Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Outdated 'Facts' People Were Actually Taught In School

Reddit user BiAdventureTime asked: 'What’s an outdated “fact” that you were taught in school that has since been disproven?'

If you went to elementary school around the same time I did, you learned that there are nine planets in the solar system. Then, in 2006, it was decided Pluto did not fit the bill when it came to requirements for being a planet.

Suddenly, there were no longer nine planets in the solar system. There were only eight.

The solar system having nine planets is an outdated fact, since it used to be fact, but is no longer true. This happens quite often.

We learn something, accept it as fact, and then its disproven and becomes outdated.

A lot of what we learn in school are considered outdated facts. We learn a lot of things that aren't true, or were true at one point, but aren't anymore. Redditors know this all to well and are eager to share their stories.


It all started when Redditor BiAdventureTime asked:

"What’s an outdated “fact” that you were taught in school that has since been disproven?"

The Perfect Diet

"The food pyramid"

– Froticlias

"I have a clear memory of a grade school health teacher telling us that we were only supposed to have 1 gram of fat per day. She held up a packet of 2 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups which has like 5 grams of fat in it, and we asked if we'd have to have 0 grams of fat for five days in order to have that, or just eat a sliver of one peanut butter cup."

"Super bogus stuff. I know it's not healthy to eat peanut butter cups all day, but your brain needs fats to live."

– weenertron

Bird's Eye View

"You can see The Great Wall of China from space (ISS)"

– azazeLiSback

"This was always a weird one. The Great Wall of China is long but it's not that wide. If you could see it from space surely you'd be able to see roads and smallish buildings so it wouldn't be that impressive."

– AP246

"I didnt believe you. Googled it. You were right. This should be the top comment. That lie has been so ingrained into my brain. Wow."

– Boomshockalocka007

Crack, Crack

"Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis"

– MosesOnAcid

"This is a reminder that your knuckles are reloaded, feel free to crack them now."

– Crisis06

"I've always liked the story of Donald Unger, a doctor who cracked each knuckle on his left hand (but not his right) for 60 years to see if it contributed to arthritis (it didn't)."

"He won an Ig Nobel prize for it:"

– JinimyCritic

Before Smartphones

"You won't always have a calculator in your pocket"

– bread_makes_u_fatt

"That's actually true. Sometimes it's in my hands"

– dfreshcia

Bitter, Salty, Sour, Sweet, Savory

"Tastebud zones on the tongue."

– GrilledStuffedDragon

"I argued with my science teacher in 4th grade about this. Even to a 9/10 year old, this made no sense. She went to cafeteria and got some salt packets and sugar packets. We did a blind taste testing experiment. In the end, she had us draw an X through the picture in our science books. I have SOOOO much respect for teachers that can admit they are wrong. All people really, but especially teachers"

– whovian5690

Revolution!

"I was taught that Mercury was the hottest planet. A student corrected them on a national level and they changed how it was taught."

– KaJashey

Just Say No

"They told us that smoking one “marijuana cigarette” was equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes and was 10X more carcinogenic."

– Jeramy_Jones

"We were also told that if we tried weed, we'd also want to try other drugs."

– Sadimal

"This is a hot frying pan. This is an egg. This is your brain on drugs.. sizzle, sizzle, sizzle."

"Holy crap, I was immediately convinced. /s"

– MsMisty888

Centimeters, Not Inches

"The US will be using the metric system in 10 years."

– Merrybee16

"I can remember being in 2nd grade, and one day the teacher stopped class for us to listen to the principal read this very serious speech over the PA system announcing that the metric system was coming. For some reason we all thought it was changing that day, and that there was a test after. Seriously, some kids cried. This was in the 70’s…lol."

– Speakinmymind96

"The reality is that the US will be using the metric system in 12 and 5/8 years."

– ClownfishSoup

Blue Bloods

"Blood is blue in your veins, but turns red when it hits oxygen. Idk if it was really a fact then or been disproven but I've learned it's not true."

"8th grade health class teacher taught us that."

– ninreznorgirl2

"Such a weird myth. It seemed fishy to me even when the teacher was telling us this is in second grade."

"Seems like a logical leap someone made because they looked at their arm and saw blue veins"

– mothwhimsy

"Our veins are blue simply because of the light spectrum."

