As humans, we like to think that we’re pretty clever.
After all, we’ve been around for millions of years, have made countless discoveries and breakthroughs, and are often considered to be (or so we think) the smartest species of all.
Over our lifetimes, we absorb so much information, whether that be from our elders, teachers, and nowadays, the internet. A lot of which we just assume is fact – especially if it’s from a trusted source.
But, not everyone can be right all the time (hey, remember when the smartest people around thought the Earth was flat?), which means sometimes, what we think is right is actually, well, wrong.
So, in the spirit of learning new things, here are 7 commonly believed facts that are false – and the truth behind them
1. St. Patrick was Irish
You’d be forgiven for automatically assuming St. Patrick, aka the Patron Saint of Ireland was Irish.
For one, St. Patrick’s Day is like the biggest celebration in the Irish calendar (and one the rest of the world like to celebrate too), and secondly, he’s also known as the ‘Apostle of Ireland.’
Despite this, the fifth-century Christian missionary and bishop wasn’t actually from Ireland. Rather, he was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, before being captured at age 14 during a raid of his hometown, where he was taken to Ireland to work as a slave, herding sheep.
After six years of slavery, he escaped and was reunited with his family. But it wasn’t long until he was back in Ireland again, later returning to the country to spread Christianity.
2. Sugar makes children ‘hyperactive’
Despite what a lot of parents think, there’s no scientific evidencethat links sugar consumption in kids to ‘hyperactivity.’ This is a huge myth, and based on one single study from the 1970s, whereby a doctor removed sugar from one child’s diet, and that particular individual’s behaviour improved.
Additionally, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reported that parents are more likely to say their kids have ‘too much’ energy when they think they’ve consumed sugar.
The Academy pointed to a study where parents were ‘asked to rate their child’s hyperactivity after consuming a drink with sugar.’ Unbeknownst to them, the beverages were sugar free, but the parents still rated their child as ‘hyperactive’.
3. You lose most of your body heat through your head
We’ve all heard many different reasons as to why we lose most of our body heat through our heads. From the lack of fat between the scalp and skull, circulation keeping your brain warm, and the fact that the scalp has so many blood vessels, all seem legitimate enough not to question.
In reality, WebMD explains that the head ‘only represents about 10% of the body’s total surface area.’ Meaning if the head were to lose 75% of the body’s heat, ‘it would have to lose about 40 times as much heat per square inch as every other part of your body.’
Instead, Medicine Net states that almost 85% of the body’s heat loss occurs through the skin, and that this happens via conduction, convection, radiation, and sweat evaporation.
4. Chameleons change colour to blend in with their surroundings
New Scientist debunks the myth that chameleons change colour to blend in with their surroundings.
The truth is that they can only change the colour of their skin depending on their temperature or mood. (Which we’ll admit is still pretty cool.) However, the outlet did note that there’s a different animal that can adapt to their background… so maybe you were just getting mixed up.
Cuttlefish have the ability to change the colour, pattern, and brightness of their skin due to having millions of chromatophores (which are specialised cells) that contain pigment granules. The colour-changing happens when these cells are expanded or contracted.
National Geographic also adds that they can change the shape of their skin too, switching between flat blades, nodes or spikes.
5. Humans only have five senses
When we learn about the human body at school, we’re told that we have five senses: vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. While these are the ‘main’ ones, so to speak, neuroscientists have suggested that we have between 22 and 33 different senses.
As the World Economic Forum explains, our lesser known senses include:
- Equilibrioception – a sense of balance
- Proprioception – a sense of body position and movement
- Kinaesthesia – a sense of movement
- Thermoception – a sense and perception of temperature
- Nociception – the ability to feel pain
- Chronoception – time perception
6. The Great Wall of China is visible from space
This is a bit of a trick one, as technically, you can see it from the International Space Station (ISS) using high-powered lenses. But how accessible is that to the average human? Not very.
Simply using the naked eye, it’s impossible to see the Great Wall of China from space.
Despite its grandiosity, there are multiple reasons why its visibility is limited. From being too narrow, meaning the line is too thin to see from space, to the obvious one of being too far away, pollution can also be to blame, thanks to the intense industrialisation in China.
7. Chimps have more hair than humans
One look at a chimp is enough to convince yourself that you’ve got way less hair than the primate. But this is completely fake news, as humans and chimpanzees have similar hair densities – it’s just ours are less visible.
According to New Scientist, the average human has around five million hair follicles, which is about the same as chimps and their primate siblings. Seriously – apart from the soles of your feet and palms of your hand – your entire body is covered in hair.
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