole. Since a compass needle is a magnet whose "North" end has standard north polarity, and since magnetic poles are attracted to their opposites, the compass needle points to the magnetic ''south pole'' of the [[Earth's magnetic field]]. Therefore, the Arctic pole is a south-type pole, while the Antarctic pole is a north-type pole. (However, the poles have [[geomagnetic reversal|flipped]] in the past, with the last reversal being the [[Brunhes-Matuyama reversal]] of 780,000 years ago.) Earth also has a more complicated magnetic field than one might get from a simple [[dipole]]. The earth has a strong overall dipole which is superposed on a weaker [[quadrupole]], as well as higher-order [[magnetic moment]]s. Not only have the magnetic poles moved to opposite geographic poles in the past, but they also drift around more or less randomly, presumably because of the movements of the molten nickel-iron alloy in the Earth's core.
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| − | * Due to [[Archimedes's principle]], the melting of [[glacier]]s contributes far more to raising sea level than the melting of [[sea ice]] or floating [[iceberg]]s. The predicted threat of [[Sea level rise#Future sea level rise|rising sea levels]] due to [[global warming]] is mainly due to the detachment or melting of inland ice, such as that on [[Greenland]] and the [[West Antarctic Ice Sheet]] in [[Antarctica]], the melting of glaciers, and the thermal expansion of seawater. Melting of sea ice in the Arctic makes only a tiny contribution, by lowering the global average [[salinity]] (and therefore the [[density]]) of seawater.
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| − | * The melting of Antarctic ice is not predicted to be the largest cause of rising sea levels in the near future. While complete melting of the [[Antarctic ice sheet]] would be the largest of all potential contributions to sea level change, the likelihood of total melting is extremely small. Antarctica may even help offset rising sea level by accumulating more snow. At worst, the partial melting of Antarctic ice is predicted to be only the fourth-largest potential contribution to sea level rise by the year 2100 (−170 to +20 mm), after thermal expansion of the world's oceans (+110 to +430 mm), melting glaciers (+10 to +230 mm), and melting Greenland ice (−20 to +90 mm). [[Water_(molecule)|Ice expands]] when it is frozen, so any ice that is already in the ocean will not raise the level of water when it melts.
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| − | [[Image:Crookes radiometer.jpg|thumb|right|100px|[[Crookes radiometer]]]]
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| − | * A [[Crookes radiometer]] or "light-mill" (pictured) does not turn by [[radiation pressure]]. In fact, it turns in the opposite direction from what one would expect due to radiation pressure. The correct explanation is essentially that molecules of gas in the ''partial'' vacuum inside rebound from the vanes of the radiometer, transmitting a different force depending on the temperature of the gas (rebounding more forcefully from the black, hotter side of the vanes).
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| − | * Introductory science courses often teach that the [[periodicity|period]] of a [[pendulum]] is independent of its [[amplitude]] (this is called isochronism), and students often mistakenly believe that is precisely true. It is only approximately true (due in fact to the [[small angle approximation]]), and only for small amplitudes, for which a pendulum approximates [[simple harmonic motion]]
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| − | * It is not true that a [[nozzle]] (or a person's [[thumb]]) on the end of a [[garden hose]] makes the water squirt farther because the same amount of water gets forced through a smaller opening. The rate of flow of water through the hose is not a set constant; in fact, putting one's thumb over the end of the hose reduces the rate of flow. What is constant is the water pressure at the source. When water is flowing, the pressure decreases the farther from the source one gets due to friction between the water and the pipes it's flowing through. The faster the water moves through the pipe, the greater is the friction that cuts down pressure at the output end. A thumb over the end of the hose decreases the flow rate and therefore the friction, so the pressure goes up and the water squirts farther.<ref>Epstein, L.C. ''Thinking Physics.'' San Francisco: Insight Press. ISBN 0-935218-06-8</ref>
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| − | * Putting a teaspoon in the neck of an opened bottle of champagne will not help it retain its fizz.<ref name="Jefford"> {{cite web
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| − | | last = Jefford
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| − | | first = Andrew
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| − | | title = Bubble and Chic
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| − | | work =
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| − | | publisher =
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| − | | date =
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| − | | url = http://www.waitrose.com/drink/wine/winearticles/0103086.aspx
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| − | | format =
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| − | | doi =
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-07-18}}
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| − | </ref> The misconception may arise from the fact that few people have two bottles of champagne open and unfinished at the same time to perform an accurate comparison.<ref name="OHare"> {{cite book
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| − | | last = O'Hare
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| − | | first = Mick
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| − | | authorlink = Mick O'Hare
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| − | | coauthors =
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| − | | title = How to Fossilize Your Hamster: And Other Amazing Experiments for the Armchair Scientist
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| − | | publisher = Holt Rinehart and Winston
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| − | | date = 22 Jan 2008
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| − | | location =
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| − | | pages = 256
| |
| − | | url = http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Fossilize-Your-Hamster-Experiments/dp/0805087702
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| − | | doi =
| |
| − | | id =
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| − | | isbn = 0805087702}} </ref> and likely suffer from [[subjective validation]] bias.
