There are a lot of misconceptions out there. Whether it’s about the world, history, or science, people love to believe things that just aren’t true. In this blog post, we will debunk the top 10 most common misconceptions that people tend to believe but actually aren’t true at all. Are you ready to have your mind blown?
1. The Great Wall of China can be seen from space
We’ve all heard this one at some point, and probably believed it at the time. It’s often said that because the Great Wall of China is so big and long, it must be visible from space. However, this is not quite the case. Even in low-Earth orbit, astronauts have only been able to view and photograph the wall with the generous assistance of a magnifying lens.
2. Escorts are the same as prostitutes
While the two services may seem similar at first glance, they are actually quite different. Prostitutes can be said to provide sexual services in exchange for money – a very cut and dried transaction. But what is an escort? Unlike prostitution which is purely centered around sexual services, escorting is very much about companionship – having a refined and sophisticated lady to accompany you on business and social events. At times, escorts may also provide sexual services at their discretion.
3. Mount Everest is the world’s tallest mountain
This one is actually false, depending on how you measure it. Mount Everest is the world’s tallest mountain in terms of height above sea level. However, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the world’s tallest mountain when measured from base to summit. Mauna Kea extends about 4,207m above sea level and 6,000m below sea level to the ocean floor.
4. Dogs age 7 years for every human year
It’s often said that one human year is equivalent to seven dog years. However, recent research has shown that this claim may be more a rule-of-thumb than a hardcore fact. One study showed that puppies age faster than older kanines, throwing the whole 1-to-7 ratio out the window. In fact, more accurate measures showed that an 8-week old pup was roughly the same as a 9-month old baby, and a 6-year old mutt is on par with a 60 year old senior.
5. Coffee is made from beans
This may come as a massive shock to many (especially considering that coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world), but the thing is – coffee beans aren’t actually beans. Coffee ‘beans’ are, as a matter of fact, seeds (or pits) from fruit that grows on trees.
6. Different regions of your tongue detect certain tastes
Thanks to a bit of scientific miscommunication during the mid-20th century involving an oversimplified graphic of a tongue being published in numerous science textbooks, the falsehood that the human tongue has different sections dedicated to picking up different tastes has been erroneously repeated for decades. But this isn’t the case at all. All tastes can be sensed from all regions of the tongue, it’s just that some parts are more sensitive to particular taste sensations.
The list goes on
While we’ve covered 6 of the biggest common misconceptions here, make no mistake there are still plenty more false beliefs that could have made the list!
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