Popular beliefs

Cracking your knuckles has consequences, but not the ones you think

You’ve heard it before: Don’t swim after eating. You’ll lose most of your body heat through your head. Swallow a piece of gum, and it’ll stay in your body for years. Many of these common beliefs that parents or teachers have told you repeatedly over the decades are simply not true. Here are 10 everyday myths that science has set straight, and the real stories behind them.

The myth of carrots providing a better sense of vision in the dark became especially popular during World War II, when the British government promoted this idea to help explain the success of its pilots while keeping its new airborne radar technology a secret. It was just a myth, although there was a scientific explanation to back it up.

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, an important nutrient for healthy vision. If someone is deficient in vitamin A, eating more of it can improve their eyesight. But for people who already get enough of the vitamin, extra carrots won't suddenly make it easier to see at night.

You hear footsteps in the middle of the night and find a family member quietly wandering through the house while asleep. Your first instinct is to wake them up, but remember you’ve been told it’s dangerous. That’s just a myth, so go ahead and wake them.

The person may be startled, confused, or briefly disoriented, but there’s no evidence that being awakened causes physical injury. The bigger concern is that someone suddenly pulled from sleep may react unpredictably or accidentally lash out because they don’t understand what’s happening. For that reason, sleep specialists usually recommend gently guiding the person back to bed if it’s safe to do so, rather than abruptly shaking them awake, but there’s no intricate danger to waking a sleepwalker.

Almost everyone has heard the sharp popping sound of someone cracking their knuckles, followed by another person saying, "Keep doing that, and you’ll get arthritis."

Researchers have been looking into that claim for decades, and the evidence simply doesn’t support it. The popping sound comes from tiny gas bubbles forming and collapsing inside the fluid that lubricates your joints, not from bones grinding together. Multiple studies comparing habitual knuckle crackers with people who never crack their knuckles have found no higher risk of developing arthritis. Some research has suggested that frequent knuckle cracking may slightly reduce grip strength or cause temporary swelling in a few people, but it has not been shown to damage the joints. So while the sound may bother the people around you, it isn’t likely to lead to arthritis.

Most of us have heard someone say, "Imagine what you could do if you used the other 90 percent of your brain." The truth is that modern brain imaging has shown that virtually every part of the brain has a purpose.

Even when you’re resting, different regions are constantly working together to control movement, memory, breathing, emotions, vision, and countless other functions. While not every area is active at the same moment, there is no large section of the brain sitting permanently unused. Scientists aren’t exactly sure where or how this myth started, but your brain is one of the busiest organs in your body. Even while you’re asleep, it’s hard at work keeping you alive and processing the day’s experiences.

If a child accidentally swallowed a piece of gum, some adult would inevitably claim it would sit in the stomach for the next seven years.

The warning, even if a myth, contains a small grain of truth. The gum base isn’t fully broken down by the digestive system the way other foods are. But that doesn’t mean it stays behind. Instead, it moves through your digestive tract along with everything else you eat and is naturally eliminated within a few days. So while swallowing pieces of gum isn’t something doctors recommend making a habit of, there’s no need to worry if it happens by accident.

After lunch at the lake or a backyard barbecue, the adults would insist everyone, especially the kids, stay out of the water for at least an hour. The idea was that digestion would pull blood away from your arms and legs, causing severe muscle cramps that could make you drown.

Medical research, however, has found no evidence that eating before swimming creates that kind of danger. While vigorous exercise immediately after a very large meal might make some people feel uncomfortable or sluggish, a normal swim after eating is generally considered safe for healthy individuals. The "wait an hour" rule probably prevented plenty of cannonballs during nap time over the years, but it wasn’t based on scientific evidence.

If you ever left the house on a cold winter morning without a hat, chances are someone reminded you to wear one since "most of your body heat escapes through your head." The belief became widespread after military studies conducted in the 1950s observed significant heat loss from uncovered heads. What they didn’t notice was that the subjects were bundled up everywhere else. Naturally, their only exposed body part lost the most heat.

In reality, your head loses heat at about the same rate as any other uncovered area of skin, depending on its size. A warm hat is still a smart idea on a cold day, but only because it covers exposed skin, not because your head has some special ability to leak away most of your body heat.

Many tongue illustrations show the tongue divided into neat sections, with one area for sweet foods, another for salty flavors, and others for sour and bitter. The famous "taste map" came from a misunderstanding of research published in the early 1900s.

While some parts of the tongue may be slightly more sensitive to certain flavors than others, taste buds across nearly the entire tongue can detect sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, the savory taste found in foods like mushrooms, cheese, and broth. The old diagram appeared in textbooks for decades, making it one of the most successful scientific misconceptions ever taught in classrooms. Today, we know the tongue is much more versatile than that simple map suggested.

If you grew up in the age of bulky television sets, you may remember a parent telling you to back away from the screen before you damaged your eyes. That warning became especially common in the 1960s when early television models were found to emit unusually high levels of radiation because of a manufacturing defect. Those sets were quickly recalled, but the myth lingered long after the problem disappeared.

Modern televisions don’t pose that risk. Sitting very close to the screen may leave your eyes feeling tired or dry after a while, but it doesn’t cause permanent damage to your vision. Even if screen time is not recommended for children up until 7 years old, the screen itself isn’t likely to be the cause of poor eyesight.

Everyone learned about the five senses at some point: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. That lesson dates back more than 2,000 years to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.

However, modern science paints a much more intricate picture. In addition to the five traditional senses, your body constantly relies on other senses that work without you even noticing them. These include your sense of balance, your awareness of where your arms and legs are without looking, your ability to feel pain, temperature, and more. Depending on how they’re classified, scientists recognize anywhere between 10 and 20 different senses.

