Not always true

Today we will look at commonly held beliefs, or rather common misconceptions. There are lots of factoids out there that have been passed around, that simply aren't true. Here are a few:

1. Your tongue is not separated into different parts for each kind of taste.
2. It's better to wake a sleepwalker than to not. They will be confused, but less likely to hurt themselves. It's not dangerous to wake them.
3. Bulls don't hate the color red. They are colorblind.
4. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space. Neither are the Pyramids of Giza.
5. Bats aren't blind.
6. Birds don't rely much on smell, so it's safe to touch a baby bird that has fallen from the nest.
7. Eating before going swimming does not increase the risk of cramp. Alcohol might though, and being full might make you short of breath.
8. Neither chastity belts or iron maidens existed during the dark ages. They were invented much later, and the iron maiden was invented to sell tickets, not for torture.
9. Sugar doesn't make children hyper-active, just excited for a treat.
10. Vaccines do not cause autism!
11. The bible doesn't mention how many holy men that visited baby Jesus.
12. Undercover police in the U.S. don't have to admit being cops if asked.
13. You don't have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing persons report. In fact, the sooner the better.
14. Salieri and Mozart weren't enemies as the film suggests. They were in fact friends.
15. Napoleon was above average height for his time.

There we go, fifteen commonly held beliefs debunked. If you would like to learn more, go look it up. Wikipedia is that way →.

Until next time, have and informative and interesting week!