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| − | * It is not true that [[paper]] can be folded in half a maximum of seven, eight, ten, or indeed any selected number of times. However there is a [[mathematics of paper folding|loss function]] associated with each fold, and a practical limit of seven or eight folds for a normal sized (letter or [[A4 paper size|A4]]) sheet of writing paper is reasonable. A football field-sized sheet of paper was folded in half eleven times on [[MythBusters (season 5)|episode 72 of Mythbusters]].
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| − | * It is not true that a mirror reverses left and right. It actually inverts front and back.<ref name="Mirror Inversion"> {{cite web
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| − | url = http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=riddles_hard;action=display;num=1043170706}} </ref> <ref name="European Journal of Physics"> {{cite web url=http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0143-0807/14/1/009}}</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Evolution===
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| − | {{main|Introduction to evolution|Evolution}}
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| − | * Biological [[evolution]] does not address the [[origin of life]]; for that, see [[abiogenesis]]. The two are commonly and mistakenly conflated. Evolution describes the changes in gene frequencies that occur in populations of living organisms over time. Evolution likewise says nothing about [[cosmology]], the [[Big Bang]], or the origins of the universe, galaxy, solar system, or Earth.
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| − | * The word "[[theory]]" in "the theory of evolution" does not imply doubt in mainstream science about the validity of this theory; the words "theory" and "hypothesis" are not the same in a scientific context (see ''[[Evolution as theory and fact]]''). A ''[[scientific theory]]'' is a set of principles which, via logical deduction, explains the ''observations'' in nature. The same logical deductions can be made to predict observations before they are made. The theory describing how evolution occurs is a "theory" in the same sense as the [[theory of gravity]] or the [[theory of relativity]].
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| − | * Evolution is not always [[randomness|random]]; rather, the random results of genetic [[mutation]] are often filtered by the non-random processes of [[ontogeny]], [[natural selection]], and other non-random mechanisms. On the other hand, some evolutionary changes result from [[genetic drift]], which are random.
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| − | * Humans did not evolve from [[monkey]]s, [[chimpanzee]]s, or any other modern [[ape]]. Rather, humans and other apes share a common ancestor that lived around 7 million years ago in the late [[Miocene]] [[epoch]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Brunet M, Guy F, Pilbeam D, ''et al'' |title=A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad, Central Africa |journal=Nature |volume=418 |issue=6894 |pages=145–51 |year=2002 |pmid=12110880 |doi=10.1038/nature00879}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Brunet M, Guy F, Pilbeam D, ''et al'' |title=New material of the earliest hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad |journal=Nature |volume=434 |issue=7034 |pages=752–5 |year=2005 |pmid=15815627 |doi=10.1038/nature03392}}</ref> However, fossil discoveries of "recently" (as in, only millions of years ago) extinct species are, in the experience of paleontologists, rarely direct ancestors of living species.
