7 Daily Myths You Probably Still Believe

First of all, I must ask you whether you can roll your tongue. Can you? Between 65 and 81 percent of people on the planet can roll their tongue. Most of us think that this is a genetic ability but it’s not true. Everyone can master a certain group of muscles in a tongue, but of course, children are more likely to become tongue rollers. It means that tongue rolling ability is not genetic but learned behavior.

No one really knows where the 7:1 myth comes from. By the way, this myth has changed over time. A 13th-century source puts it at 9:1 and an 18th-century naturalist named Georges Buffon put it closer to 10:1. However, the truth is that the lifespan of dogs can’t be compared to humans. Some breeds live longer than others. It means that we can’t find a universal relationship.

What do you imagine when you think of the Vikings? As for me, they are strong Scandinavian men with horned helmets on their heads. However, no archaeological find has proved that the Vikings were fans of this fashion. Moreover, as warriors, they probably thought a lot about their ammunition, large and heavy horns on helmets would have caused lots of trouble on the battlefield. In reality, these helmets were used for rituals only, not for fights.

No one really knows exactly where this rumor came from, but some people think the bumps that toads have on their skin are contagious. There are many different types of warts, around fifty or so, but none of them are caused by toads. They are instead caused by the human papillomavirus (or HPV), which can result in the multiplication of cells on the outside of your skin, creating a bump. Toads don’t spread this virus.

The 10 percent of the brain myth is a widely perpetuated urban legend that most or all humans only use 10 percent (or some other small percentage) of their brains. It has been misattributed to many people, including Albert Einstein. Though it may seem exciting to think that there are entire portions of our brains that we have yet to explore, the simple truth is that our brains were designed to be efficient and good at what they do.
The myth was even "busted" on a 27 October 2010 episode of “MythBusters”. The hosts used magnetoencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brain of someone attempting a complicated mental task, and found that over 10%, as much as 35%, was used during the course of their test.

The old saying that 'lightning never strikes the same place twice' is another daily myth. Lightning can strike any location more than once. Tall trees and buildings are especially vulnerable and are regularly hit by these electrostatic discharges. By the way, Chicago's three tallest skyscrapers were struck by lightning 17 times in one night. It is therefore obvious that no one can tell a lightning where to strike.

How do you feel about that loud popping noise made when you crack your knuckles? It can be satisfying to some and incredibly irritating to others. However, most of these people are sure that cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis when you get older. So, it’s a myth. Scientists have proven that there are no adverse effects of this habit, though it may annoy someone who hears it. Feel free to crack away!