HIDDEN GEMS

Impress Everyone With These 10 Rare and Underused Words

Image: Dmitry Ratushny

Have you ever found yourself in an "anecdoche"? Do you know someone with "disingenuous" intentions? Among the many entries in the dictionary, certain words stand out, both for their beauty and their great utility. While many of them are present in our daily conversations, others, unfortunately, remain neglected and overlooked, waiting to be rediscovered.

If you want to impress everyone with an original and sophisticated vocabulary, come with us to discover these 10 rare, infrequent English words that should get trendy!

Image: Katie Gerrard

Ever found yourself repeating a practice you don't know where it comes from? Maybe you always take the same route to work, even though you know there is a quicker way. It's like sticking to a habit despite being aware it's a mistake.

If you recognize this situation, you may be committing a "mumpsimus." This term describes not only a habit, notion, or idea that someone stubbornly sticks to despite knowing it's wrong but also the person who behaves this way.

The word has a fascinating origin story. Legend has it that a preacher misread the word "sumpsimus" ("we have taken") as "mumpsimus." Even after being corrected, he kept using the word incorrectly. Do any "mumpsimuses" come to your mind?

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

If you have a large family or many friends, this word will be very useful.

Many times, in gatherings of several people, the conversation can become a bit, shall we say, messy. It is the typical crowded dinner: everyone is shouting and talking over one another; a chaotic yet familiar scenario, right? Next time it happens to you, you can say, "Stop this anecdoche!" Everyone will probably stop talking, at least to find out what that word means.

"Anecdoche" captures that exact scenario. It's a relatively new term, defined as a situation where many people are talking, but no one is listening or getting involved with each other's anecdotes.

Image: Kira auf der Heide

We all have that one friend who loves to give gifts and do thoughtful things for others. If you can think of someone who fits this description, then you know someone truly "munificent." And if no one comes to mind, maybe that munificent person is you!

This adjective perfectly describes those who love to give and give, finding fulfillment in their generosity without necessarily expecting something in return.

The etymology of this word explains its nature very well: "munificent" comes from the Latin munificus, which blends munus ("gift" or "service") with the suffix -ficus, meaning "making" or "doing."

Image: Rémi Walle

And if we talk about munificent people, we have to mention how these noble guys always spend their time offering "succor." If you're not familiar with that last word, let's explore its meaning.

"Succor" is something you give or do for a person or a group of people who need it. It can be used as a synonym for "help," "assistance," or "support."

Now you know, the next time a co-worker or friend gives you a helping hand in difficult times, you can thank them for their succor.

Image: Jametlene Reskp

Let's talk about another adjective. This one describes people who might not always be frank or sincere, or who have a way of presenting themselves that isn't always honest.

If you've ever had a feeling that someone isn't being entirely genuine with you, maybe that person is being "disingenuous." This word also has roots in Latin. It derives from disingenuus, which means "not noble."

In English, disingenuous was formed by adding the prefix dis- (meaning "not" or "opposite of") to the word ingenuous, which describes someone who possesses "innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness."

Image: Kinga Howard

Few things can compare to the pleasure of staying in your own warm bed, either to catch up on sleep or simply to enjoy the morning in peace and quiet.

But let's be honest; as much as we'd like to, we can't make a habit of it… Or can we? Well, that's where the word "slugabed" comes into play, as defined by Merriam-Webster, for those who just can't resist the temptation of staying in bed late.

So, the next time you find someone still in bed at 11 a.m., instead of labeling them as "lazy," you can get sophisticated and kindly call them a "slugabed."

Image: Ganapathy Kumar

If you want to captivate someone special, just look at the moon and, as a good poet, describe its "refulgence."

This beautiful noun is a sophisticated way of referring to brilliance or shining quality. And it's not limited to literal use, such as describing the sun, the moon, or a cityscape at night. You can also use it metaphorically to depict, for example, someone's delightful smile or charismatic personality.

This noun also has Latin roots, originating from refulgentia ("reflection" or "shining back"), which in turn is derived from the Latin verb refulgere (to shine brightly).

Image: Dmitry Ratushny

Do you have an activity, sport, or hobby you've been wanting to try? Maybe you're interested in taking a cooking class, learning to ski, or driving, but you're a bit worried about being seen as a "neophyte." If that's the case, don't worry! We've all been neophytes in different aspects of life, even when it comes to learning new words.

As Merriam-Webster points out, "neophyte" is a noun for someone "who is just starting out in a field of activity." In other words, a novice.

As you already know, this word can carry either a positive or a negative tone, depending on its context. In any case, if you use it, remember to be careful and not hurt someone's feelings!

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Do you remember that first exam, that tough job interview, or that meeting that left you feeling stressed and nervous? If you often find yourself in such situations, next time, you can tell your boss you're in a "swivet." Not only will you be honest about your feelings, but you'll also impress them with your elevated vocabulary!

"Swivet" is a noun that can be used as a synonym for panic, agitation, or aggravated nervousness. Shaky hands, belly aches, and cold sweats are just some of the uncomfortable symptoms often associated with this rare word. Have you ever experienced something like this?

Image: Tom Pumford

If you're one of those who enjoy poetry, a good romantic movie, or just anything that brings tears to your eyes, then you might be a sensitive, melancholy soul that could be described as "lachrymose."

That's right, this is a fancy adjective that doesn't just describe emotional people; it also points to what brings on those tears. You can tell your friend, for example, "Don't watch that movie if you're not in the mood to cry; it's a real lachrymose drama!"

In its roots, we find Latin again. It derives from lacrima, a beautiful word meaning "tear."