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MNN.COM Lifestyle Arts & Culture x 10 false facts most people think are true Kids, it's okay to go out in the cold with wet hair, after all.

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Photo: ollyy/Shutterstock Up until the late 16th century, everyone "knew" that the sun and planets revolved around the Earth. Up until the late 19th century, epidemic illnesses such as cholera and the plague were "known" to be caused by a poisonous mist filled with particles from rotting things. Up until the early 20th century, the most common procedure performed by surgeons for thousands of years was bloodletting, because we "knew" that blood drained from the body balanced the whacky humors responsible for poor health. Well alrighty then. But as misinformed as all that may sound now, our predecessors believed these "facts" with the same certainty that we believe that the Earth is round and hot fudge sundaes make us fat. Living in a time of such dazzling science and technology, we stand firmly behind our beliefs even if so much of what we think we know to be correct is actually wrong. Here are some of the more common misconceptions, ideas that may have started as wives' tales or that came from a faulty study that was later proven wrong. Whatever the case may be, these facts are false. 1. Going out in the cold with a wet head will make you sick "Put a hat on or youll catch your death of a cold," screeches every micromanaging momma as her charges march off into the winter wonderland. But in numerous studies addressing the topic,

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people who are chilled are no more likely to get sick than those who were not. And a wet or dry head makes no difference. (But these tips can help you stop a cold before it starts.) 2. Vikings wore horned helmets Is there anything more "Viking warrior" than a helmet fitted with horns? Nary a portrayal shows the seafaring Norse pirates without the iconic headgear. Alas, horned hats were not worn by the warriors. Although the style did exist in the region, they were only used for early ceremonial purposes and had largely faded out by the time of the Vikings. Several major misidentifications got the myth rolling, and by the time costume designers for Wagners "Der Ring des Nibelungen" put horned helmets on the singers in the late 19th century, there was no going back. 3. Sugar makes kids go bonkers The Journal of the American Medical Association published a review of 23 studies on the subject of kids and sugar, the conclusion: Sugar doesnt affect behavior. And it's possible that it is the idea itself that is so ingrained as fact that it affects our perception. Case in point: In one study mothers were told that their sons had consumed a drink with a high sugar content. Although the boys had actually consumed sugar-free drinks, the mothers reported significantly higher levels of hyperactive behavior. That said, some scientists warn that sugar can make you dumb. 4. You lose most of your body heat through your head Everyone knows that you lose somewhere around 98 percent of your body heat through your head, which is why you have to wear a hat in the cold. Except that you dont. As reported in The New York Times and elsewhere, the amount of heat released by any part of the body depends mostly on the surface area on a cold day you would lose more heat through an exposed leg or arm than a bare head. 5. You will get arthritis from cracking your knuckles It seems reasonable, but it's not true either. You will not get arthritis from cracking your knuckles. There is no evidence of such an association, and in limited studies performed there was no change in occurrence of arthritis between "habitual knuckle crackers" and "non crackers." There have been several reports in medical literature that have linked knuckle cracking with injury of the ligaments surrounding the joint or dislocation of the tendons, but not arthritis. 6. Napoleon was short Napoleon's height was once commonly given as 5 feet 2 inches, but many historians have now given him extra height. He was 5 feet 2 inches using French units, but when converted into Imperial units, the kind we are accustomed to, he measured almost 5 feet 7 inches inches tall which was actually slightly taller than average for a man in France at the time. 7. You have to stretch before exercise Stretching before exercise is the main way to improve performance and avoid injury, everyone stretches but researchers have been finding that it actually slows you down. Experts reveal that stretching before a run can result in a 5 percent reduction of efficiency; meanwhile, Italian

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researchers studying cyclists confirmed that stretching is counterproductive. Furthermore, there has never been sufficient scientific evidence that pre-exercise stretching reduces injury risk. 8. Cholesterol in eggs is bad for the heart The perceived association between dietary cholesterol and risk for coronary heart disease stems from dietary recommendations proposed in the 1960s that had little scientific evidence, other than the known association between saturated fat and cholesterol and animal studies where cholesterol was fed in amounts far exceeding normal intakes. Since then, study after study has found that dietary cholesterol (the cholesterol found in food) does not negatively raise your bodys cholesterol. It is the consumption of saturated fat that is the demon here. So eat eggs, dont eat steak. 9. Dogs age at seven years per one human year Your 3-year-old dog is 21 years old in human years, right? Not according to experts. The general consensus is that dogs mature faster than humans, reaching the equivalent of 21 years in only two, and then aging slows down to more like four human years per year. "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millans site recommends this way to calculate your dogs human-age equivalent: Subtract two from the age, multiply that by four and add 21. 10. George Washington had wooden teeth Our first president starting losing his teeth in his 20s, but contrary to popular belief, his dentures were not made of wood. Although built-in toothpicks would have been handy, Washington had four sets of dentures that were made from gold, hippopotamus ivory, lead, and human and animal teeth (horse and donkey teeth were common components in the day). Also of note: The dentures had bolts to hold them together and springs to help them open, all the better to eat one of his favorite treats, Mary Washington's seriously delicious gingerbread. Related story on MNN: Top 10 science study buzzkills MNN tease photo of Viking: Shutterstock

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Comments: 104 Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment. Log in or create an account AnnaApr 05 2013 at 11:29 AM

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I'm glad to find that my dog is apparently 69 in human years, not 98! Like (3 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

Sarah RodgersMar 29 2013 at 11:43 AM That is a really interesting fact about stretching before exercising. Everybody knows stretching warms up the muscles. But the interesting fact, all the programs I looked up recently (Insanity, Jill exercises online, etc.) do not do that. That's true, they start pushing up and stretch just after. Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

emb1234800Mar 25 2013 at 7:55 PM Interesting bit about the Vikings! It changes my whole image of them Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

