School Facts That Flunked the Test of Time

Bright Side

Did you know that some stuff we learned in school isn't exactly on point? Like, remember when they told us you could drink water from a cactus in a survival situation? Turns out, that's more of a Hollywood thing than reality - most cacti have toxic fluids that can make you sick. And what about Pluto being the ninth planet? Nope, it got downgraded to a "dwarf planet" back in 2006. Oh, and don't get me started on how they used to teach that dinosaurs were cold-blooded - turns out, some of them might've been warm-blooded like modern birds! It's wild how science keeps evolving and uncovering new truths.  #brightside   Animation is created by Bright Side.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Listen to Bright Side on:  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/idhttps-podcasts-apple-com-podcast-bright-side/id1554898078 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brightside/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official/ Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Snapchat - https://www.snapchat.com/p/c6a1e38a-bff1-4a40-9731-2c8234ccb19f/1866144599336960  Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me

Transcript

00:00You're on a desert safari, but things don't go as planned.

00:05Now you've run out of water in one of the hottest and driest places on the planet.

00:11You might think you can get some water from a cactus.

00:13But sorry, that's just a myth.

00:16In fact, most cactuses have protective chemicals inside them that can make you sick if you

00:21try to eat them.

00:22There are only a couple of exceptions.

00:24The prickly pear and one type of barrel cactus called the fishhook barrel cactus have milder

00:29chemicals and could give you some water if you really needed it.

00:34If you believe you can escape an alligator if you run in a zigzag, well, I need to disappoint

00:39you.

00:40This isn't true either.

00:41Just run as fast as you can.

00:44Alligators rarely chase humans on land.

00:47They prefer to ambush their prey in the water, where they are faster and more agile.

00:52After all, they can swim at 10 miles per hour.

00:55So the chance of an alligator chasing a human on land is very low.

00:59This zigzag-running advice is more of a joke than a serious survival strategy.

01:06Don't believe the myth claiming you can survive a wild animal attack if you pretend to not

01:11be alive.

01:12Okay, in the animal kingdom, playing dead is a common defense tactic.

01:17Some animals even excrete certain odors to enhance the illusion and deter predators.

01:22Yet for humans, that's different.

01:25An investigation into 14 different types of animals in North America revealed that, in

01:30most situations, it's crucial to stay alert and knowledgeable to be able to take the right

01:35actions in time.

01:37The next popular, but false, idea is that polar bears hide their noses with their paws

01:42while hunting.

01:43People think they do it because their black noses are easy to see against the ice while

01:48their fur blends in.

01:49However, experts have spent years using telescopes to watch polar bears hunting seals in the

01:55Arctic.

01:56They've observed them for a long time, even up to 24 hours, and have never seen them cover

02:01their noses like that.

02:03Unless they have to sneeze.

02:05Just joking.

02:09Another belief is that running downhill will save you from a bear.

02:13This is based on the idea that their shorter front legs struggle to run downhill.

02:18In reality, bears are incredibly fast runners, capable of reaching speeds of over 37 mph,

02:25and they can sprint downhill just as easily as uphill.

02:28So you'll need another strategy.

02:31The myth that vehicle headrests are designed to be detachable and sharp to break windows

02:35is false.

02:37The primary function of a headrest is to prevent neck damage in a crash.

02:42Research and documents about the headrest design don't mention any feature for breaking

02:46windows.

02:47Thus, not all vehicles have removable headrests.

02:50And those that are detachable are not necessarily sharp.

02:57Touching a baby bird will make its parents abandon it.

03:00Actually, birds have a limited sense of smell, so they're unlikely to detect human scent

03:05on their babies.

03:06This misconception often leads people to leave fledgling birds alone, thinking they're helping.

03:11But in reality, these young birds might need assistance.

03:15But also, it's common for young birds to leave the nest before they can fly well, then

03:19their parents usually to continue to feed them on the ground.

03:23If you find a baby bird that has fallen out of its nest, it's best to leave it alone as

03:28the parents are likely nearby and will continue to care for it.

03:33The widespread belief that humans use only 10% of their brains is a myth too.

03:38Advanced neuroimaging tools like PET scans show that the entire brain is active, even

03:43during sleep.

03:45These scans reveal continuous activity across the brain, involved in functions such as regulating,

03:51interpreting, and acting.

03:53This debunks the idea that large parts of the brain remain inactive.

04:01The myth that shaving body hair makes it grow back thicker and darker is false.

