That’s not true!

15 myths about the human body you should stop believing

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Think you know your body? Think again. Many "facts" we hear about the human body are actually just popular myths that have been long debunked by science. From the color of your blood to the capacity of your brain, join us as we separate truth from fiction.

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Myth: We only use 10% of our brains.

Truth: Brain scans show that most areas of the brain are active even during simple tasks. Modern advanced imaging reveals that nearly all parts of the brain have specific roles. This is why damage to any area can lead to severe impairments. Come on, this one was fairly obvious, evolution wouldn’t keep an organ with 90% redundancy.

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Myth: Swallowed gum stays in your stomach for seven years.

Truth: Gum passes through your digestive system just like any other non-digestible materials. This means that, while it’s true that it cannot be broken down, it will simply exit your body within a few days, along with waste. There’s really no evidence of gum lingering in your stomach for years after swallowing.

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Myth: Cracking knuckles causes arthritis.

Truth: Studies show no link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. The sound it makes might make you cringe a bit, but it actually comes from minuscule gas bubbles collapsing in joint fluid, not bone damage. In fact, knuckle cracking indicates normal joint function. Arthritis is caused by other factors like age, genetics, and injuries.

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Myth: Shaving makes hair grow back thicker.

Truth: Who hasn’t heard this one? A very popular myth, it has long been debunked. The truth is that shaving can make hair appear thicker because unshaven hair ends in fine points, while shaving cuts it at the surface, leaving a blunt edge that feels coarser. However, hair regrowth is determined solely by genetics and hormones, not by how it’s trimmed.

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Myth: Blood is blue in your veins and red when exposed to air.

Truth: Blood is always red, though it can appear blue under the skin due to an optical effect caused by light diffraction. However, the oxygen level in blood can actually affect its hue, that goes from a bright red (oxygen-rich) to a darker red (oxygen-poor).

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Myth: Sugar makes kids hyperactive.

Truth: Research consistently shows no direct link between sugar consumption and hyperactivity. If you are a parent, you might be convinced otherwise, but data suggests that this is often a case of self-fulfilling prophecy. Parents' expectations (as well as children’s awareness of the myth) can influence perceived—or very real—behavior changes, but sugar itself is not the culprit here.

Credit: Cole Patrick

Myth: You lose most body heat through your head.

Truth: Mothers may cringe at this, but no, the head is not the heat sink many believe it to be. Heat loss simply depends on the exposed area. If your head is uncovered while the rest of your body is insulated, it might feel like most heat escapes from your head—but it’s not necessarily the primary heat-loss site.

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Myth: Drinking alcohol kills brain cells.

Truth: Alcohol is far from being good for you, but it doesn’t literally kill brain cells as many believe. Instead, it can impair the communication between them. Among other things, long-term excessive drinking can damage dendrites, leading to cognitive and behavioral changes, but the cells themselves remain intact. Moreover, with a healthy lifestyle and given enough time, the brain can actually repair itself to some extent.

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Myth: Different parts of your tongue taste specific flavors.

Truth: Ever seen a taste map showing specific areas of the tongue associated with certain flavors? Well, forget it. It turns out that taste receptors for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter are actually distributed evenly across the tongue. The "tongue map" was a misinterpretation of early research.

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Myth: Reading in dim light damages your eyes.

Truth: Another parental favorite. While dim lighting can temporarily strain your eyes, it doesn’t cause any permanent damage. Your eyes adapt to low light but may need time to adjust back.

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Myth: Sweating removes toxins.

Truth: Sweat is mostly water and salts, not toxins. The liver and kidneys handle detoxification, while sweat’s primary role is regulating body temperature.

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Myth: Hair and nails keep growing after death.

Truth: After death, the skin dehydrates and retracts, giving the appearance of growth. Hair and nail cells require living tissue to grow, which ceases after death.

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Myth: Humans only have five senses.

Truth: In addition to sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing, we have other important senses like balance (vestibular), temperature (thermoception), and body position (proprioception). Some scientists count up to 33 senses in total! Bet this one caught you off guard.

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Myth: Sweating leads to fat loss.

Truth: Just like the "sweat = toxins" myth, this is simply not true. Sweat loss reflects water weight, not fat loss. While you might weigh slightly less after intense exercise, you’ll regain that weight after rehydrating. Fat is burned through metabolic processes, not perspiration.

Credit: Tamara Bellis

Myth: The phases of the moon influence hair growth.

Truth: There is no scientific evidence linking moon phases to hair growth. This myth likely originated from agricultural practices that encourage planting seeds according to the moon's phases (also not scientifically proven). Studies show that hair growth is primarily determined by genetics, nutrition, and overall health, not lunar cycles. As long as you are healthy, hair grows at a consistent rate, regardless of the moon's phase.