"I can't remember the exact reasons, but it's something to do with blue being one of the colours that isn't filtered by our skin as well."

– Drakeskulled_Reaper

"This is one my mom told me my whole childhod and I didn't question. I believed it until as late as the 9th grade. There, in basic biology class, my teacher stated like it was sooo obvious that everyone knew blue blood was just a myth, and she was like "Nobody here thought that right?" I didn't raise my hand. I just stayed silent."

– RamenTheory

Cause and Effect

"Growing up, I was literally led to believe (and definitely not the only Black person), that Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, was Black."

– yhpargotohpts

"Not to mention, his invention of the cotton gin reinvigorated the cotton industry, which in turn reinvigorated slavery, which was starting to fade a bit because the labor of cotton wasn't worth it. With the cotton gin, they could process a lot more cotton, and slavery became worth it financially again."

– VillageSmithyCellar

"I was taught this as well. The Cotton Gin helped rid the US of slaves because they no longer needed to pick out those pesky seeds by hand."

"Nope. Made slavery more profitable. Larger profit margins = more slaves."

– Hoopajoops

Hand Me The Screwdriver

"The difference between man and animals is that animals don’t use tools."

"Myth busted."

– tikivic

"Chimpanzees have entered the chat. And capuchin monkeys. And crows. And octopus. And sea otters. And..."

– Agreeable-Damage9119

20/20

"Carrots help vision. "

– waconaty4eva

"Carrots do technically have some things on that your eyes need. But they do not improve your vision. I believe it was a rumour started by Britain so the Germans didn't realise we had radar."

– Donut_Klutzy

Rarely True

"I before e except after c"

– Horrorbmoviepunk

"Unless your feisty beige foreign neighbor invites you on a heist."

"Edit, missed one......invites you on a sleigh heist."

– NetDork

"…except sounding like “a” as in “neighbor” or “weigh,” except for eight exceptions including weird."

– spiderwebs86

Steer Correctly

"I was taught that you put your hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2. My teen daughter learned this summer to put her hands at 9 and 3 in Drivers Ed. Apparently it’s safer if/when air bags are deployed."

– TraaashTVaddict

"A lot of drivers education programs are starting to teach 8 and 4 now."

– AgentOOX

"Can't wait until they finally get to my preferred "one on six, the other f**king with my radio.""

– Dogstile

The world is always evolving and changing, so education must too.

Are there any "facts" you'd like to debunk? Let us know in the comments below!

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Historical Events That Sound Fake But Are Totally True

There are some life events that make you want to shake your head and say, "This wouldn't even seem real in the movies."

But it's true, life can be crazier than what any writer could concoct.

Keep ReadingShow less
assorted produce at the market
Jacopo Maiarelli on Unsplash

People Describe The Worst 'Food Crimes' They've Seen Someone Commit

The phrase "food crime" is an actual thing in legal and regulatory vernacular.

In that context, food crime refers to serious fraud and related criminality within the food supply chain—often involving dishonesty in ingredient substitution or quality—and potentially harmful practices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Hegseth
Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images

Pete Hegseth Gets Brutal Reality Check After Throwing Tantrum Over Released Signal Chat

After Jeffrey Goldberg—the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic—released the full transcript of a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen, Hegseth had a tantrum in a post on X that exposed him to significant criticism.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted Tuesday morning that “no classified material was sent to the thread.” But her statement contradicted Goldberg, who maintained that the messages contained “precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk standing next to a Cybertruck
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Brooklyn Cybertruck Goes Viral After Owner Gets Fact-Checked By Real-Life Community Note

A viral photo showed a Cybertruck owner being epically fact-checked about Tesla CEO Elon Musk's sanity timeline.

Cybertrucks and other Tesla vehicles have increasingly become targets of vandalism since Tesla CEO Elon Musk went off the deep end, exacerbated by his alignment with Republican President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jared Moskowitz
@Acyn/X

Dem Rep Epically Mocks Trump Official Over His Bizarre Emojis In Leaked Group Chat

Speaking during a House judiciary meeting, Florida Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz mocked national security advisor Michael Waltz for using a strange series of emojis in the leaked group chat now known as "Signalgate."

Amid revelations that Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials, particularly Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussing military strategy surrounding war strikes in Yemen, Moskowitz couldn't help but underscore the absurdity within the chat itself.

Keep ReadingShow less