Science Versus Myth

Are vampires real? What is an out-of-body experience? Are crop circles proof that aliens exist? HowStuffWorks explores what is real and what is urban legend with this collection of Science Versus Myth articles.

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It may shock you, but there's never been a widespread study conducted on the sanitation or the necessity of the courtesy flush. Can this practice inflict grievous bodily harm on your hindquarters - and the environment? HowStuffWorks weighs in.

By Kate Kershner

Founding father Benjamin Franklin is partially to blame for the legend of the Jersey Devil. Here's the strange story of this folklore beast.

By Mark Mancini

It's 11:11 on your phone's clock. This is what's known as an angel number. Is the universe trying to send you a message?

By Alia Hoyt

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The Tower card is one that people are afraid to draw. But what if the seemingly ominous tarot card is just misunderstood?

By Dominique Michelle Astorino

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.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

Explore Loch Ness Monster tales, sightings and pop culture references. From the Surgeon's Photograph to plesiosaur theories, delve into the enduring mystery.

By Nicole Antonio

Mothman sightings began in West Virginia in the late 60s, but is the elusive creature real or just a cover-up to distract the public from a tragic accident?

By Desiree Bowie

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The Wampus Cat has roots in Cherokee folklore and Appalachian legends, but is the six-legged feline just another mythical creature on a long list of cryptids?

By Desiree Bowie

The Honey Island Swamp Monster is a mysterious cryptid of Louisiana, described as a Bigfoot-like creature with yellow eyes and grayish brown hair.

By Desiree Bowie

The Mongolian Death Worm is a legendary cryptid of Gobi Desert folklore with a deadly reputation. Explore the origins of the venomous sand-dwelling creature.

By Desiree Bowie

Champy, the legendary creature said to reside in Lake Champlain, has spurred over 300 alleged sightings since the 1600s. Explore the famous cryptid's origins.

By Desiree Bowie

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Mokele-Mbembe is a legendary creature of African folklore that is rumored to inhabit Congo's remote swamps. Here's the story of this dinosaur-like cryptid.

By Desiree Bowie

Unlock the mysteries of your sun sign! Explore personality, compatibility, and insights revealed by your zodiac sun sign.

By HowStuffWorks

"Safety coffins" were tricked-out caskets that provided a way for prematurely buried people to escape from 6 feet under, back when this fear was sometimes a frightening reality.

By Dave Roos

Indigo children are either here to save the world or need help with their undiagnosed ADHD, depending on your point of view. We explore this New Age concept in more detail.

By Alia Hoyt

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In the Namib Desert, fairy circles have stumped researchers for decades. Where did they come from? One scientist thinks he's solved the mystery.

By Allison Troutner

Each year, approximately 4,000 people go to the emergency room for injuries caused by accidents involving electrical outlets. While this number seems high, even more people never make it to the hospital. They die.

By Katherine Neer

A cryptid is an animal whose existence is unproven, meaning no corpse or live specimen has ever been documented by the scientific community. But believers still persist.

By Mark Mancini & Nicole Antonio

The "angel hair phenomenon" sounds like a best-selling pasta dish from your local Italian restaurant. Or maybe we're just hungry. But if this phenomenon isn't related to tasty cuisine, what's it all about -- and are angels actually involved?

By Kate Kershner

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Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch, allegedly roams the forests of the Pacific Northwest, yet it has eluded the cryptozoology community for decades.

By Nicole Antonio

The Chupacabra is a vampire-like creature that has been gaining notoriety. Learn about the legend of El Chupacabra and Chupacabra incidents and sightings.

By Katherine Neer & Nicole Antonio

You know the drill: You plunge into darkness and then see a bright light. An angelic figure speaks to you. Why are people's near-death experiences so similar?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Skinwalkers blur the line between human and beast. They're shape-shifting magical beings that belong to the Navajo spirit world. But how does one become a skinwalker?

By Robert Lamb & Desiree Bowie

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Would you like to be able to leave your body at will and travel to other countries and planets? Astral projection promises you can do that. But what does science say about this?

By Nathan Chandler