JakeMar 28 2013 at 2:36 AM I know right I learned it is social studies and now I will never look at skyrim the same again so misleading and so disapointing

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Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

LindseyMar 25 2013 at 1:17 PM Good thing I never bother stretching... Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

JoeMar 11 2013 at 12:34 PM I can't believe "Thomas Edison invented the light bulb" isn't in here. Its one of the biggest humdingers in our culture. Like (16 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

GuestMar 09 2013 at 1:56 PM Stretching cold muscles can lead to them pulls or tears, which is why an athlete will always warm up before exercise, so that the muscles warm up. I am a qualified swimming coach, so would like to think I know what I'm talking about, unlike some on here!!! Like (13 Likes) |

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JPMar 08 2013 at 9:17 PM Please, change the title! No such thing as a "false" fact!! Like (18 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

GuestMar 01 2013 at 4:00 PM My mom always said "the wet head is dead" I believe her. Like (8 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

James BondApr 01 2013 at 4:45 PM Re # 4 : The heat loss by the head is much greater than an arm or leg. Look at thermal imaging of the body. The head has the most blood; the arms and legs have little blood. Surface area is meaningless. Covering the neck and head saves body heat. Keep those areas covered. The writer is dead wrong on not covering the head. Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments

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GuestMar 01 2013 at 2:53 PM Stretching however is critically importatnt to avoid injury and alow a larger functuonal range of motion. The key is to mix it in throughout your day and don't do aggressive stretching right before a competition Like (10 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

Kate JohnsonMar 01 2013 at 4:09 PM I saw the "You don't have to stretch" bit on another site...what was funny was that in their list, a few bullet points later, they said that you MUST stretch before running! I wonder if whoever "wrote" their list actually did any research, or just lifted it whole from someone else! Like (8 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

BrianFeb 27 2013 at 4:28 PM Saturated fat is not the villain that the diet dictocrates say it is either. Like (14 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

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VeeFeb 27 2013 at 4:21 PM I have to disagree with the wet head one regardless of studies. If I go to sleep with wet hair after a shower I ALWAYS wake up with a head cold ... every time. Of course, now I try to avoid doing it, but if I have wet hair and need to sleep, I put on a beanie which allows the heat from the head to keep my head warm and I dont get a cold. Sometimes studies do not really work in all situations. Like (11 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

Kate JohnsonFeb 28 2013 at 3:56 PM Your wet head didn't cause your cold. It may have contributed to a weakened immune system, but having a wet head does NOT create a virus. The same as with getting cold outside. Having a weakened immune system can make it easier to get sick because they can't fight off viruses as well as a healthy immune system, which is why every year when the news advises that children, the elderly, diabetics and folks in poor health should get a flu shot- because those people are less able to fight off infections .... More Like (17 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

eurotravellerFeb 28 2013 at 8:31 AM Colds are bacteria or the like, we pass colds between ourselves, wet hair and feeling chilly do not create colds, DO THEY ?? Like (5 Likes) |

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DishonestFeb 25 2013 at 11:01 AM Number 1 & 7 are intellectually dishonest. Yes having a wet head in and of itself doesn't cause more colds, but having a wet hed and going from warm to cold to warm does increase one's chance of catching a cold. As for the stretching, it is true that stretching too much is bad, and it does effect fast twitch fibers, but to say that stretching in and of itself is bad is just dishonest and stupid. Yes stretching for long periods of time before an event is bad, but spending time stretching .... More Like (9 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

How?Feb 26 2013 at 11:43 PM How would going from warm to cold increase one's chance of catching a cold, isn't a cold a virus or bacteria? You can't simply say it is not true without providing evidence. Like (9 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

GuestFeb 22 2013 at 8:32 AM all true Like (4 Likes) |

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wait_a_minute_manFeb 20 2013 at 10:17 AM If you can Report a post... how do I report this article? The church kept Europe ignorant by centuries. Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

KevlarFeb 19 2013 at 1:28 PM What is a false fact? A lot of information in this article, i suppose... Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

AnnoFeb 18 2013 at 7:36 AM What is this article all about... I stop at nr. 1. Wet head? You mean wrt hair? It's not a factor of getting sick, but it sure helps you get the flu faster than when you dry your darn hair... please stop writing!!! Like (9 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

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How?Feb 27 2013 at 12:02 AM Get the flu faster?? How do get the flu faster? It is a virus, travelling through the airborne particles (coughing, sneezing etc) once you have "caught" it you will be sick with it and then you build an immunity to it and you can't catch that strain again(until it mutates)...I am however sure it make you uncomfortable when you are sick. Like (8 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

Josh RussellFeb 17 2013 at 10:59 AM "Up until the late 16th century, everyone "knew" that the sun and planets revolved around the Earth" This is also fictional. The science existed long before then to prove otherwise. Think it was the Greeks but it may have been even longer before that. The church may have claimed still at this point that the universe wasn't heliocentric but Copernicus was far from the first person to disagree. Like (7 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

fadedtrendsFeb 13 2013 at 6:03 AM @David womack, are you serious you think 3 candy bars will make kids hyper? I will agree on limiting sweets but not because of hyperactivity, I work with kids aged 6 through 14 in a residential setting and have seen the majority eat more than 3 candy bars in a sitting and not bounce off the walls, 10 bored 8 year olds in a room are going to flip out more than 10, 8 year

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olds who have just consumed 3 candy bars and something to do, And no David wet hair doesnt cause colds Like (5 Likes) | Log in or register to post comments Report This Post

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