Think again

You’ve been wrong all along—10 facts that prove how little we really know

Image: Elimende Inagella

You repeat them every day—often without thinking twice. But a surprising number of "facts" we take for granted are just plain wrong. Whether it’s the recommended water intake or the behavior of lightning, prepare for a reality check. These 10 everyday misconceptions will make you rethink everything you thought you knew.

Image: Ladislav Stercell

You lose heat through any part of your body that’s exposed—not just your head. This myth likely started from an outdated military study in which soldiers in Arctic conditions wore full-body gear but no hats, for some reason.

Heat loss is driven by surface area and exposure. If you're unlucky enough to be naked in freezing weather, you'll lose heat evenly across your body—not primarily from your scalp.

Image: Leo Rivas

Pure water is actually a very poor conductor of electricity. It’s the impurities in water—like dissolved minerals and salts—that allow it to carry an electric current.

However, since the water we commonly encounter is rarely pure, it readily conducts electricity—making contact between water and electrical sources hazardous.

Image: Supply

Also, nope—it only looks that way. Shaved hair has a blunt edge, which can make it feel coarser or appear darker than unshaved hair.

Hair growth is determined by follicles beneath the skin. Since shaving only trims hair above the surface, it has no effect on thickness, color, or growth rate.

Image: Ahmed Zayan

Goldfish can actually remember things for weeks, even months. They’re far smarter than we usually give them credit for.

Moreover, studies have shown goldfish can be trained to respond to feeding times and light cues. So don’t keep yours in a tiny bowl—it’s far too small for their cognitive and physical needs.

Image: NOAA

It absolutely does—and often. The Empire State Building gets hit about 25 times a year. This is because lightning follows the path of least resistance, which often means tall, conductive structures get hit repeatedly.

So, if you’re caught in an electrical storm, don’t run toward the last spot that was struck—chances are, lightning will hit there again!

Image: C. G.

Glass is an amorphous solid—not a liquid—and despite popular belief, its molecules don’t flow over time.

The myth likely originated from old window panes, which are sometimes thicker at the bottom. This thickness is due to historical manufacturing techniques—not because gravity caused the glass to flow downward.

Image: Joseph Greve

Hydration needs vary depending on age, activity level, climate, and diet—and they don’t require exactly eight glasses. Food and other beverages also count toward your fluid intake.

In reality, the "8 glasses a day" rule isn’t based on hard science; it’s simply a general guideline to prevent dehydration. Under normal conditions, drinking when you’re thirsty is usually enough to stay well hydrated.

Image: Олег Мороз

Blood is always red—it only appears blue through the skin because of how light interacts with tissue and veins.

The only real color difference is that oxygen-rich blood is bright red, while deoxygenated blood is a darker red. Humans and other vertebrates do not have truly blue blood.

Image: Quinten de Graaf

While it’s true that swallowed gum can’t be digested, it doesn’t stay in your stomach—it passes through the digestive system normally.

The same happens with things like corn kernels or hard seeds. Only when large amounts of gum are swallowed—often along with other indigestible objects—can it lead to blockages or health issues.

Image: Romain GROSSIER

While a sleepwalker may be confused or startled if awakened, it’s not inherently dangerous and can sometimes be the safest way to prevent accidental injury.

Experts often recommend gently guiding sleepwalkers back to bed, but waking them is also acceptable if there’s an immediate risk of harm.

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.