Busted Science Myths

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By Linda | October 20, 2008

More Scientific “Urban Legends” - Let the light of truth shine on!

Myth: Leave a window slightly open during a hurricane or tornado to equalize the air pressure thus minimizing damage to your home.

The Truth: The opposite is actually true. Windows and doorways should be kept tightly shut against high winds generated by such storms. Allowing these rogue winds free access to enter a building and push upward on the roof while outside winds are blowing over it can actually create lift forces that pull the roof upward facilitating collapse of the entire structure.

Myth: An egg or popcorn can be cooked by placing it between two activated cell phones

The Truth: Not much to say about this except “Busted!”

Myth: A special property of the vernal equinox allows raw eggs to be balanced on end on that day.

The Truth: The vernal equinox is one of two days each year when the length of day and night are the same (about 12 hours each). The vernal (spring) equinox occurs on or around March 21st. There is no astronomical property unique to that particular day that allows for an egg to stand on end. The fact is that given time and patience you can balance an egg in this fashion on any given day of the year. Accomplishing this feat has more to do with the textured surface of the eggshell (the bumps provide resistance to the surface they sit on like tiny stands) than it does with any laws of physics or cosmic forces in play during the equinox.

Myth: A study undertaken at the World Health Organization (WHO) has theorized that natural blondes will become extict in the next 200 years due to the fact that the gene for blonde hair is recessive.

The Truth: Firstly, no such study has ever been conducted by WHO. As far as the science behind this myth goes, this “theory” could be applied to any recessive genetic characteristic (blue eyes, straight hair, attached earlobes, for Pete’s sake!). The truth is that although over the coming eons of human evolution, the overall proportion of blondes in the population may decrease, “blonde extiction” is not likely to occur in the next few centuries.

Myth: Glass windowpanes in old houses are thicker at the bottom because glass is a very viscous (thick) liquid that flows slowly and over time pools at the bottom of the window pane.

The Tuth: Firstly, some old buildings do indeed have window panes that are thicker at the bottom, but this is due to the glass manufacturing process used at the time as well as the prevailing preference to install the glass thick-side-down. Secondly it is a misleading assertion that glass is a liquid that flows slowly. There’s some validity to this, for glass is a liquid at high temperatures & does sometimes flow. However, if the assertions of this myth were true, the amount of thickness observed in houses of the 18th century should be, on average much less than that observed in buildings of the 15th century. But that is not the case.