Everyday Myths
There are certain aspects of everyday science that we think of as fact, but in reality may be pure urban legend. In this section, you can learn about some of the everyday science myths you may encounter.
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Rainy, dreary, Seattle, right? Everyone says it's the rainiest city in the United States. However, Seattleites are keeping a secret from you. Find out if their rainy reputation is real - or if the rumor's all wet.
Summertime fashion - light in weight and light in color. Are these pastel colors a designer's choice? Or do light colors actually keep you cooler, as some say? Read to find out if you should ditch the goth wardrobe this summer.
Of all the cosmetic problems to worry about waking up to - dark under-eye circles, a blemish on your nose, new stubble on your chin - a headful of white hair ranks pretty low on your list. Should you be more concerned?
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Whether in "King Kong," "Journey to the Center of the Earth" or "The Lost World," humankind has long held out hope of discovering a secret land filled with prehistoric beasts. But is that even possible? Are dinosaurs still alive?
When reeling off dubious facts (like lemmings plunging off cliffs en masse), there's no better retort to a skeptical audience than calmly explaining that it's not just true - it's science...right?
By Kate Kershner & Sascha Bos
CERN is a European research organization dedicated to the study of very tiny particles. Could they discover time travel?
Some malarkey is so believable that it's turned many of us into inadvertent purveyors of hogwash. What are 10 bits of malarkey that tend to slip through the "hey, wait a minute" filter?
By Julia Layton
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Leap years only come around once every four years. So, why are they so rare and who decided we need them anyway?
Humans are awesome and we have superpowers of our own. But could a greedy world of "supervillains" twist them against us?
By Diana Brown
If you think chainsaws were first invented to take down a swath of trees, think again. The real story is much more cringe-worthy and involves cutting bones during childbirth.
We've yet to find intelligent life outside of planet Earth. But instead of space, should we be looking right here but in other dimensions?
By Diana Brown
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A surprising percentage of Americans believe that Big Pharma is hiding the cure for cancer because there's a lot of money to be made treating the disease. Experts explain why this isn't true.
By Dave Roos
From plane crashes and deaths to sports superstitions and hexagrams, many people believe that the number 23 possesses magical properties.
You've heard this bit of hair care advice before, but is it true?
Whether you call it a contrast shower, a Scottish shower or a James Bond shower, it's guaranteed to wake you up. Here's why people are trying it.
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We all eat things we probably shouldn't, and that's OK from time to time. But there are some foods that are such nutrition bombs that even occasional indulgence isn't exactly wise.
Thousands of years ago, the Babylonians created the zodiac and dropped a constellation when it didn't quite fit into their schematic. Its name? Ophiuchus. Should it be part of our horoscope?
A bunch of Yale physicists decided to give Schrodinger's cat not one but two boxes. And that, strangely enough, could eventually prove handy for quantum computing.
By Julia Layton
CERN's work has been groundbreaking to say the least, but conspiracy theories run rampant about the potential disasters it could cause, too.
By Diana Brown
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You know you can't believe everything you see or hear. But between the misinformation on the Internet and our natural propensity to believe what we're told, it can be hard to tell fact from fiction. Here are 10 ways to avoid being conned.
Einstein showed us a mind-blowing way the universe works, while Max Planck and his gang showed us how particles on the atomic and subatomic levels work. But one doesn't explain the other. So there must be a larger theory encompassing them ... or not?