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| − | * The process of evolution is not necessarily slow. Millions of years are not required to see evolution, or even to see [[speciation]] in action. Indeed, it has been observed multiple times under both controlled laboratory conditions and in nature.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jiggins CD, Bridle JR |title=Speciation in the apple maggot fly: a blend of vintages? |journal=Trends Ecol. Evol. (Amst.) |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=111–4 |year=2004 |pmid=16701238 |doi=10.1016/j.tree.2003.12.008}}<br>*{{cite web|author=Boxhorn, J|date=1995|url=http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-speciation.html|title=Observed Instances of Speciation|publisher=The TalkOrigins Archive|accessdate=2007-05-10}}<br>*{{cite journal |author=Weinberg JR, Starczak VR, Jorg, D |title=Evidence for Rapid Speciation Following a Founder Event in the Laboratory |journal=Evolution |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=1214–20 |year=1992 |doi=10.2307/2409766}}</ref>
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| − | * Speciation does not happen within a single organism: a chimpanzee cannot be born a chimpanzee and turn into a different species within its lifetime. Evolution deals with changes to the [[gene pool]] of a population, which accumulate only over generations. Similarly, organisms cannot [[Lamarckism|pass on acquired traits]] to their offspring; a bodybuilder's children are not born with bigger muscles (but see [[epigenetics]]).
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| − | * Evolution is not a progression from "lower" to "higher", and evolution does not require an increase in complexity (see ''[[Evolution of complexity]]''). A population can evolve to become simpler, and have a smaller [[genome]] — often called "[[Biological devolution|devolution]]", but that is a misnomer.<ref>[http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=00071863-683B-1C72-9EB7809EC588F2D7 Scientific American; Biology: Is the human race evolving or devolving?], see also [[biological devolution]].</ref><ref name="pmid11893328">{{cite journal |author=Moran NA |title=Microbial minimalism: genome reduction in bacterial pathogens |journal=Cell |volume=108 |issue=5 |pages=583–6 |year=2002 |pmid=11893328 |doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(02)00665-7}}</ref>
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| − | * The theory of evolution does posit "[[transitional form]]s"... but not "endpoint forms". That is, every animal, plant, fossil that exists, is an example of a transitional form. Evolution is an eternal and continuous process.<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html Transitional Vertebrate Fossils FAQ]</ref><ref>[http://www.geo.ucalgary.ca/~macrae/talk_origins.html#transitional Where can I find an example of "transitional fossil species"?]</ref> (See also ''[[List of transitional fossils]]''.)
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| − | * The claim that "almost all mutations are harmful" is false. In fact, most mutations have no noticeable effect, mainly because most mutations do not occur within coding or regulatory regions of the genome. One study gives the average number of mutations that arise in a human conception to be around 128, with an average number of ''harmful'' mutations per conception of 1.3. However, most mutations that have an effect on phenotype are indeed detrimental to the organism.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mutation Rates in Humans. II. Sporadic Mutation-Specific Rates and Rate of Detrimental Human Mutations Inferred from Hemophilia B|author=F. Giannelli, T. Anagnostopoulos, and P. M. Green|date=1999-09-15|url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/botrender.fcgi?blobtype=html&artid=1288368}}</ref>
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| − | * The claim that evolution is not scientific since it cannot be [[Falsifiability|experimentally refuted]] is invalid. Any number of discoveries could potentially refute the theory of evolution - for example the discovery of a contemporary mammal fossil in ancient rock strata.
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| − | * The claim that evolution makes no meaningful predictions is not true - for example the discovery of the relationship between [[chromosome 2]] and chimpanzee chromosomes at the end of the completion of the [[human genome project|human]] and [[chimpanzee genome project|chimp]] genome projects was predicted, and makes meaningful sense as evidence of a common ancestor.
