Memories vs facts

Stop getting it wrong: Darth Vader never said, "Luke, I am your father"

Was "Play It Again, Sam" a real quote from Casablanca? You may feel certain that you already know the answer. That confidence is what makes the Mandela Effect so interesting: it occurs when many people share the same false memory and are convinced it’s correct. The effect is named after Nelson Mandela, who many believed had died in prison during the 1980s. In truth, he was alive, and after his release in 1990, he became president of South Africa in 1994. What can make a false memory feel so real? Here are 10 Mandela Effect examples that you might be misremembering.

Bogart is often credited with one of Hollywood’s most famous lines, but he never actually says "Play it again, Sam" in Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman’s character, Ilsa, says, "Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By." Later, Bogart’s character, Rick, also asks Sam to play the song, but he never uses the famous phrase.

Woody Allen’s play and 1972 film "Play It Again, Sam" also played a huge part in ingraining this famous misquotation in the general public. Either way, the phrase still creates an instant nostalgic connection to the classic, beloved film.

Something doesn’t feel right when looking at Mr. Monopoly and realizing that he doesn’t actually wear a monocle. It’s somehow disappointing, and it can feel as though the board game itself is mistaken, rather than the common memory of a wealthy man with a white mustache, a black top hat, an old-fashioned suit, and a monocle.

This confusion may stem from Mr. Peanut, the Planters mascot, who wears a monocle, a black top hat, and carries a walking stick. Still, the imaginary monocle fits Mr. Monopoly almost too well. It matches the familiar image of a wealthy gentleman from a bygone age.

This may be one of the most famous misquotes in movie history. During the famous scene in The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader doesn't begin his revelation with Luke's name. After Luke accuses him of killing his father, Vader replies, "No, I am your father."

However, outside the movie, "No, I am your father" can sound unclear because the listener may not know who is speaking or being addressed. Adding "Luke" makes the reference instantly recognizable. Parodies, impressions, and everyday jokes favored the clearer version until it became more familiar than the original dialogue.

Queen recorded "We Are the Champions" in 1977 at Wessex Studios and Sarm East Studios in London. With its release, a new anthem for sporting events was born. Whenever listeners reach the final part of the song, instinct takes over, and everyone sings, "We are the champions… of the world". But the final line doesn’t include "of the world," and it never did, unlike the chorus, which includes "of the world" earlier in the song. Still, listeners have made it their own, and adding "of the world" at the end of the song has become a classic in its own right.

"Jiffy" sounds like a peanut butter brand that exists. Many shoppers remember seeing it beside Skippy on supermarket shelves. But the major brand was actually called Jif, launched nationally in 1958, and later became known for the slogan "Choosy Mothers Choose Jif," and its official history doesn't include a period when the product was named Jiffy. The false name could actually be the mental mixture of Jif, Skippy, and the common word "jiffy."

In Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Evil Queen asks, "Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" But, in this case, "Mirror, mirror" wasn't invented by viewers. English versions of the Grimm’s story of Snow White commonly used that wording long before the Disney movie. What really happened is that the older fairy-tale line and the Disney scene blended into one familiar and iconic quotation. The remembered version is wrong for the film, but it belongs to the wider history of the story.

Two rival companies helped create one of America’s most persistent false memories. During the 1980s and 1990s, television personality Ed McMahon promoted sweepstakes for American Family Publishers, a company that sold magazine subscriptions. Today, many people remember him working for its better-known competitor, Publishers Clearing House. But he never did.

It’s easy to see how the mix-up happened. Both companies sold magazine subscriptions, offered large cash prizes, and appeared constantly on television and in the mail. Publishers Clearing House also became famous for its Prize Patrol, which surprised winners at home with oversized checks. With similar names and years of pop culture references, McMahon eventually became linked to PCH in the public memory, even though he was never part of its team.

The HBO series was always called Sex and the City, not Sex in the City. The title came from Candace Bushnell’s New York Observer column, which began in 1994, and her 1996 book with the same name.

However, the mix-up makes a lot of sense. The show is about dating and relationships in New York, so "Sex in the City" sounds like a logical title. The words "and" and "in" can also sound similar when people say the title quickly. But the real title puts sex and the city side by side as two major parts of the characters’ lives.

Something appears to be missing from Curious George, but it has actually always been missing. The little monkey was drawn without a tail in the original books, and official modern versions continue to show him without it. Many familiar cartoon monkeys have long, curling tails, so the brain may quietly add one when remembering George. His active poses also make it easy to imagine a tail swinging behind him.

One letter has caused decades of arguments. Many readers are certain that the American children’s book series, which began in the 1960s, was called The Berenstein Bears, with an "e" near the end. The covers, however, have always used Berenstain, with an "a."

The spelling came from the creators Stan and Jan Berenstain’s family name. Their first Bear book, The Big Honey Hunt, appeared in 1962 under that spelling. However, it makes sense that "Berenstein" feels more natural because it resembles familiar names such as Einstein, Frankenstein, and Bernstein.

