Don’t believe everything you see

Busted! 12 Hollywood myths that are totally fake

Image: Jake Blucker

Yes, we know it’s hard to believe, but sometimes movies are a little less than truthful. Jokes aside, Hollywood often bends the facts—or completely makes them up—to create the magic we see on the screen. Over time, however, these movie tricks have shaped our perceptions of the world, sometimes without us even realizing it. From cars exploding on impact to silent guns, join us as we set the record straight on some of the most pervasive Hollywood myths.

Image: Dominik Sostmann

Hollywood silencers reduce gunfire to a whisper, but real suppressors only lower the volume by about 20–35 decibels—still as loud as a jackhammer! Even the most advanced modern suppressors can’t make a gun silent.

Image: Marek Studzinski

Cars in movies erupt into massive fireballs, but in reality, car explosions are extremely rare, even in violent crashes. Gasoline burns rather than detonates, meaning it needs very specific conditions to create an explosion.

Image: M.M.

Sci-fi films show laser beams cutting through the air, but real lasers are invisible unless particles scatter the light—as when there is dust, fog, or smoke in the atmosphere.

Image: Chua Bing Quan

Movies depict quicksand as a bottomless death trap, but it’s not nearly that dangerous. Real quicksand is a mix of sand, water, and clay that becomes unstable under pressure. While people can sink up to their waists, the human body is too buoyant to be fully submerged.

Image: César Badilla Miranda

In movies, defibrillators bring people back to life, but this is not the case in real life. Defibrillators correct irregular heart rhythms like ventricular fibrillation, not cardiac arrest.

Image: Ariel

Movies show characters picking locks effortlessly, but real lockpicking is much harder and takes time. Even skilled locksmiths require specialized tools and patience.

Image: Christin Hume

In movies, chloroform knocks victims unconscious in seconds, but in reality, it takes several minutes. Even then, the person may wake up quickly. It’s not a foolproof knockout drug, and improper use can be fatal.

Image: Eyasu Etsub

Action heroes crash through glass unharmed, but real glass shards cause serious injuries. Movie glass, called "sugar glass," is designed to break easily. Real tempered or laminated glass can cause deep cuts and is much harder to break without tools.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Hollywood hackers break into systems instantly, but real hacking takes time and skill. Movie portrayals of rapid keystrokes and instant access are wildly unrealistic, as real hacking involves a ton of research, coding, and persistence.

Image: Tsvetoslav Hristov

Characters in movies fly backward when shot, but real gunfire doesn’t generate that force. Newton’s Third Law states that for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. If bullets knocked people down, the shooter would be thrown back with equal force.

Image: Dan Burton

Movies show characters dropping unconscious from a single punch, but real fights don’t work that way. A single punch may stun someone, but it’s unlikely to cause instant unconsciousness unless it hits a critical nerve or causes a concussion.

Image: Drew Beamer

Action heroes crawl through air vents with ease, but real vents aren’t built for that. Most air ducts can’t support a person’s weight. They’re made from thin metal and are too small for comfortable movement.

The truth about your brain

You won’t believe what happens in your brain while you sleep

Image: Milad Fakurian

Your brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious organs in your body. It controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it? Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to be amazed by these fascinating brain facts!

Image: Natasha Connell

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s completely false! While it’s true that not all parts of the brain fire at the same time, imaging studies show that most regions are active throughout the day, even when we sleep.

Your brain is constantly working, controlling bodily functions and emotions, and processing information. So next time someone says you’re only using 10% of your brain, you can confidently tell them that’s just a myth!

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Here’s a weird fact: While your brain processes pain signals from the rest of your body, it has no pain receptors of its own. This is why surgeons can perform brain surgery on conscious patients without causing them pain.

However, the membranes and tissues surrounding the brain do have pain receptors, which is why headaches and brain injuries can be so excruciating.

Image: Usman Yousaf

How come we have headaches if the brain has no pain receptors? Well, that’s because headaches are triggered by chemical activity in the brain, changes in nerves and blood vessels, and even fluctuating serotonin levels.

In some cases, hormones like estrogen can also play a role, which explains why migraines are more common in women.

Image: Go to Johannes Plenio's profile Johannes Plenio

Dreams are proof that your brain never rests! (Warning: this fact can make you feel exhausted.) While you sleep, your limbic system, that is, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, becomes especially active, which is why dreams often feel so intense.

On average, humans experience four to seven dreams per night, even if we don’t always remember them. And what about that scary nightmare about falling? Well, you can thank your amygdala, the brain’s fear center, for that one.

Image: Brett Jordan

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten what you were after? That’s because short-term memory only lasts about 20-30 seconds! That’s not enough!

Your brain holds a limited amount of information in its active state before deciding whether to store it or discard it. Ironically, we can’t really choose what makes the cut, but we do hope these facts stay with you!

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That sharp, icy pain when you eat something too cold? It’s your brain’s way of telling you to slow down! Officially called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a brain freeze happens when cold food or drinks rapidly chill the blood vessels in your throat, causing them to constrict and then rapidly expand. This sends pain signals to your brain, warning you of the sudden temperature shift. It’s annoying, but it’s actually your body trying to protect itself!

Image: Josh Riemer

You didn’t need us to tell you, but let’s look at the details: The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s even more interesting? 95% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. Is that not surprising enough? Hear this out: 80% of them tend to be negative. That’s because our brains are wired for survival, constantly analyzing risks and potential dangers.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

Even though it only makes up about 2% of your body weight, your brain employs a major quantity of energy! It consumes 20% of your oxygen and blood supply, making it one of the most demanding organs in your body.

If your brain goes without oxygen for just five minutes, brain cells start dying, leading to irreversible damage. This is why deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise are great for brain health!

Image: Alexander Andrews

Do you know that feeling when you hit the back of your head and see stars? That’s because your occipital lobe, which controls vision, is located at the back of your brain. If you get hit there, your brain momentarily misfires, causing flashes of light.

Interestingly, your brain processes vision on the opposite side; while your right brain controls your left eye, your left brain controls your right eye. It’s one of the many ways the brain operates in a complex way.

Image: Rodion Kutsaiev

Believe it or not, your brain generates between 12 and 25 watts of electricity when you’re awake. If you can’t really grasp how powerful that is, check this out: It’s enough to power a small light bulb! Your brain’s electrical activity is what allows neurons to send signals at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

Your brain may be the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of at least 60% fat! This is why consuming healthy fats, like omega-3s and omega-6s present in fish, for example, is essential for brain health.

Healthy fats stabilize brain cell walls, reduce inflammation, and support cognitive function. So go ahead and enjoy that avocado toast, it’s food for your brain!

Image: Robina Weermeijer

It’s not just your memory that fades over time; the brain itself physically shrinks as one gets older. It continues developing until your late 40s, but after that, it slowly decreases in size.

Now, size doesn’t equal intelligence, so a smaller brain doesn’t necessarily mean a less capable one. Staying mentally active, exercising, and eating brain-boosting foods can help keep it in top shape!

Image: Lisa Yount

We often think of cholesterol as bad, but your brain actually depends on it! In fact, 25% of your body’s cholesterol is stored in your brain, where it helps with learning and memory. However, unlike other organs, the brain can’t absorb cholesterol from the blood, it has to produce its own. So, while too much cholesterol in the body can be harmful, the right amount is vital for brain function. At least you can use that as an excuse to get that burger!