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| − | * The characterization of evolution as the "[[survival of the fittest]]" (in the sense of "only the fittest organisms will prevail", a view common in [[social Darwinism]]) is not consistent with the actual [[theory of evolution]]. Any organism which is capable of reproducing itself before dying is considered "fit". If the organism is able to do so on an ongoing basis, it will survive as a species. A more accurate characterization of evolution would be "survival of the fit enough".<ref>''[http://books.google.com/books?id=03b_a0monNYC&pg=PA37&dq=%22survival+of+the+fit+enough%22&sig=3MzPHIVm2LR7jIB-AahJeAjsqyo Evolution Vs. Creationism: An Introduction]''. Eugenie Carol Scott, University of California Press, 2005, ISBN 0520233913</ref><ref>"Stephen Jay Gould, [http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/gould_tautology.html Darwin's Untimely Burial]", 1976; from Michael Ruse, ed., Philosophy of Biology, New York: Prometheus Books, 1998, pp. 93-98.</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Earth science===
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| − | [[Image:Everest kalapatthar crop.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Mount Everest]]]]
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| − | * [[Mount Everest]] (pictured) is, indisputably, the highest point of land above sea level (8850 meters / 29035 feet) which, according to traditional measurements, means that it is the tallest mountain in the world. Given certain definitions, however, this can be challenged.<ref>[http://geology.com/records/highest-mountain-in-the-world.shtml geology.com: ''Highest Mountain in the World'']</ref> One alternative method of measurement is the base-summit height. When this is applied, [[Mauna Kea]] (a [[dormant volcano]] in [[Hawaii]]) turns out to be much higher at 10,314 meters (33,480 feet). This takes into account Mauna Kea's base on the ocean floor, some 6000 meters below sea level. Its height above sea level is only 4,208 meters (13,796 feet). <!-- Everest's base to summit height should be here--> If the base-summit height is measured from land only, [[Mount Kilimanjaro]] is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, meaning it does not belong to a mountain range or chain, measured from its base (at ground level) to the summit at 5,896 meters (19,344 feet). Another alternative method is to work out the furthest point of land as measured from the centre of the earth. [[Chimborazo (volcano)|Chimborazo]], a volcano in [[Ecuador]], takes this honor, because the Earth "bulges" at the equator.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9428163 npr.org: ''The 'Highest' Spot on Earth?'']</ref> This peak is 2,100 meters "taller" than Everest.
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| − | * The [[Sahara]] is the world's largest ''hot'' [[desert]], but it is not the world's largest desert (arid land). [[Antarctica]] has almost no [[Precipitation (meteorology)|liquid precipitation (rain)]] and little or no vegetation. Almost no animal life exists in its interior at all (scientists in [[List of research stations in Antarctica|research stations]] and nesting [[snow petrel]]s are about the only exceptions). It is land that lacks liquid water available for plants and animals to use. This is sufficient to qualify it as a desert, and it is larger than the Sahara.
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| − | * Claims that the number and intensity of [[earthquake]]s are increasing<ref>[http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/doc/earthquakes.html Earthquakes on the increase]</ref><ref>[http://www.michaelmandeville.com/polarmotion/spinaxis/vortex_correlations2.htm Eight Charts which Prove That Chandlers's Wobble Causes Earthquakes, Volcanism, El Nino, and Global Warming] {{dead link|date=August 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/13772.asp Exponential Increase in Earthquakes Continues to Escalate]</ref> are unfounded. The number and intensity of earthquakes varies from year to year but there is no increasing trend.<ref>[http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqstats.html USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program: Earthquakes Facts and Statistics]</ref><ref>[http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/7up.html USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program: Number of Earthquakes per Year, Magnitude 7.0 or Greater]</ref>
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| − | * Earth's iron-rich inner core is not liquid (like the outer core) but solid, due to the temperature-pressure conditions at the center of the Earth.
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| − | ===Linguistics===
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| − | *[[Eskimo words for snow|Eskimos do not have a large number of words for snow]]. The Eskimo language being studied had four unrelated root words, but because it is a [[Polysynthetic language]], in which sentences are formed by compounding words, one can use these roots to create an infinite number of "words" about snow. By comparison, English has many unrelated root words for snow as well: snow, sleet, powder, flurry, drift, blizzard.
