Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Debunked Myths That Everyone Still Believes Today

People Share Debunked Myths That Everyone Still Believes Today
Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

People believe some really ridiculous stuff, don't they?

When I was younger, it seemed every adult believed that you couldn't swim for several hours after eating. Why did they all believe this? I fought them on this all the time, by the way.

I shouldn't have had to, just because I'd eaten some barbecue during a pool party.

Guess what, though? That belief is unfounded.

People told us more about the myths that annoy them after Redditor SugoiSuu asked the online community,

"What are the myths that got debunked multiple times but still believed by people?"

"That you get warts from frogs. Warts come from the human papillomavirus and come from contact with the virus through broken skin. It is a human-specific virus and cannot be spread through different species."

mtn_cat

Why do people believe this crap?

Do they still think you can kiss a frog and turn him into a prince, too?

"Popping your knuckles is actually harmless and the "study" that claimed it caused arthritis was heavily flawed. Studies now show that it has nothing to do with causing arthritis."

l-e-mon

I believed this... when I was a kid. I eventually learned. But the adults who still believe this? What's up with that?

"Many people still believe..."

"Many people still believe hymens are like plastic food seals that cover up the hole and get popped when you have sex for the first time, and if a girl doesn't bleed she's not a virgin."

[deleted]

The myths surrounding women's bodies are just ridiculous thing, aren't they?

Here's an idea: SEX ED!

"That if you get too close..."

"That if you get too close to a baby bird, the mother will smell human on the baby and abandon the nest. You probably should still avoid touching baby birds for other reasons like disease or risking injury to the animal though."

NawlSideNative

THE REJECTION!

But yeah, this doesn't happen. So farfetched.

"That fish only have a 5-second memory. My fish are fed automatically on a timer and they know dinner time better than my goddamn cat."

Osr0

I bet they do. Animals are much smarter than we give them credit for.

"That one thing..."

"That one thing about swallowing like 7 spiders a year in your sleep. Why the hell did anyone ever think that was a thing?"

ReaperSCP

Because people are gullible.

Sooooo gullible.

It hurts.

"That your hair..."

"That your hair and fingernails still grow after you die. It's mainly an optical illusion. Your skin decays and shrinks, causing hair and fingernails to look like they've grown."

CasinoKitten

I grew up hearing this. There are entire generations of people who believe this.

"That certain animal parts..."

"That certain animal 'parts' have healing/magical properties. Like tiger whiskers protect the wearer or rhino horn cures impotence and hangovers."

storm-in-a-teapot

Sorry to disappoint, guys, but animals are not "magic" and here for your personal amusement and woo-woo.

"That you have to wait..."

"That you have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report."

popthetab

We can definitely pin some of the blame on movies for this one. "Oh, you know for certain your daughter was kidnapped and might possibly be murdered? Looks like you'll have to take matters into your own hands and pursue some good old fashioned vigilante justice, sorry."

"No amount of reasoning..."

"That cats kill babies."

"I've run into this so many times since having kids. And it's not the older grandmas making these statements."

"I've had 20-year-olds tell me that you can't have cats if you plan to have babies because "they'll steal their breath" or some other variation. No amount of reasoning or rationale will dissuade them of this belief."

anothertimesometime

Cats are wonderful creatures. It's a shame that people believe such nonsense about them.

Here's some advice...

Google is your friend. It's very easy to debunk this stuff. I remember being taught that the tongue had taste zones––we even had to fill out a worksheet labeling the tongue's different zones. That's totally wrong, in case you haven't figured it out.

Know some myths that annoy you? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @meitham's TikTok
@meitham/TikTok

Teen Sparks Debate With Viral Video Listing The Rules Her 'Strict Parents' Have Enforced That Have Made Her An 'Avid Liar'

By now, we've all heard the saying that overly strict parents create sneaky kids, and more and more evidence of this being true is appearing on TikTok.

TikToker Mei, or @meitham, opened up on the platform while doing her makeup for school, claiming that she became a "very avid liar" because of her strict parents.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @taylaajacksonn's TikTok
@taylaajacksonn/TikTok

UK Man Goes Viral With His Shock Over All Of The Bizarre And 'Supersized' Things Walmart Sells—And We're Cackling

Every culture is different, so when two people are internationally dating, they're not just dealing with the physical distance of the long-distance relationship—they have to take in other cultural factors as well.

Sometimes that can be difficult, but sometimes it's really hilarious.,

Keep ReadingShow less
Nathan Fielder; Elizabeth Holmes
A24

Bizarre Clip Of Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes From Surprise New Documentary Sparks Hilarious Memes

In a time where every day is more bizarre than the last, it takes a lot to make something that truly knocks people off-balance. But Canadian filmmaker, actor, and comedian Nathan Fielder has done just that.

Fielder dropped a clip from his next project, which he somehow managed to keep so secret nobody knew anything about it for three years: a documentary about infamous Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes called You Can See Everything.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of Jacob Coxon on Anderson Cooper 360
Anderson Cooper 360/CNN

Anthropic Researcher Abruptly Resigns Before Warning That AI 'Could Kill Us All By The End Of The Decade' In Alarming Rant

Anthropic is an American artificial intelligence (AI) safety and research company whose website says it develops "reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems." It was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers and organized as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) to prioritize "long-term safety, ethics, and a positive public impact alongside business goals."

Their flagship product is a family of large language models (LLMs) used for "complex reasoning, coding, and conversational assistance" that the company named "Claude."

Keep ReadingShow less
child holding box of school supplies and screenshot of tweet
vejaa/Getty Images; @mattvanswol/X

MAGA Christian's Viral Post About Learning Donated School Supplies Will Go To Spanish-Speaking Kids Has Everyone Making The Same Point

A self-described devout Christian—the White nationalist part is silent on his bio, but loud in his social media posts, which constantly vilify BIPOC and non-White immigrants and spread White nationalist propaganda and rhetoric—recently posted his moral dilemma on X seeking feedback from his fellow MAGA minions.

Matt Van Swol wrote:

Keep ReadingShow less