Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Facts That Were Once True But Aren't Any Longer

People Break Down Facts That Were Once True But Aren't Any Longer
Marcus P./Unsplash

As time trudges on, things change. Science and technology is developed, we learn more about our world and our society.

The things we once considered factual (or objectively true) are no longer.

Redditor Artichao wanted to know:

"What fact used to be 100% true in the past, but now no longer is?"

This list will really get you thinking about how things change!


The meaning definitely changed.

"My parents always referred to a really good parking spot as a 'glory hole.' It was not until I started college and exclaimed to my friends that I had found the perfect glory hole in the Chipotle parking lot that I realized that my parents' usage of the term was very, very wrong."

- kajnemed

"Reminds me of the guy who thought "LOL" in a text meant 'Lots Of Love' so he kept having message exchanges like:"

"Hey, I can't meet up with you today, we need to put my dog down."

"LOL"

- meatfrappe

Laughing Out Loud Lol GIF by GIPHY Studios OriginalsGiphy

This one hurts.

"Pluto is a planet."

- retraut

"Still a fresh wound."

- _johnfromtheblock_

Pluto GIF by DiscoveryGiphy

The fastest instant messenger.

"Carrier pigeons were the fastest way to get a message to someone."

- JAdamsidk123

"The original Tweet."

- Erik-Grilla

pigeon GIFGiphy

Back to the past.

"Back to the Future 2 happens in the future."

- fadevelocity

"This hits hard."

- Bryan_Fitch

back to the future film GIFGiphy

The Last Airbender.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

- NobodySpecialSCL

"Went from true to not true to true to not true again to true."

- Raetekusu

GIF by This My Channel This My ShitGiphy

Was it ever true?

"'Politicians work for the people.'"

- LeftBase2Final

"That's sadly never been true."

- Soft_Worker6203

"Yeah, what kind of people [do] they serve?"

- Prince-Otter

Impeachment Try Me GIF by GIPHY News

"Themselves, and their corporate masters."

- LeftBase2Final

"I know plenty of entirely selfless members of Parliament that are absolute pillars of the community. Not everyone in politics is in it for their own good."

- Best-Refuse5435

Excited Season 4 GIF by Parks and RecreationGiphy

Kids will believe anything.

"My dad told me that the stripes on the sides of the road, the ones that make a sound when you ride on them, exist so that the blind people can drive without going off the road. We were kids and believed it for some time."

- Jaded_Manufacturer49

"My best friend's mom always told us they were put there so when moms fell asleep, the strip would wake them up before they went off the road."

- lostandwandering123

Everyone believed this for decades.

"Smoking is good for you. Endorsed by doctors."

- PM_THE_REAPER

"That was an ad campaign."

- Ophelia550

"It was and they more than likely weren't doctors, but people in white coats."

- PM_THE_REAPER

"Yeah, the whole 'doctors recommend' thing was totally made up. No doctor, even then, would ever recommend smoking."

- Ophelia550

"It's like the "Dentists recommend" today, I suspect. Open to correction."

- PM_THE_REAPER

The more we know, the more we understand the world around us.

shooting star GIFGiphy

Want to "know" more?

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

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump
Alex Brandon/Pool/Getty Images

Turns Out Trump Had Another Alternate Name For The Gulf Of Mexico—And Yep, That Tracks

President Donald Trump had people rolling their eyes after he told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that he had a different rebrand in mind for the Gulf of Mexico but that he ultimately "decided not to do it."

On the first day of his second term in office, Trump signed an executive order changing the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America." The order also reversed an Obama-era decision and changed the name of the Alaskan mountain "Denali" back to "Mount McKinley."

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance; Viktor Orbán
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Sean Gallup/Getty Images

People Are Convinced JD Vance Is Cursed Following Hungary's Election Result—And They've Got A Point

Social media users are convinced Vice President JD Vance is cursed after Hungarian voters turned out to end Prime Minister Viktor Orban's rule in its latest election.

Orbán's 16 years in power are over after losing to Péter Magyar of the center-right Tisza party, which is on course for 138 seats, with Orbán's Fidesz on 55. Orbán's loss came mere days after Vance traveled to Budapest and voiced the Trump administration’s support for Orbán ahead of the vote.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gregory Talbert (left) and his son Michael Talbert (right) appear in court on Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams during their dispute over a conversion therapy program.
Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams / The Allen Group

Christian Dad Slammed After Suing His Gay Son For 'Breach Of Contract' After He Dropped Out Of Conversion Therapy

A father’s attempt to legally punish his son for rejecting conversion therapy is going viral and reigniting anger over the harm these programs continue to cause.

It all went down when a Christian dad took his own son to TV court for $6,000, claiming his gay son owed him the money after failing to complete a summer conversion therapy program.

Keep ReadingShow less
Christina Koch
RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

Artemis II Astronaut Christina Koch Gives Epic Reminder About 'What Makes A Crew' In Powerful Speech After Returning To Earth

After 10 days in space, a trip around the moon, and a new record set for miles traveled from Earth, the Artemis II has returned to Earth with its crew and shuttle intact and in good health.

While out there in the great beyond, mission specialist Christina Koch learned a few key lessons about being human and what it means to be a part of an effective crew.

Keep ReadingShow less