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| − | | |
| − | ==Religion==
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| − | * [[Albert Einstein]] did not believe in God in a "personal" sense and discounted the existence of a creator. Einstein was, in fact, a [[rationalist]]ic [[pantheist]] and follower of [[Baruch Spinoza]]. Many people misinterpreted his words in public, to which Einstein himself responded by saying: "It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."<ref> http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein Einstein quotes]</ref>
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| − | * The phrase "[[separation of church and state]]" does not occur in the U.S. Constitution. It was first used in a letter [[Thomas Jefferson]] wrote to the [[Danbury Baptists|Danbury Baptist Association]] of Connecticut, reassuring them that religious minorities (such as Baptists) would be protected under the Bill of Rights. His expression "wall of separation between church and state" was a description of the intended effect of the First Amendment's [[Establishment Clause|Establishment]] and [[Free Exercise Clause|Free Exercise]] provisions, not a quotation therefrom.<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists (June 1998) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
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| − | *[[Adolf Hitler]] was not an atheist as many suppose. He was raised Catholic and believed in a "Positive Christianity", which reinvented Jesus as an opponent of the Jews. A more in depth analysis can be found at the article [[Adolf Hitler's religious beliefs]].
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| − | | |
| − | ===Judaism and Christianity===
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| − | *Nowhere in the [[Bible]] is the fruit eaten by [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]] referred to as an apple. The fruit is called the "fruit of the [[Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil|tree]]" (that is, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), and neither the fruit nor the tree is identified as belonging to a known species. In [[Middle English]], "apple" was a generic term for all fruit, other than berries but including nuts, as late as the 17th century.<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=apple&searchmode=none ''Apple'' at the Online Etymology Dictionary]</ref> However, also in continental European art from that period representing the [[Fall of Man]] the fruit is often depicted as an apple. <!--The apple in fact comes from Kazakhstan, and at the time of the bible had not been adopted by other countries-->
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| − | *In the book of [[Genesis]], the serpent in the Garden of Eden is not explicitly identified as being Satan. Additionally, Satan is never explicitly given the name "[[Lucifer]]" ("light bearer") in the Bible. That name comes from the [[Vulgate]] (Latin) translation of a prophecy in [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah 14:12]], which some Christians interpret as referring to the fall of Satan from heaven. Lucifer is actually one of many demons claimed to be the devil. Others include [[Ba'al]], [[Lilith]], [[Mephistopheles]], [[Beelzebub]], [[Belphegor]], [[Belial]] and [[Lucifuge Rofocale]]
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| − | *Genesis does not state that there were only two of every animal aboard [[Noah's Ark]]. In fact, it states that there were to be seven pairs of every clean animal, and two pairs of every unclean animal.
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| − | * The organization of the [[Ten Commandments]] is not consistent from one religion to another, or even among Christians (see [[Ten commandments#Division of the Commandments|this chart]] for example). In addition, besides the [[Ethical Decalogue]] repeated in [[Exodus]] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020;&version=9; 20:2–17] and [[Deuteronomy]] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%205;&version=9; 5:6–21], there is a different set of ten commandments, the [[Ritual Decalogue]], in [[Exodus]].<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2034;&version=9; Exodus 34]</ref> Further, the Jewish term for these ten ideas is "Aseret HaDibrot," which more accurately translates as "ten statements" or even simply "ten items." "Ten Commandments" would be, in Hebrew, "Aseret HaMitzvot" (in fact, traditional Jews believe there are a total of 613 Mitzvot (literally, "commandments") found throughout the Torah, although some are only applicable in the days the Holy Temple stands in Jerusalem.) Therefore, there is no problem with the wording "I am the Lord your God" not being a "commandment" to do or avoid any specific behavior.
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| − | * The term ''[[Immaculate Conception]]'' does not refer to [[Jesus]]'s conception by the Virgin Mary (see [[Virgin Birth of Jesus]]), but rather to the [[Roman Catholic]] teaching that [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]] herself was conceived without the stain of [[Original Sin]]. (See also ''[[Blessed Virgin Mary]]''.)
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| − | *The Bible doesn't mention three wise men or kings, it mentions "[[Biblical Magi|wise men]]" and that they brought three different gifts{{ndash}}gold, [[frankincense]], and [[myrrh]], which were considered at the time the only three gifts suitable for a king. Wise men at the time were essentially astrologers or fortune tellers, and probably traveled in groups for safety.
