Guided by what is useful and what is not for the human body and organism, we often focus on outdated knowledge or experience of generations, which is high time to abandon. Here are 10 of the most common facts that are actually wrong.
1. A person uses his brain only 10%
Weighing about 1.4 kg, the human brain contains nearly 100 billion neurons. They transmit information through synapses - there are about a quadrillion of them in the brain.
The three main parts that make up the brain are the brain, cerebellum, and brainstem. The former controls 85% of all other human organs, the cerebellum is responsible for coordination and balance, and the trunk regulates all automatic functions, such as breathing or digestion. And for all this, the brain needs only 10% of its capabilities? Scientists have long denied this claim, although it is still popular. 10% of your brain is only used when reading this paragraph.
2. It takes 7 years for the stomach to digest gum
Many people remember this horror in childhood, when, having accidentally swallowed gum, you heard that the gastrointestinal tract will now digest it for seven years.
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If you are now in the process of doing this, breathe out a sigh of relief, this fact is complete stupidity. Of course, chewing gum is an indigestible food. Official documents define the product as a “non-nutritive chewable substance” (that is, not as food). It is not recommended to swallow gum, but if it does happen, it will simply leave the body in about the same form in which it got into it.
3. Chocolate is bad for the skin
Many are convinced that the real cause of acne is the chocolate you eat. Yes, frequent consumption of foods high in fat and sugar can actually increase the body's production of sebum. But the direct relationship between chocolate and acne is nothing more than a myth. Teenage acne often just needs to be lived through while trying to eat right.
4. Carrots improve night vision
This is a myth that has survived since World War II, when British soldiers were assured that carrots would improve their ability to see in the dark.
Carrots are indeed a source of beta-carotene, which during digestion is converted into vitamin A, which has a beneficial effect on vision. But is it exactly night vision that improves in this way? Not. All the carrots in the world cannot influence this. And it is unlikely that German intelligence has bought into the myth of the superpowers of British soldiers. But the rest of the world believed in the wonderful power of carrots.
5. We have five senses
Sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste - these are the five human senses that were formulated back in the days of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Thousands of years have passed since then, and now scientists are sure: a person has much more feelings. So, touch is much more complex than just one sensation. A person perceives the force with which they are touched, feels the temperature of an object, pain. Now we can talk about at least 33 different feelings inherent in humans. These include, for example, blood pressure and balance. So the next time you hear someone talk about their sixth sense, feel free to say that you have 33 of them.
6. The ability to roll the tongue into a tube - genetic
Biology teachers told about this at school: if one of the parents is able to do this, then you can too. In fact, it's not that simple. In 1940, the American geneticist Alfred Stertevant published a study in which he first called the ability to fold language hereditary, based on a dominant gene. But his statement was quickly refuted: scientists realized that there are twins, one of whom can do it, and the other cannot, although the parents in this case are the same.
7. Hair and nails continue to grow after a person's death
Quite a creepy fact about the human body - and also wrong. After death, the human body quickly dehydrates, while the skin wrinkles and sinks inside. This creates the illusion that hair and nails are still growing. In fact, the body surface is simply shrinking.
8. Cracking joints can lead to arthritis
Arthritis is a generic term for a whole group of pain syndromes characterized by swelling and inflammation of the joints.
Obviously, if there were specific actions to avoid to avoid getting arthritis, people would do it. However, this disease equally affects those who crunch the joints of the hands, and those who have never abused it. Harvard scientists conducted a study that found no link between crunching and arthritis.
9. If you shave off your beard, the new one will grow darker
You can shave your hair anywhere - on your face, arms, legs, and so on - but it will be in vain. New ones will not change their color.