04:07When you shave facial or body hair, it doesn't change its thickness, color, or rate of growth.

04:12Shaving just leaves hairs with blunt tips.

04:15These newly cut blunt tips might feel coarser or stubbier as the hair grows out.

04:21During this phase, the hair may seem more noticeable and could appear darker or thicker.

04:26But this is just a temporary effect, not an actual change in the properties of your body

04:31hair.

04:33The tall tale that daddy long legs are the world's most venomous spiders is just a bit

04:38of an overstatement.

04:39These critters aren't even true spiders.

04:42They have been wrongly accused of packing a dangerous venomous bunch.

04:46In fact, they don't have venom glands at all, and their tiny fangs can't even break human

04:51skin.

04:52It seems they got their fearsome reputation more from their spindly appearance and as

04:56a case of mistaken identity.

05:02The belief that everyone in medieval times kicked a bucket in their 30s is way off.

05:07Medieval life expectancy is just an average.

05:10Back then, a lot of people didn't make it past childhood due to things like rampant

05:14infant mortality and risky childbirth.

05:17But if you went through those early life hurdles and hit your 20s, you had a decent shot at

05:21seeing your 50s or even 70s.

05:24Most of our medieval life expectancy data comes from noble dudes, who often ended up

05:29as battlefield statistics, skewing the numbers.

05:34Soap is often seen as the arch-nemesis of cast-iron cookware, but let's bust that

05:38myth with a little kitchen science.

05:41The fear is that soap will take away the precious seasoning that makes cast-iron pans non-stick

05:46and awesome.

05:48Modern soaps are much gentler than those old lye-heavy ones that started this whole non-soap-on-cast-iron

05:53rule.

05:54These soaps won't harm your pan's seasoning, especially if it's well-established.

06:04The old wait-an-hour-after-eating-before-you-swim rule is more of a misconception than a medical

06:09must.

06:11The idea was that swimming right after a big meal could lead to cramps.

06:15But in reality, it's not a hard rule.

06:18Sure, your body diverts blood to your stomach for better digestion, which could, theoretically,

06:24save less for your muscles, increasing the risk of cramps.

06:27But for most people, a little light post-snack swimming isn't a recipe for disaster.

06:34Bundling up because you think cold weather causes colds?

06:37Well, it's not exactly the air that's to blame.

06:40It's true that we often start sniffling when the temperature drops, but it's not

06:44the cold itself doing the deed.

06:46The real culprits are the viruses that cause colds, which just happen to love those lower

06:52temperatures.

06:53So while chilly weather provides a cozy playground for these germs, catching a cold still requires

06:58catching the virus.

07:00In other words, it's not the frosty weather, but the frosty-weather-loving viruses that

07:05you need to watch out for.

07:07Oh look, it's that time again when a Facebook privacy hoax makes the rounds, convincing

07:14people that a simple copy-paste can magically protect their data.

07:18Yes, the classic I-do-not-give-Facebook-permission spiel is back, charming users into thinking

07:25this status update is a legally binding shield against privacy breaches.

07:29Spoiler alert, it's not.

07:32These posts claim that declaring sovereignty over your personal content on your timeline

07:36will stop Facebook from using your photos, information, and messages.

07:40Facebook's actual policies and user agreements, which everyone agreed to by signing up, still

07:46hold the real power.

07:51Shaving a double-coated dog is okay?

07:53No, it's a big no-no, with some lasting downsides.

07:57These dogs have a soft undercoat and a tougher topcoat.

08:02Shaving messes up their growth balance, leading to a mismatched and not-so-pretty coat.

08:06Plus, there's only a 50-50 chance the double coat will return to its former glory, if at

08:12all.

08:13According to a popular belief, shaving doesn't cool them down.

08:16It actually wrecks the coat's natural air circulation system.

08:20Other risks include matting, sunburn, and impaired temperature regulation.

08:25The coat might never look or feel the same again.

08:28Go for a de-shedding treatment.

08:30It removes excess undercoat, helps your dog stay cool, and keeps the coat in top shape

08:35– all without the drama of a full shave.

08:40It's time to look at common misconceptions and myths associated with treating frostbite.

08:45Rubbing frostbitten skin cannot help.

08:48It can actually worsen the condition and lead to tissue damage.

08:51The idea that hot water should be used for re-warming the affected areas is wrong, too.

08:56Use lukewarm water instead to avoid burns.

09:03That's it for today, so hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like

09:08and share it with your friends.

09:09Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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