Learning! 10 Common Myths About Science

Science!  I like to talk about it like I know what I'm talking about, but sometimes (probably oftentimes) I don't.  Partially because I may have read an article somewhere about a study and then I think I know about it, even though science journalism is known to be shoddy/overly sensational, and I probably didn't even read the whole article.  Partially because I am still quoting things I learned in school and I haven't been in school for 7 years and science changes.  Mostly because I am not a scientist.

Luckily, your friends and mine at I Fucking Love Science came up with a list of commonly believed myths about science, and I am gloatingly-proud to say that I already knew some of these were false.

Here they are!  10 common myths about science:

1. We only use 10% of our brains (not true!  We use the whole dang thing!  And I knew it!  By using my brain!)
2. There is a dark side of the moon (there isn't!)
3. The full moon affects behaviour (okaaaay well, I might have to disagree with them on this one - but I am aware I am going against scientific evidence in favour of the anecdotal when I do it.)
4. Sugar makes children hyperactive (not so, Calvin was just a crazy kid all on his own.)
5. Lightning never strikes the same place twice (I knew it!  It totally can and might and does, because it hits tall things and some things remain very tall.)
6. Dropping a penny from a tall building could kill someone (they'd just hurt like walking into a pole but the size of a penny.)
7. Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death (I knew it!  Our skin just gets all gross and dried out and recedes, giving the appearance of growth.)
8. Cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis (nope!)
9. It takes seven years to digest swallowed gum (imagine how many kids would starve to death with gum taking up all the space in their tummies if this was the case.  Also, I knew it!)
10. Antibiotics kill viruses (do people STILL believe this?  THEY DON'T!  And shame on any doctor for prescribing antibiotics to get a virus-infused patient off their case.)

Read the whole list and their scientific evidences here.