We just know that we know nothing

Are mosquitoes animals? 12 facts that people get wrong

No one can claim to know everything, but most people go through life confident about certain things. However, some of these widely held beliefs are not actually correct, despite their popularity. Let’s have a look at some "facts" you might have gotten wrong!

The idea that insects—particularly mosquitoes—are not animals is widespread, but it’s also incorrect. In fact, insects are the most diverse group within the Animal kingdom, with more than a million species described and representing more than half of the animal population of the planet.

The mistake comes from not considering that "fruit" is not only a culinary term but also a botanical one. Botanically, a fruit is the part of a plant that develops from a flower and contains seeds. This makes tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, and many other foods that we call vegetables actually fruits in the scientific sense.

Countries have a political delimitation, while continents are divided according to geographical criteria. The Russian Federation is the largest country on Earth, bordering fourteen other countries and extending across eleven time zones. It spans across a good part of Eastern Europe, but also across the Ural mountains—one of the recognized borders between Europe and Asia—and stretches deep into northern Asia.

While cold weather isn’t harmless, it is not the direct cause of illnesses like the flu, which are caused by viruses. In colder months, people tend to spend more time indoors and often avoid ventilating rooms, creating conditions that make it easier for viruses to spread and cause illness.

Bats might not prefer to be out during bright daylight, but this does not mean that they are blind. In fact, many species have excellent eyesight, though it is adapted to low-light or nighttime conditions. On top of that, bats also use echolocation, which allows them to navigate and hunt with remarkable precision in complete darkness.

The belief that you must wait a full day before reporting someone missing is a myth popularized by movies and TV shows. In reality, the law does not require a waiting period. In fact, law enforcement agencies stress that the first 24 hours are often the most critical, so a missing person should be reported immediately.

Some man-made structures are visible from space without magnification, but despite popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not one of them. While it is quite long, being over 13,000 miles long, it is relatively narrow, and its earthy colors blend in with the surrounding landscape, making it nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye from orbit.

This one is tricky: Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth (29,032 feet)… if you measure the distance from sea level to peak. For the actual tallest mountain, the answer might vary depending on how you measure. Measured from base to summit, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest at 33,474 feet—though much of it is underwater. Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska rises about 18,000 feet from its base to the peak, making it the tallest mountain entirely above sea level. And Ecuador’s Mount Chimborazo, while shorter in height, is the farthest point on Earth from the planet’s center due to the equatorial bulge.

The Earth is tilted on an axis, which causes the amount of sunlight each hemisphere receives to change as it orbits the Sun. Because of this tilt, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and experiences summer, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away and experiences winter—and vice versa. This is why the Southern Hemisphere celebrates Christmas during summer.

Standard medical advice is to gently guide a sleepwalker back to bed rather than waking them, but not because waking them is inherently dangerous. People tend to sleepwalk during deep sleep, so waking them up might startle them or cause confusion and disorientation.

Hair color and thickness are determined by genetics, not by shaving. Hair naturally gets thin at the ends, so when you shave it, the hair shaft appears to be thicker and darker because of the blunt cut. But it's just an optical illusion; the natural size of the shaft remains unchanged.

Coffee is a natural diuretic, meaning it can increase trips to the bathroom. However, the water in brewed coffee still contributes to your hydration and offsets its mild diuretic effect. If you consume coffee in moderation—3 to 5 cups a day, depending on your tolerance—you should be alright. However, drinking extra water on the side is never a bad idea.

Do you have a favorite?

Which of these 12 great lyrics suits you best right now?

Image: Jonas Leupe

Song lyrics can be as bad or as good as talent, inspiration, and craft allow. From a superficial line to a profound and touching idea, and everything in between. Take a look at the following 12 lines taken from songs you know and songs you don’t know. Which one is your favorite?

Image: Efe Yağız Soysal

"I’m losing my edge. To all the kids in Tokyo and Berlin. I’m losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties."

This song reflects on aging and coming to terms with who you’re becoming. It captures that uneasy shift from feeling current to feeling left behind. Years before "hipster" was a trend, James Murphy, in his 30s, sang about younger, cooler kids with beards and trucker hats catching up to him.

Image: Dolo Iglesias

"I don’t believe in an interventionist God. But I know, darling, that you do. But if I did, I would kneel down and ask Him. Not to intervene when it came to you."

Nick Cave, known for his dark intensity, had shown emotion before, but here he stood fully exposed, expressing deep affection without his usual armor.

Image: Doyoun Seo

"A skinny man died of a big disease with a little name. By chance, his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same."

Prince’s lyrics often reflected his sensual, otherworldly persona, seemingly detached from real-world struggles. That changed with this track, which tackled gang violence, AIDS, political unrest, and natural disasters.

Image: Bob Osias

"There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell. And I was thinking to myself. This could be Heaven or this could be Hell."

"Hotel California" is the biggest hit from the Eagles, soft rock giants of the '70s. By decade’s end, they were weary of fame and each other. The fictional hotel symbolizes the trap of rock stardom—enticing but inescapable. Its surreal lyrics were inspired by an eerie, late-night drive through deserted Los Angeles streets.

Image: Jan Kopřiva

"If I had a box just for wishes and dreams that had never come true, the box would be empty, except for the memory of how they were answered by you."

Jim Croce was a master craftsman of words, and this line is a superb example. The first line hints at a sad story, only to be proven wrong by the second one, filled with love and optimism.

Image: Miguel Alcântara

"I see friends shaking hands, saying, 'How do you do.' They're really saying, 'I love you.'"

This song, made famous by Louis Armstrong, was penned by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It expresses a cheerful vision of life, and it has been used as a gentle mood uplifter since.

Image: Alexander Wark Feeney

"Did you ever know that you're my hero? You're everything I wish I could be. I could fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings."

We have seen a couple of love declarations in the list so far, and Bette Midler knows how to deliver one, being the queen of musicals and romantic movies that she is.

Image: Vale Arellano

"You can't always get what you want. But, if you try sometime, you find you get what you need."

A song with a philosophical message that often makes an appearance in movies where a character ends up in a situation that was not the ideal one, but it is a good one, still.

Image: Markus Spiske

"There are places I'll remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better. Some have gone, and some remain. All these places had their moments with lovers and friends, I still can recall. Some are dead, and some are living. In my life, I've loved them all."

An ode to aging, written by young men who didn’t know at the time that they were writing a piece of history.

Image: Michael Hystead

"It's got to be more than flesh and bone. All that you've loved is all that you own."

"Take It With Me" may be the greatest song by one of the greatest songwriters. In just five minutes, it describes the entire spectrum of human experience.

Equally fitting for weddings or funerals, its message resonates deeply. At its core is a line credited to Waits’ wife, Kathleen Brennan—a simple truth that gives the song its soul.

Image: BERTRAND MORITZ

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"

The second Lennon entry on the list also captures life’s truths with disarming simplicity. He wrote what everyone feels, but few could express so clearly.

Image: Jefferson Santos

"She coulda turned out to be almost anyone, almost anyone. With the possible exception of who I wanted her to be"

Jackson Browne, a leading voice of the ’70s singer-songwriter era, crafted this line that strikes a unique emotional chord. In it, he transformed a personal story into a shared sense of longing and emptiness that we've all experienced.