In Greek Mythology, Redheads Turn into Vampires When They Die
Myth: redheads turn into vampires when they die. In real life, they are Vampires from birth. *note: My wife is a redhead. What causes red hair.
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TNT and Dynamite are Not the Same Thing
Myth: TNT and Dynamite are the same thing. In fact, TNT and dynamite are not the same thing at all, contrary to what the Road Runner and Wiley coyote would have you believe. Dynamite doesn’t actually contain TNT, but rather is comprised of an absorbent mixture soaked in nitroglycerin, which is extremely sensitive to shock, unlike TNT; this is then […]
Read moreThe Last Period of the “S.O.S” Brand was Not Left Off Due to an Error in the Trademark Submission
Myth: the last period of the “S.O.S” brand was left off due to an error in the trademark submission. In fact, they meant to leave it off because “S.O.S.” could not be trademarked thanks to the SOS distress signal often being written as “S.O.S.”, even though it’s not actually an acronym. By leaving the last period off, it made the […]
Read moreNative Americans Had Alcohol Before Europeans Arrived
Myth: Native Americans were first introduced to “firewater” by Europeans. In fact, Native American tribes had numerous different types of alcoholic beverages that they brewed long before the “white man” came to the Americas. Sources and the Origin of the Word “Booze”
Read moreHoney Bees Actually Do Sleep
Myth: Honey Bees Don’t Sleep. Honey Bees do in fact sleep, though there is always significant activity in the hive 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Research done in 1988 shows that, occasionally, Honey Bees will take rest and become relaxed, their body temperature drops, and they become unresponsive. Their sleep is not exactly like human sleep, but […]
Read moreThe Pyramids of Giza were Likely Not Built by Slaves
Myth: slaves likely built the pyramids of Giza. In fact, it is no longer thought that the pyramids of Giza were built by slaves. Archeological evidence shows that the worker’s town comprised of whole families, not just men as would have been the case if they were slaves. Further, the people were extremely well taken care of including the highest […]
Read moreSearing Meat Does Not “Seal in the Juices”
Myth: Searing meat seals the juices in. In fact, water in seared meat evaporates at either the same rate or higher, in some cases, than non-seared meat. What searing does do is play a role in browning, which can affect the flavor. But, in this case, the browning is caused by caramelization of sugars combined with a chemical reaction with […]
Read moreHow Dick Came to be Short for Richard
Today I found out why Dick is short for Richard. The name Richard is thought by most etymologists to derive from the Proto-Germanic ‘Rikharthu’, meaning more or less “hard ruler” (‘Rik-‘ meaning ‘ruler’ and ‘-harthu’ meaning ‘hard’). This was adopted into Old High German as ‘Ricohard’, and from there to Old French, then Old English as ‘Richeard’, and today as […]
Read moreVelcro was Not Invented by NASA for the Space Program
Myth: Velcro was invented by NASA for the space program. In fact, Velcro was already commercially available before being used by NASA. It did receive a huge boost in popularity after being used by NASA on parts of astronaut’s space suits as well as used to allow astronaut’s to store things along the walls of their space craft. Because of […]
Read moreA Cocoon and a Chrysalis are Not the Same Thing
Myth: a cocoon and a chrysalis are the same thing. In fact, the chrysalis is a butterfly pupa, which is a hard skin which appears after the caterpillar’s final shedding of its skin when it’s attached to a leaf via a silk pad spun by the caterpillar. A cocoon is just a constructed silk casing used by moths and certain […]
Read moreSome Women Do Have Adam’s Apples
Myth: Women Don’t Have Adam’s Apples. In fact, it’s actually not that terribly uncommon if you were to look close enough to most women’s throats, though “man sized” Adam’s Apples are somewhat rare in women. The “Adam’s Apple” is really just an enlarged larnyx which becomes big enough to be visible in your neck. For those of you who don’t […]
Read moreBen and Jerry, From Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, are Not a Couple
Myth: Ben and Jerry, from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, are a couple. In fact, Jerry was dating his eventual wife when Ben and Jerry were roommates. He also left the company for a few years to help his future wife, Elizabeth, pursue her Ph.D. in psychology. The rumor that Ben and Jerry are gay received a huge boost when […]
Read moreWhy are Grapes Bad for Dogs?
Gage asks: Why are grapes bad for dogs? Eating a significant quantity of grapes (32 g of grapes per kg of dog) can potentially be fatal to dogs, though not to all dogs. About 2/3 of dogs are unaffected by grapes according to a study done by the Animal Poison Control Center. Dried grapes (a.k.a. raisins) seem to be just […]
Read moreWhat is a Kudo, as in “Kudos to You”?
Donna asks: What is a “kudo”, exactly? First, it should be noted that “kudos” is not the plural form of “kudo”, so a “kudo” was once technically nothing. However, because so many people in the last century, mainly in the United States, have thought kudos was plural, in some dictionaries today “kudo” is considered a valid word meaning the same […]
Read moreJohn F. Kennedy’s Statement “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” was Not Interpreted as “I am a Jelly-Filled Doughnut”
Myth: John F. Kennedy blundered in one of his most famous speeches, saying in German “I am a jelly-filled doughnut” instead of what he meant (in the figurative sense) “I am a person from Berlin”. As German professor Reinhold Aman stated about this: “Ich bin ein Berliner means ‘I am a Berliner’ or ‘a male person/native of Berlin’ and absolutely […]
Read moreThe Actress Who Played TV’s “Blossom” Now Has a PhD in Neuroscience
Today I found out the actress who played TV’s “Blossom” has a PhD in Neuroscience. After starring in the TV show Blossom, Mayim Bialik decided to go to college rather than continue her acting career full time at that point. She was accepted to both Harvard and Yale, but decided to stay closer to home and go to UCLA where […]
Read more10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled
Embed This Image On Your Site: [Source: Today I Found Out] *Check Out Part Two in This Infographic Series Here
Read moreIn High School, MLB Star Justin Verlander Traded a Small Percentage of His Eventual $3.12 Million Signing Bonus for a Chocolate Milk
Today I found out that in High School, Major League Baseball star pitcher Justin Verlander traded a small percentage of his eventual $3.12 million signing bonus for a 50 cent chocolate milk. This happened while the future MLB superstar was in the 10th grade at Goochland High School in Virginia. Short 50 cents needed for a chocolate milk that day, […]
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