“Repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth” is a law of propaganda often attributed to Joseph Goebbels. This principle holds true for many bits of information we accept as fact, which are, in reality, nothing more than myths or tall tales. With this in mind, we decided to test your knowledge by blending commonly believed facts with those that might sound false but are actually true. So, how many of these so-called false facts do you still believe?
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1. “Mount Everest Is the Tallest Mountain in the World”
Peak at an altitude of 29,029 ft above sea level, the Nepalese call the majestic behemoth of a mountain, Sagarmāthā meaning “Goddess of the Sky.” The general opinion is that Mt. Everest is the world’s tallest mountain. But is it really?
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False: Mt. Everest Is Not the Tallest Mountain in the World
It is the world’s highest mountain, but not the tallest. That title belongs to That title belongs to Mauna Kea (White Mountain) in Hawaii, USA measuring 33,480 ft tall, but around 60% of it is underwater, though.
Image Credit: Vadim Kurland / Wikipedia.
2. “Napoleon Bonaparte Was Short”
The French emperor was known for many things, but his height, or the perceived lack thereof, was so notorious that a particular complex related to this issue was aptly named The Napoleon Complex.
Image Credit: Wiki Commons.
False: Napoleon Bonaparte Was of Average Height
Well, as it turns out “Le Petit Caporal” was not that pettite at all, at least not by the 19th Century standards. While at 5 ft 6 he was shorter than most of his soldiers, but that was ok. In fact, probably his soldiers were considered abnormally tall as the height of an average 19th century French male was 5 ft 4.
Image Credit: Public Domain / Wikipedia.
3. “Cheetahs Can’t Roar”
Imagine seeing a cheetah in the wild, racing towards you at full speed to hunt you down, only to be greeted by the sweetest “meow!” Does this sound believable?
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
True: Cheetahs Actually Purr & Meow
Unlike their roaring cousins (lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards), Cheetahs belong to the “purring cats” and, as such, do not roar but purr and meow like house cats. Aww. The cheetah’s voice box is uniquely structured with fixed bones and divided vocal cords that vibrate during both inhalation and exhalation, a feature common among ‘small’ cats. This anatomy allows for continuous purring but restricts the ability to produce a wide range of sounds, including roaring.
Disclaimer: That doesn’t mean you can snuggle with a cheetah or even consider adopting one as an addition to your household pets; they are still wild animals that are likely to maul you to death.
Image Credit: Depositphotos.com.
4. “The Sahara Is the World’s Largest Desert”
Stretching 3.5 million sq mi—nearly the entire length of northern Africa, measuring about 3,000 miles, Sahara is know to be the largest desert in the world.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
False: Antarctica Is the Largest Desert in the World
A desert is defined as a desolate area of land with minimal to no rainfall. According to this definition, the Antarctic ice sheet, spanning roughly 98% of Antarctica or 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles), stands as the world’s largest desert. Sahara is considered the world’s largest hot desert.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos.
5. “The Sun Is Yellow”
At the heart of our solar system lies the Sun, the closest star to our planet. Positioned 92.9 million miles from Earth, it presents itself in shades of yellow or orange.
Image Credit: Xurzon / iStock.
False: The Sun Is Actually White
When it comes to the Sun’s true color, the debate is as heated as the star itself. While kids often draw the Sun yellow, and it looks red at sunset because of how our atmosphere affects its light, the Sun actually emits white light. This white light consists of all the colors combined, but when it passes through Earth’s atmosphere, it appears differently to us. Essentially, the Sun emits white light, but atmospheric conditions can alter how we perceive its color from our vantage point on Earth.
Image Credit: Public Domain / Wikipedia.
6. “The Humpty Dumpty Nursery Is Not About an Egg”
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.” When you hear the opening lines of this ultra-popular rhyme, you instantly picture a clumsy egg sitting on a wall, right? But is it actually an egg, and what were “all the King’s horses, and all the King’s men” putting together?
Image Credit: Public Domain / Wikipedia.
True: Humpty Dumpty Is Actually a Cannon
So, basically, your entire childhood has been a lie. Humpty Dumpty is indeed not an egg like we all liked to think, but a cannon. During the English Civil War, a gunner named Thompson placed a cannon, nicknamed “Humpty Dumpty,” on the wall of the church’s tower. This position enabled significant damage to the enemy below, giving inspiration for the popular rhyme.
Image Credit: Depositphotos.com.
7. “The Great Wall of China Is Visible from Space”
The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object that is visible from space, according to many astronauts.
Image Credit: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons.
False: The Great Wall of China Is Not Visible to the Naked Eye From Space
Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not visible to the naked eye from space, debunking a long-standing myth that it is the only human-made structure that can be observed from Earth’s orbit.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos.
8. “The Average Cloud Weighs Over a Million Pounds”
They might look fluffy and light but they are actually floating mountains, weighing over a million pounds.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
True: The Average Cloud Weighs 1.1 Million Pounds
Clouds are formed from water vapor that condenses into tiny water droplets or ice crystals. These droplets are so small and light that they can remain suspended in the air, supported A cumulus cloud, for instance, can contain water droplets equivalent to the weight of about 100 elephants. This is because clouds can cover vast areas and extend to great heights, accumulating a significant amount of water. Despite their substantial mass, the density of a cloud is much less than that of the surrounding air, which is why they can float.
Image Credit: TonyBaggett / istockphoto.
9. “Mosquitoes Can Smell which Blood Type You Are”
Mosquitoes have a surprisingly keen sense of smell that enables them to detect different blood types.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
True: Mosquitoes Are Twice as Likely to Bite Someone Who Is Type O
Mosquitoes have a remarkable ability to detect different blood types, showing a preference for a specific blood type and for those with blood Type O, the bad news is that they are most likely to be on a mosquito’s menu. Research has shown that individuals with Type O blood are more likely to be bitten than those with other blood types.
This preference is linked to the chemicals found on our skin, which vary depending on one’s blood type. These pesky critters are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale, but it’s the specific skin-secreted signals that guide them to their preferred meal.
Image Credit: frank600/istockphoto.
10. “Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive”
Sugar turns kids into energy-fueled demons with enough power to demolish the house and push their parents to the edge of a nervous breakdown.
Image Credit: Anastasiia Boriagina / istockphoto.
False: Sugar in the Diet Does Not Affect Children’s Behavior
The common notion that sugar turns kids into little bundles of boundless energy might be more fiction than fact. Scientific studies debunk the age-old myth, clarifying that sugar doesn’t actually cause hyperactivity in children. Instead, factors like the context of social gatherings and the excitement associated with them are likely responsible for the perceived energy spikes.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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