Washington Admitted He Chopped Down
a Cherry Tree
For generations, teachers have been telling students that
George Washington was so virtuous that
he couldn't tell a lie. The author of Washington's
bestselling original biography was not bound by
such moral hang-ups, and took significant artistic license
with the facts. The cherry tree story is
among the biggest whoppers.
Chameleons Change Color for Camouflage
Chameleons have the remarkable ability to change
color, but it's not to blend in with surroundings
while hiding from predators. Some chameleons change
with the temperature or amount of stress
they're experiencing. Others change colors to warn
other lizards of danger. And of course, some
males brighten things up to attract female chameleons.
You Can't End Sentences with Prepositions
The question "Where are you at?" would make
any English teacher cringe — and for good reason.
It's grammatically incorrect to end sentences with
prepositions when the sentence would have the
same meaning without it. But otherwise, it's perfectly
fine. Not only is there no rule anywhere
that says you can't, but sometimes not ending
sentences with prepositions makes writing clumsy
and unnatural ("On what did you step?" vs.
"What did you step on?").
An Apple Fell on Newton's Head
Kids learn in school that scientific pioneer Isaac
Newton had his eureka moment about gravity
when an apple fell on his head. It never happened.
Newton did observe apples falling in his
family's orchard, but there's no evidence one bonked
him on the head and turned on a light bulb.
The Tongue Map
One part of the tongue senses bitter tastes. Another
detects sweetness, and others sense salty and
bitter tastes, according to the tongue map. The tongue
map drawn back in 1901 is a lie. Scientists
now know that the tongue works in concert to detect
all tastes and sensations.
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