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| − | * Nowhere in the Bible is [[Mary Magdalene]] ever referred to as a [[prostitute]]. Before her seeing the risen Jesus, the only other mention besides the listing of her name is the mentioning in [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 8:2 that she had been possessed by seven demons.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208:1-3;&version=9; Luke 8]</ref>
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| − | * The word "prodigal" in the [[parable of the Prodigal Son]] does not mean one who travels (or, alternatively, one who travels and then returns). "[[wikt:prodigal|Prodigal]]" means "characterized by a profuse or wasteful expenditure". The Prodigal Son of the story wasted all of the money he obtained from his father and had to work as a lowly pig-tender until he finally recognised that even his father's servants lived better than he and went back to his father.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015:11-32;&version=9; Luke 15]</ref>
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| − | * The canon of the [[New Testament]] was not selected by [[Constantine I|Constantine]] at the [[First Council of Nicaea]]. Constantine did not personally have a vote on the council, and the canon had been settled to a large degree—by common consent rather than conciliar decree—from the early second century. Furthermore, the council did not consider the matter of canon in its proceedings. (See [[Development of the New Testament canon]].)
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| − | * The New Testament was not routinely altered by scribes and priests through the centuries. Spelling errors and other copyist mistakes exist in all of the extant manuscripts, but there are only a few examples of what modern [[philologists]] and [[Textual criticism|textual critics]] believe are intentional alterations (e.g., the [[Pericope Adulterae]]).<ref>Indeed, [[Daniel B. Wallace]] claims that "only about 1% of the textual variants are both meaningful and viable" ([http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=4000#P36_14286 link]).</ref> Noted New Testament textual critic [[Bart D. Ehrman]] states:<blockquote>It would be a mistake... to assume that the only changes being made were by copyists with a personal stake in the wording of the text. In fact, most of the changes found in our early Christian manuscripts have nothing to do with theology or ideology. Far and away the [''sic''] most changes are the result of mistakes, pure and simple—slips of the pen, accidental omissions, inadvertent additions, misspelled words, blunders of one sort or another.<ref>''Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why'' (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005), p. 55.</ref></blockquote>
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| − | ===Hinduism===
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| − | * [[Hinduism]] is not one distinct religion, but was considered to be so since at least 1323 AD, as attested by South Indian and Kashmiri texts,<ref> David Lorenzen, Who Invented Hinduism? New Delhi 2006, pp. 24-33; Rajatarangini of Yonaraja </ref> and increasingly so during the [[United Kingdom|British]] rule. Since the end of the 18th century the word has been used as an umbrella term for most of the religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions of the sub-continent, excluding the distinct religions of [[Sikhism]], [[Buddhism]], and [[Jainism]]. Despite this, many traditions considered "Hindu" today draw their validity from core texts called the [[Vedas]], though in various degrees; some traditions assert that their own texts supersede the Vedas. The traditions that reject the Vedas are considered ''nastika'' (heterodox), as opposed to ''astika'' (orthodox). (See ''[[Astika and Nastika]]'')
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| − | * [[Shiva]] is neither female nor an ice deity. Shiva is one of the three main male gods of the current Hindu beliefs and is supposed to be "the destroyer" (along with [[Vishnu]] "the preserver " and [[Brahma]] "the creator" of the Universe). Shiva does, however, have an androgynous form known as [[Ardhanarishvara]]. This form of Shiva is split into male and female halves on a central axis, the right male half bearing traits of Shiva, the left female half bearing those of his consort [[Parvati]] or [[Shakti]].
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| − | * Throughout most traditions, the [[Bhagavad Gita]] does not equal the [[Bible]] in scriptural authority. It is considered [[Smriti]] (''that which is remembered'') which is a class of scripture lower in rank than [[Shruti]] (what is heard), containing the [[Vedas]]. The [[Bhagavad Gita]], though, is considered the most popular.<ref>[http://hinduism.iskcon.com/tradition/1105.htm Heart of Hinduism: Hindu Sacred Books<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
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| − | * Hinduism is considered a family of religions and as such has no concept of God universal to all ''astika'' sects. Hinduism is thus not strictly [[polytheistic]] across all ''sampradyas'' (traditions), but can be [[pantheistic]] or [[panentheistic]], or be distinctly [[henotheistic]] or [[monotheistic]].