Capisce?

Here’s an offer you can’t refuse: Our 10 favorite Mafia films!

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Mafia movies and TV shows have always been extremely popular, and for good reason: they expose the seedy underbelly of society, which is definitively a fascinating subject for us regular folks on this side of the law. With that in mind, we have selected some of our favorite Mafia and crime films to pay tribute to these 10 fictional criminal masterminds. Without further ado, here’s our list!

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We’ll start with what many consider the quintessential Mafia movie. Inspired by Mario Puzo’s 1969 bestseller, The Godfather is widely regarded as a masterpiece. From its superb acting to its equally stunning cinematography, few films have amassed a cult following quite like The Godfather.

The film explores the history of the Corleone family, focusing on patriarch Vito Corleone and his son and successor, Michael. The Godfather was revolutionary in its portrayal of the Mafia, depicting it as a sophisticated network with its own set of rules and traditions.

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Few people realize that Brian De Palma’s iconic 1983 film Scarface is actually a remake of an older movie. De Palma’s version, starring the legendary Al Pacino, was based on a 1932 film starring Paul Muni, which itself was adapted from a 1930 novel.

While the original was groundbreaking for its time, De Palma’s version remains the most well-known—and for good reason. Pacino delivers a riveting performance as the power-hungry Tony Montana, charting his meteoric rise and dramatic fall in the Miami underworld.

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Martin Scorsese is no stranger to Mafia films, having directed blockbusters like The Departed and The Irishman. However, his most iconic contribution to the genre is arguably his 1990 classic Goodfellas, considered by many to be an absolute masterpiece.

Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book Wiseguy, the film follows the true story of mobster Henry Hill. Goodfellas boasts an outstanding cast, including Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, and Joe Pesci, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance.

Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko

Quentin Tarantino’s debut film showcased the brilliance of this then-young promise. Made on a minimal budget, Reservoir Dogs is set primarily in an abandoned warehouse, where a group of bank robbers grapples with the fallout of a botched heist.

Much of what makes this film so memorable is its deep dive into the inner workings of organized crime—from the color-coded aliases adopted by the thieves (like "Mr. Orange" and "Mr. Blonde") to the growing unease and distrust among them.

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Is there a better antagonist for a Mafia movie than the most infamous gangster of all time? The Untouchables follows Prohibition agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) as he fights to take down criminal kingpin Al Capone, masterfully portrayed by Robert De Niro.

Loosely based on Ness’s real-life battle against Capone’s criminal empire in 1930s Chicago, this 1987 film received four Oscar nominations, with Sean Connery winning Best Supporting Actor.

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Michael Mann’s 1995 film Heat holds the distinction of featuring two of the crime genre’s most iconic actors: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The film pits their characters against each other, with Pacino playing a seasoned detective reluctantly hunting a professional thief portrayed by De Niro.

One of Heat’s greatest strengths is its compelling characters. Though clear rivals, Pacino and De Niro’s characters share a deep, mutual respect, adding layers of complexity to their conflict.

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While Denzel Washington is best known for his role as the corrupt detective Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day, his outstanding performance in the 2007 film American Gangster shouldn’t be overlooked.

Loosely based on the life of gangster Frank Lucas, portrayed by Washington, American Gangster follows Lucas’s rise to power and his battle against detective Richie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe.

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If Goodfellas has taught us anything, it’s that a Scorsese film starring Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro is a guaranteed blockbuster. The 1995 film Casino follows a gambling expert (De Niro) tasked with overseeing a Chicago casino run by a Mafia "made man" (Pesci).

Like The Godfather, one of this film’s greatest strengths is its detailed portrayal of the Mafia’s inner workings, from daily operations to internal struggles. Sharon Stone’s performance as hustler Ginger McKenna earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

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A Bronx Tale (1993) marks Robert De Niro’s directorial debut and is based on a play by actor Chazz Palminteri. The film follows Calogero, an Italian-American boy fascinated by the Mafia who idolizes a local crime boss, played by Palminteri himself.

A Bronx Tale does a fantastic job of showing Calogero’s internal struggle between the allure of wealth and power offered by the Mafia and the hardworking, honest life his father (De Niro) tries to instill in him.

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We’ll end this article with a film many believe to be solely responsible for completely revolutionizing the crime genre. Starring Hollywood legend James Cagney, The Public Enemy (1931) follows Tom Powers, a young man rising through Chicago’s criminal underbelly during Prohibition.

Loosely based on Al Capone’s life, the film was groundbreaking for its time. In 1998, The Public Enemy was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.