1900s
58 entries
Things people believed and taught during the 1900s
The Edwardian decade was confidently right about a lot of things that turned out to be wrong, including patent medicines containing heroin, the assumption that aeroplanes were a temporary craze, and the idea that the immutable law of physics was Newtonian. Einstein published special relativity in 1905. Eugenics was a respectable academic discipline. Cigarettes were doctor-recommended. The medicine cabinet was a horror show. The science was about to break wide open and almost nobody saw it coming.
We only use 10% of our brains
We use nearly 100% of our brains; all regions serve functions
'SOS' Stands for 'Save Our Souls' or 'Save Our Ship'
The acronym was actually chosen for its distinctive Morse code pattern
The Brontosaurus Is an Invalid Dinosaur Name
Brontosaurus restored as valid genus in 2015
Humans Have Only Five Senses
Humans have at least nine distinct sensory systems
Ostriches Bury Their Heads in Sand
Ostriches dig holes for eggs and lower their heads to tend them
Humans Descended from Monkeys
Humans and other primates share a common ancestor; we evolved together
Camel Humps Store Water
Humps store fat; water is stored in blood and tissues
Hair Can Turn White Overnight from Shock
Hair cannot change colour quickly; whitening takes months
George Washington Had Wooden False Teeth
Washington's dentures were made of ivory, gold, and human teeth
Cracking Your Knuckles Causes Arthritis
Research shows no connection to joint damage
Hair Grows Back Thicker After Shaving
Shaving has no effect on hair thickness or growth rate
Bulls Are Enraged by the Colour Red
Bulls are colour-blind to red; movement triggers aggression
Tilt your head back to stop a nosebleed
Head tilting sends blood down the throat; proper first aid is leaning forward
Bed rest is the best treatment for back pain
Bed rest can worsen back pain; gentle movement and physical therapy are more effective
Eating sugar directly causes diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance from multiple factors including genetics and lifestyle
Blood is blue inside your body and red when exposed to air
Blood is always red; oxygen changes shade but not base colour
Goldfish only live 3 seconds and have no memory
Goldfish live 10-30 years with good care; have functional memories
Cracking knuckles does not cause arthritis
Cavitation sound is harmless; long-term studies show no arthritis link
Full moon causes changes in human behaviour and mood
Multiple studies find no reliable behavioural or mood changes linked to moon phases
T. rex was a pure apex predator that only hunted live prey
Evidence suggests T. rex was an opportunistic feeder, scavenger and hunter
'Irregardless' Isn't a Real Word
A non-standard term that earned dictionary legitimacy through widespread use
'Chinese' Is a Single Language
Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and others are mutually unintelligible languages, not dialects
Sign Language Is Universal Across Countries
Over 300 distinct sign languages exist with no mutual intelligibility
Left-Handedness Can Be Trained Out
Handedness is neurologically determined and difficult to change
Eating Spicy Food Causes Ulcers
Bacteria and acid, not spice, cause ulcers
Nails and Hair Continue Growing After Death
Skin shrinkage creates the illusion of growth
Bats Are Blind and Must Use Echolocation
Bats have functional eyes and use vision too
Wet hair causes colds or pneumonia
Viruses cause colds, not temperature or wet hair
Some people are 'double-jointed' with extra joints
Flexibility is from loose ligaments, not extra joints
Glass is a liquid that slowly flows over time
Glass is amorphous solid; it doesn't flow at room temperature
Dinosaurs lived during the Ice Age
Dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago; Ice Ages were recent
Staring at the sun causes immediate blindness
Sun exposure causes gradual retinal damage and photochemical burns
Brain freeze from ice cream can cause permanent damage
Brain freeze is temporary pain; no damage occurs
T. rex had tiny, useless arms
T. rex arms were powerful and likely used for gripping and feeding
Peptic Ulcers Are Caused Only by Stress and Spicy Food
Helicobacter pylori bacteria is the primary cause
Drinking Cold Water Is Bad for Your Digestion (Germany)
Cold water doesn't impair digestion; German health culture maintains this unfounded belief
English Is the Most Complex/Hardest Language
Linguistic complexity is relative to the speaker's native language
'Fair Dinkum' Comes from Aboriginal English
It's English. From the Lincolnshire dialect. Imported with gold-rush miners.
Kangaroos Physically Cannot Walk Backwards
They can. They don't usually. There's a difference.
Mirrors Reverse Left and Right
Mirrors reverse front-to-back, not left-to-right; perception bias causes confusion
Holding Your Breath Cures Hiccups
This might work due to distraction or breathing control
You can burn your tongue more easily than other mouth tissues
All mouth tissues have similar heat sensitivity
Icebergs are all made of fresh water that could be used for drinking
Most icebergs contain salt water; brine pockets make them unsuitable
Drinking water immediately after eating harms digestion
Water does not interfere with normal digestion
Burning your tongue temporarily destroys taste buds
Taste returns within days; taste buds are replaced quickly
Ancient Egyptians had electricity from Baghdad Battery
Baghdad Battery was a decorative jar; insufficient capacity for practical use
Neanderthals were stupid and incapable of complex thought
Neanderthals had similar brain size and showed signs of culture
T. rex had smooth scales like modern lizards
Recent skin impressions show varied texture; many theropods had feathering
N-Rays Are a New Form of Radiation
N-rays were a false discovery, never replicated
Acquired Characteristics Become Hereditary
Neo-Lamarckism failed to explain inheritance
N-Rays: A New Form of Radiation Emitted by Living Organisms and Metals
N-rays were an experimental artifact; no physical phenomenon corresponds to the claimed effect
Aboriginal Australians Invented the Boomerang
Throwing sticks have been used independently across at least four continents for tens of thousands of years
The White Australia Policy Ended in 1973
It was dismantled in stages from 1949; by 1966 the racial bar was already gone, and 1973 was a final tidy-up
Drinking Cold Water with Meals Prevents Digestion
Water temperature doesn't significantly affect digestion
The Man in the Moon Was Created Intentionally
Moon features are natural geological formations
Humans cannot see infrared light at all
Some humans perceive near-infrared at extreme intensities
Meteorite strikes on Earth are extremely common
Meteorite strikes are rare; most burn up in atmosphere