BUSHCRAFT WISDOM PUT TO EVERYDAY USE

10 Survivalism Tips That Could Save Your Life

Image: Denise Jans

Survivalism tips aren’t useful only in life-or-death situations. Granted, water purification might not be the kind of skill that you will be using in an everyday situation, but knowing how to start a fire might come in handy if you need to start your barbecue fire and no matches are available. And you can benefit from knowing how to tie a sturdy knot that won’t come undone until required.

Many of these bushcraft skills have daily applications that can make life easier and they resolve in a matter of seconds situations that otherwise would require a trip to the store or the help of a handyman. Stay with us and take a look at these 10 tips. We guarantee you will be adding at least one to your skill set.

Image: Sebastian Pociecha

Imagine you are on a camping trip and you forgot the matches. What do you do? There are several methods you can try to start a fire without matches or a lighter. One of the most simple ones is friction.

Get together some dry grass, or dried leaves. Cut a straight groove along a dry piece of wood and place the dry grass and leaves at the end of the groove. Move a stick up and down the groove, pressing down. When heat builds up, the dry grass and leaves will catch on fire.

Image: Miguel A Amutio

Say you went on a walk with your dog and remembered that you need something from the store. But the store doesn’t allow pets inside so you must tie your furry friend with its leash somewhere outside. How do you do it safely, without creating something impossible to untie?

The Siberian Hitch is a good option for this kind of event. Pass the rope over your hand, around the tree, and back across your hand. Then pass the rope under your hand, over both ropes, and back under both ropes. Tuck a bight between your fingers and pull this bight through the loop. Tighten the resulting slipped knot. Finally pull the knot tight against the tree or pole, or knob you are using.

Image: David Ballew

You don’t need to be McGyver to appreciate the value of a properly sharpened knife. And, let’s face it: how many of us have a sharpening stone at home? To those who do, we commend you on your foresight; and to the rest of us who don’t, we say: do not worry, for there are simple solutions.

This one might surprise you but it is quite effective: place a hand towel over a table. Over the towel, put a ceramic coffee mug face down, exposing the underside. Slide the knife on each side over the exposed ceramic, just as it is done with a sharpening stone.

Image: Jamie Street

The GPS in your phone can prevent you from getting lost. But what if your phone runs out of battery? When going for a hike on an unfamiliar terrain, it is always a good idea to bring along a compass and a map of the area, just in case. You don’t know how to use those relics? No problem!

Set your compass in a flat position and move until the rotating arrow coincides with the N. Then spread your map and place it in such a way that the North on the map coincides with the North on your compass. Once you have done this, you can orient yourself on the map, knowing that it is facing in the right direction.

Image: Mohan Murugesan

As we said when we started, this one might seem a bit far-fetched but it is the kind of thing that if needed, can determine the difference between life and death. Making drinkable water is extremely important if you don’t have access to pure water sources. Lucky for us, it is not that difficult to achieve.

You will need some container made of glass, steel, or any other material that can handle high temperatures. Place the water in it and cover it with a transparent piece of plastic, make a hole in the middle of the plastic, and set a tube that goes into another receptacle. Place the contraption under direct sunlight. The water in the first receptacle will evaporate, steam will flow through the tube, condense, and become pure water, that will drip into the second receptacle.

Image: Alejandro Piñero Amerio

This one might seem a bit obvious but we guarantee that if you do carry one of these things around, you will find yourself using it at least once a day. Having a knife, scissors, a bottle opener, screwdrivers, a corkscrew, and quite a few more things in your pocket is extremely useful not only in a survival situation but in everyday life as well.

And, aside from having infinite applications, it is a cool object to have.

Image: Julia Zyablova

As the saying goes, bad things never happen to those who are prepared. While that is not entirely true because bad things happen, no matter who you are, it is true that, when you are prepared to face a situation, the consequences of it are much less significant than if you are not.

You don’t need a whole medic kit or anything fancy. Yes, that would be ideal but, let’s face it: it’s probably not going to happen. Just keep a few bandaids, pills for the most common pains, like headache, and stomach pain, and something to lower the fever, a thermometer and you’re covered for the most part.

Image: Jason Mavrommatis

This is an interesting little trick to know how many hours of daylight you still have ahead. It can be used anywhere, as long as the sun and the horizon are both visible.

Hold your four fingers out horizontally to the horizon, aligning the top of your index finger with the bottom of the sun. Your pinkie should be closest to the horizon. Each finger represents 15 minutes. So, if you have your pinkie resting at the horizon and your index finger is right below the sun, you have roughly an hour left.

Image: feey

A big part of staying healthy involves not subjecting your body to uncomfortable temperatures for long periods. Whether you are on a camping trip or at home, it is important to stay warm when the weather is cold.

You can ramp up your body temperature by moving and eating. To stay warm, make sure to wear the right amount of layers. But, try to avoid sweating, since being damp can cause you to lose body temperature. Try to stay dry as much as possible.

Image: Atlas Green

Whether you’re planning a short hike or a long trip, always inform a friend or family member of your itinerary. At the very least, this includes where you plan on hiking and when you plan to return.

This very simple act of informing someone can save your life if you become lost in the wilderness and rescuers come to look for you.