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| − | ===Islam===
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| − | * It's a popular misconception that Muslims believe that [[Martyrs]] are awarded 72 virgins in heaven. Nowhere in the [[Qu'ran]] is that stated. The misconception most likely stems from a [[Hadith]] that's been [[Isnad|attributed]] to [[Muhammad]] via an unreliable<ref>Salahuddin Yusuf , Riyadhus Salihin,commentary on Nawawi, Chapter 372, Dar-us-Salam Publications (1999), ISBN-10: 159144053X ,ISBN-13: 978-1591440536<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> chain of narrators, stating:<blockquote>
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| − | "It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham 'Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudhri, who heard the [[Muhammad|Prophet Muhammad]] PBUH saying, 'The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with [[pearl]]s, [[aquamarine]] and [[ruby]], as wide as the distance from [[Damascus|al-Jabiyyah]] to [[Sanaá|San'a]].<ref>[http://www.livingislam.org/fiqhi/sp2-gfh_e.html#9 How Many Wives Will The Believers Have In Paradise?] - Questions answered by Islamic scholar [[Gibril Haddad]]</ref>
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | | |
| − | * The [[Niqāb]] veil (and by extension, [[Burqa]]) is not considered by most<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/niqab_1.shtml '' 'Religion and Ethics - Islam. The Niqab'']</ref> Islamic scholars to be [[Fard|obligatory]], but rather a voluntary show of piety, and is never mentioned specifically in the Qu'ran. What is, on the other hand, instructed in the Qu'ran to women is that "''...they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to...''"<ref>[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/024.qmt.html#024.031 '' 'The Qu'ran, translation by Yusuf Ali '']</ref>
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| − | ==Technology==
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| − | ===Inventions===
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| − | * [[Thomas Crapper]] did not invent the [[flush toilet]], [[Thomas Edison]] did not invent the [[light bulb]], and [[Henry Ford]] did not invent the [[automobile]] or the [[internal combustion engine]]. In all three cases, their contributions were in the area of improving and popularizing the devices in question. For example, Ford introduced the [[assembly line]], and used it to bring the cost of automobiles into reach of many more people, and Thomas Edison refined the internal gases and filaments, making a bulb last longer. Neither did [[Guglielmo Marconi]] invent the radio, a patent which was filed before him by [[Nikola Tesla]], a claim that was ratified by the US Supreme Court in 1943 in Tesla's favour.
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| − | ===Computing===
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| − | * [[ENIAC]] was not the first digital computer. Rather, it was the first ''general-purpose all-electronic'' computer. The [[Atanasoff-Berry Computer]] (ABC) and the [[Colossus computer]] were digital electronic computers but were not general-purpose, being designed for only particular applications. The [[Z3 (computer)|Z3]] was digital and general-purpose but was partly electromechanical rather than electronic. Also, ENIAC did not use [[binary arithmetic]], as the above three did (and as modern computers do); it used decimal.
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| − | <!--* Computer [[programming language]]s are often divided into "[[interpreter (computing)|interpreted]] languages" and "[[compiler|compiled]] languages". However, interpretation and compilation are ways of implementing a language; generally, any language can be executed within the context of an interpreter, or be translated into some kind of [[machine code]], real or [[virtual machine|virtual]], with a compiler. For instance, [[C (programming language)|C]] and [[Java (programming language)|Java]] are usually considered "compiled languages", but there exist interpreters for them such as [[CINT]], [[Ch interpreter|Ch]], and [[BeanShell]]. Likewise, [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp]] is often taught as an interpreted language in introductory [[computer science]] classes, but the implementations used in industry include compilers.-->
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| − | * The clock rate of a CPU [[megahertz myth|is not a good measure of its performance]]. Performance is affected by many things, especially the design of the CPU's [[instruction pipeline]]s, [[branch prediction]], [[computer memory|memory subsystem]], and [[CPU cache|cache]]s; the number of [[processor core|cores]]; and the ability of software to take advantage of a given [[CPU architecture]]'s features.
