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Science and the Urban Legend - Part II
By Linda | March 25, 2008
For your entertainment and edification, here are five more persistent yet patently false urban legends…
The Great Wall of China as seen from space by the ESA Proba Satellite
The Legend - The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from the moon.
The Truth - From a low Earth orbit (160 to 350 miles out) , the Great Wall of China is barely discernible. Many other smaller man-made structures such as highways, airports and bridges are easier to spot, mainly because the construction materials of the Great Wall blend into the surrounding landscape. From the Moon, 237,000 miles away, no man-made objects are visible. It is probable that this false belief was inspired by images produced through satellite technology which does allow us to view the Great Wall (and almost everything else) from space.
The Legend- The average person swallows eight spiders per year.
The Truth- This widely quoted “fact” is not only false - It was actually invented as an example of the absurd things people will believe simply because they come across them on the internet! It was part of a list of false facts created by columnist Lisa Holst for a 1993 PC Professional article about the viral spread of misinformation on the web. Very ironic!
The Legend - Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
The Truth - The growth of hair and nails ceases after death, as does all tissue growth. Postmortem tissue dehydration causes the skin surrounding the hair and nails to shrink, giving the illusion of growth.
The Legend - A penny paced on a railroad track will derail a train.
The Truth - Although larger objects (such as bricks) have caused derailments, there is no record of a penny ever having done so. That is not to say that the practice of laying pennies on railroad tracks is not dangerous. It is an excellent way to get struck by a train and the penny can be shot from under the train’s wheels at incredible velocity, turning it into a deadly projectile.
The Legend - The Coriolis force determines which direction water spirals down drains and toilets in different hemispheres.
The Truth- The twisting effect of the Coriolis force becomes measurable only over very great distances, affecting the movements of large air masses and storm systems. It is Coriolis deflection that sets cyclonic systems turning counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. In a small space (such as your bathroom) the cumulative effect is so small that it plays no role in determining which direction water spirals down your sink or toilet.
Want to see more fatally flawed facts? Click here!
The “Shoppie Awards” celebrate the most Photoshopped images ever to circulate on the web masquerading as real photographs. See my picks HERE
Will your great great great great grandchildren have a fifth toe? Will they have hair?? Find out HERE!
Topics: Health & the Human Body, Nature, Science Factoids, The Cosmos |
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March 25th, 2008 at 12:39 am
[…] Science and the Urban Legend - Part II […]
April 14th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
[…] We’ve read many NOT-SO-TRUE scientific ”facts” that many people insist on passing on as truth. To make sure you’re NOT one of those people read Scientific Urban Legends and Scientific Urban Legends Part II! […]
May 10th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
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