Six Myths Busted

Six Myths and Misconceptions Busted

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  5 second rule








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  Dropping a Penny from the Empire State Building
  


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  Shaving your Hair









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  8 Cups of Water a Day









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  Fingernail/Hair Growth after Death









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  Sugar= Hyperactivity in Children
  
  

5second Rule
Many people believe that when you drop a piece of food on the floor, if you pick it up within 5 seconds it is still safe to eat. There is always that good piece of chicken that you drop on the floor and you do not want to waste it so you hurry up and pick it up, blow it off and enjoy. What you do not know is that your body is not enjoying having to fight off all of the bacteria you just consumed.

It has been proven that the amount of time that food is in contact with the ground is irrelevant to the amount of bacteria that it will collect however the amount of bacteria that the food will collect depends on where it is dropped, the adhesiveness and moisture of the food.

The 5 second rule is a complete myth and if you drop a piece of food no matter how good it tasted pop it into the trash can and not into your mouth.

See this website for more information http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/5_seconds.html

Dropping a Penny from the Empire State Building
Have you ever heard the statement, if you drop a penny from the empire state building it could kill someone if it landed on them. Don’t try this one at home kids, but if you did it would not be fatal, because if a penny were to dropped from the empire state building it would not harm a soul. The first problem is the penny probably would not even make it that far, because of the way the empire state building is designed. However even if the design of the building is ignored the conception does not hold water. The terminal velocity and the mass of the penny is too small to penetrate human skin let alone kill a human being. This video shows why a penny could not possibly kill a person if dropped from the empire state building.

Source:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/205/would-a-penny-dropped-from-the-empire-state-building-kill-someone-on-the-ground

Shaving Your Hair
People always say when you shave your hair it grows back thicker than what it was before you shave; so not true. After you shave the stubble on your skin feels thick although it is not. The feeling of thickness is due to the fact that the hair is cut straight across, which exposes a thicker part of the shaft.. However as the hair grows longer it feels a lot softer. In order to receive the best shave always use a new sharp razor, take your time, shave in the same direction the hair grows, and shave at the end of a shower. The idea that shaving makes your hair grow back thicker is a common misconception; one that should not hinder you from having smooth hairless body parts. Cool Shaving Ken never has a problem with his hair growing back thicker.

Source:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-removal/AN00638

8 Cups of Water A Day

Everyone knows that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day, too bad everyone is wrong. There are a lot of misconceptions about the power of water. Water is said to clean your body of toxins, improve skin tones and drinking a lot helps you feel less hungry. Sorry to bust the water bubble, but water is not as magical as we think. Yes it is important to drink the amount of water you lose everyday, which is normally about a quart and a half. However sticking to 8 cups a day does not make you more or less healthier than the next person.

Source:

http://calorielab.com/news/2006/05/28/8-glasses-of-water-a-diet-urban-legend/

Fingernail/Hair Growth After Death

Some people may believe the creepy statement that fingernails and hair grow after death, a phenomenon referref to as coffin nails and hair. Unfortunately the deceased can not look forward to manicured fingernails or longer and more graceful hair while six feet below. What really happens is the body dehydrates after death and the skin dries up and pulls away from hair and nails. This gives the illusion that a person's fingernails and hair are growing when in reality the skin is shrinking. Bodies can be really creepy after death; some make noise, which is only a natural byproduct of the putrefaction process. These strange events are only part of the decomposition process and should not be confused with life or rebirth. Not even Chucky has longer nails or hair and he has died more times than anyone.

Source:

http://www.snopes.com/science/nailgrow.asp

Sugar= Hyperactivity in Children

It is time for parents to face the fact that children just have a lot of energy. They like to play rough, fight, throw tantrums and most of the time they do not listen. It is not fair to blame their reckless behavior on sugar. Sugar is good for many things and is found in many foods. Parents can not blame sugar for their children’s hyperactivity; that is just a plain myth, and an excuse parents use so they don’t have to give their children candy. Let the child be a child, let them eat candy and play in the mud.
Research has yet to find a positive correlation between sugar and the hyperactivity of children. A reason for the misconception could stem from when and where children eat lots of sweets. At social events like birthday parties, children tend to eat a lot of sweets and are usually more active than usual. They are just excited not drugged from their sugar intake. Sugar can not be responsible for the boy’s behavior in the video below; maybe research should be done on trading cards, and it’s effect on children’s hyperactivity.

Source:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52516

Myths and misconceptionss are around us everywhere we go. People believe many things that are not true. If statements sound good or sound probable, they are perceived as being the truth. Even the smartest professionals fall for the oldest myths in the book. Often times myths are easier to believe than to disprove.