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| − | ===Gaming===
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| − | * ''[[Pong]]'' was not the first video game. In fact, [[Tennis for Two]], created in 1958, was one of the first electronic games to use a graphical display.<ref>[http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp The First Video Game<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The first commercially sold coin-operated video game, ''[[Computer Space]]'', was created in 1971 by the future founders of [[Atari]]. Fearing that Computer Space had not been popular because of its complexity, [[Nolan Bushnell]] and [[Allan Alcorn]] created Pong in 1972 after Bushnell had seen a similar game at a trade show.<ref>
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| − | (April, 2005) Video Games: In The Beginning. New Jersey, USA: Rolenta Press, 81. ISBN 0-9643848-1-7.</ref>
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| − | ===Transportation===
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| − | * The ship ''[[Mary Celeste]]'' was not called ''Marie Celeste''. In fact ''Marie Celeste'' was the spelling used by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] in a story based on the incident.
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| − | * The first heavier-than-air craft was not flown by the [[Wright brothers]]. Human-flown [[gliders]] and [[kites]] had been flown far earlier. The Wright brothers did fly the first heavier-than-air craft capable of controlled and sustained powered flight.<ref>[http://www.nasm.si.edu/wrightbrothers/ Smithsonian Institution, "The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age"]</ref>
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| − | * The United States [[Interstate Highway System]] was not designed with airplane landings in mind. A common urban legend states that one out of every five (or ten) miles of highway must be straight and flat to allow emergency (or military) airplane landings, but this is not the case.<ref>{{Citation
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| − | |url=http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp
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| − | |title=Landing of Hope and Glory
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| − | |publisher=snopes.com
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| − | |accessdate=[[2007-12-30]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/mayjun00/onemileinfive.htm|title=ONE MILE IN FIVE: Debunking the Myth|last=Weingroff|first=Richard F.|date=May/June 2000|work=Federal Highway Administration|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref>
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| − | * Toilet waste is not dumped overboard in aircraft. All waste is collected in tanks which are emptied on the ground by special toilet waste vehicles. Vacuum is used to allow the toilet to be flushed with less water and because plumbing cannot rely on gravity alone in an aircraft in motion.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.howstuffworks.com/question314.htm |title= How does the toilet in a commercial airliner work? |author=How Stuff works|accessdate=2008-06-27}} </ref>
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| − | | |
| − | === Other ===
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| − | * There is no reliable scientific evidence that installing "[[security lighting]]" in outdoor areas actually deters crime; it may actually make crime easier. For instance, a burglar who is forced to use a flashlight is more easily spotted than one who can see by existing light.<ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/20/070820fa_fact_owen Our Far-flung Correspondents: The Dark Side: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | == See also ==
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| − | | |
| − | * [[Conventional wisdom]]
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| − | * [[Counter-intuitive]]
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| − | * [[Drug urban legends]]
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| − | * [[Factoid]]
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| − | * [[List of cognitive biases]]
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| − | * [[List of fallacies]]
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| − | * [[List of memory biases]]
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| − | * [[List of misquotations]]
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| − | * [[List of topics related to public relations and propaganda]]
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| − | * [[Old wives' tale]]
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| − | * [[Urban legend]]
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| − | * [[QI]]
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| − | * [[Straight and Crooked Thinking]]
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| − | | |
| − | ==References==
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| − | {{reflist|2}}
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| − | | |
| − | ==External links==
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| − | {{external links}}
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| − | | |
| − | * [http://www.popularerrors.com popularerrors.com]
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| − | * [http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm The color of water, J. Chem. Education, 1993, 70(8), 612]
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| − | * [http://amasci.com/miscon/opphys.html List of children's misconceptions about science]
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| − | * [http://amasci.com/miscon/miscon4.html Misconceptions taught by science textbooks]
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| − | * [http://scienceinquirer.wikispaces.com/misconception Science Misconceptions Podcast]
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| − | * [http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~siegel/warning.html Common Misconceptions about Science]
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| − | * [http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/BadScience.html Bad Science]
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| − | * [http://www.princeton.edu/~lehmann/BadChemistry.html Bad Chemistry]
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| − | * Hershey, D.R., 2003. http://www.botany.org/bsa/psb/2003/psb49-3.html#Misconceptions
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| − | * [http://scienceinquirer.wikispaces.com/misconception Science Misconceptions Podcast]
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| − | * [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aams/hd_aams.htm Common Misconceptions about Arms and Armor]
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| − | | |
| − | [[Category:Society-related lists|Misconceptions]]
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