Mark Twain famously said, "Don't let school interfere
with your education." Although the famed
author who quit school at age 12 had more meanings in mind
than calling out specific educational untruths, it turns out plenty of the "facts"
learned in school are actually myths, propaganda, misinformation, or downright lies.
Touching Frogs or Toads Gives You Warts
You should definitely avoid touching frogs or toads,
some of which secrete powerful toxins from
their skin. But if the poison doesn't kill you, you're
not going to have to worry about getting warts.
In fact, the bumps that cover some frogs and toads
aren't warts at all, and even if they were, warts
can only be caused by a human virus.
The Great Wall of China Is Visible From Space
Since it's the same color, texture and made from the
same materials as the surrounding landscape,
the Great Wall of China is nearly impossible to see
with the unaided eye in low-Earth orbit. It is
absolutely not visible from the moon, as many kids
were taught in school. A 2004 image from the
International Space Station might appear to show a
tiny segment of the world's longest defensive
fortification, but even Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei
confirmed he couldn't see it while in orbit.
Elephants Have Graveyards
There is a common schoolhouse misconception that old
elephants nearing death instinctively
wander away from the herd to meet their end at the
same site that their ancestors went to die.
According to the BBC, "elephants clearly show
interest in the remains of the dead," but there is
no instinctive homing device that draws them toward
collective staging areas for death, or
elephant graveyards — and also, elephants are not
afraid of mice.
In Australia, Water Swirls Down Drains in Reverse
It's likely you were told growing up that in
Australia, water runs down sink, toilet and bathtub
drains in the opposite direction — and even that
storms swirl in reverse — because Coriolis forces
tug in the opposite direction on different sides of
the Earth. Coriolis forces are real, but they apply
only on a scale much larger than toilets or even
hurricanes can produce. According to a tweet
from superstar astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson,
"toilet bowls drain however they're designed
to circulate water. It's irrelevant whether you live
above or below the equator."
George Washington Sported Wooden Dentures
When he gave his first inaugural address in 1789,
George Washington had just one remaining
natural tooth. It is a fact he wore a series of
dentures, some made from ivory, gold, and even lead.
The common schoolhouse myth that the first president
wore wooden teeth, however, is exactly
that — a myth.
