People Are Correcting Super Common "Fun Facts" That Everyone Keeps Repeating, But Are Actually False
You know those "fun facts" we all know and that somehow make it into every dinner party or trivia night? Turns out, sometimes they are totally wrong, but that hasn't stopped people from repeating them like gospel. Mainly because a lot of us have heard them throughout our lives and tend to take them at face value.
Recently, redditor ColdAntique291 was curious about those "facts" when they asked: "What's a super common 'fun fact' that everyone keeps repeating but is actually false?"
The thread got over a 1K responses. Below are the top and most often repeated "fun facts" that were actually a big lie:
1."That bats are blind. They hunt by echolocation, but they can actually see quite well."
—blue_eyed_magic
"It gets better: only about 1/3 of all bat species can use echolocation. Others just look where they're going."
—rkaw92
2."That we only use 10% or 30% of our brain capacity. This is nonsense. We use 100%."
—abraxasnl
"You're correct. Our brains are being used to maintain the body's functioning, and there is not a secret hidden 90% we can use unless we want organ failure, I suppose."
—maruhchan
3."That you swallow eight spiders a year in your sleep. And that it takes seven years for gum to be digested."
—Special_Discipline94
"Wouldn't the spiders get stuck in the gum? 🤣"
—One-Bodybuilder309
4."Not exactly a 'fun fact,' but 'Let them eat cake.' It's attributed to Marie Antoinette, but she never actually said it."
—Minibearden
5."I was told my entire life that cracking your knuckles is bad for you and causes arthritis. This is not true."
—Forward_Age6247
"I actually believed it, up until i read your comment. And I'm 54 lol"
—CHICKADEE7dee
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6."Sorry, but you can't see the Great Wall of China from orbit."
—disturbednadir
7."If you make a face, it will stay that way. It absolutely does not, Mom."
—ExxxemplaryVegitable
8."That the tongue has different taste zones, they taught us in school, ffs."
—simonko1
"They hadn't even identified 'umami' as the fifth taste when I was in school."
—jack-jackattack
9."Napoleon wasn't short; he was actually above average height for his time."
—clemoh
"Britain's propaganda just made him that way to make fun of the French. He also wasn't actually French, he was Corsican."
—squid_ward_16
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10."People say your hair grows back thicker if you shave. Absolute twaddle."
—Botheuk
11."The idea that local honey can treat or cure seasonal allergies. Not true, never been true, people repeat it anyway."
—chemicalysmic
12."That blood is blue inside your body until it touches air. Your blood is still red in your body, just darker."
—wowza6969420
"As if there's no oxygen in your blood while it's in your body."
—OriginalKriWolf
13."The Jonestown Massacre: they drank Flavor Aid, not Kool Aid, but as everyone repeatedly says, 'Drank the Kool Aid.'"
—Ned_Braden1
14."Turning the inside car light will get you pulled over by the cops."
—Available_Ad2852
"Parents myth, lol"
—airb00st1
15."Dog year = seven human years. Not true! Sincerely, someone who works in veterinary."
—Fun-Engineering7877
16."Dogs are pack animals. They are not. They are social animals. The person who coined that term of them being pack animals, the same exact person responsible for that myth, is the person who completely 180'd when he realised his studies were extremely flawed, and upon review re-published to correct his mistake, but nobody paid any attention...Despite the fact that if you research yourself what pack animals actually do and the behaviours they engage in, none of it aligns with dog behaviour. 🤦"
—No-Wolverine296
17."You lose most of your body heat from the top of your head."
—Boglikeinit
"In the military, during training, I heard 'keep your head cold and your feet warm.'"
—Ilirot
18."Sweating like a pig. Pigs do not have sweat glands, which is why they wallow in the mud to keep cool. Horses, on the other hand, sweat profusely."
—MoreQuiet3094
19."That you can catch a cold from being outside in cold weather. A cold is a viral infection. You're more likely to catch one inside from being in close proximity to people."
—Turdwienerton
20."Everyone believes that the captain of a ship can perform weddings. It was even referenced in an episode of The Office once, but it's not true."
—-Brother-Seamus-
"Well, they can perform one, but the marriage won't be legal."
—PlanetLandon
21.And lastly, "Sugar makes kids hyper."
—Bulky_Algae6110
"Sugar doesn't actually make you hyper; it just makes you tired."
—squid_ward_16
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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