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The truth shall set these free

40 Myths, Misconceptions and Counterintuitive Facts That We Led to the Truth By Commenting ‘Do Your Research’ on All of Their Recent Posts

March 27, 2025

In these divisive times, you’d think it’d be impossible to make the opposing side see things your way. Even after doing a little research and typing out a thoughtful, fact-driven argument, they always seem to respond with, “Yeah, but where are you getting your information?”

We thought that these myths and misconceptions would fight the truth tooth and nail, but we somehow sparked an epiphany of sorts. We were as shocked as you probably are right now. And hey, if these myths can see the light, then maybe your Uncle Jim can too.

40

Florida

Indigenous people terraformed Florida centuries ago. CRACKED.COM You'd think fake islands are only for Manhattan billionaires and oil-rich governments. But scientists have discovered that hundreds of years ago the Calusa tribe piled many millions of shells in Estero Bay with the express purpose of creating an artificial island. — Source

39

Walter Matthau

MYTH: Walter Matthau had an unpronounceable last name Some people thought Walter Matthau's last name was in fact Matuschanskayasky, but it was actually Matthow, with just a small change in spelling. CRACKED

38

Knuckles

CRACKED MYTH: CRACKING YOUR KNUCKLES WILL CAUSE ARTHRITIS. FACT: Studies have shown no evidence to support this common belief. The cracking sound that you hear when you crack your knuckles is caused by the release of gas bubbles in the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints. Arthritis is caused by inflammation of the joints- and the release of gas bubbles is not thought to cause it.

37

Screen Time

CRACKED MYTH: SITTING TOO CLOSE TO THE TV CAN DAMAGE YOUR EYES. FACT: While sitting too close to the TV may cause eye strain, it does not cause permanent damage to your eyes. This myth started when televisions contained more radiation than they do now. — AAO / Laughing Squid

36

The Wizard of Oz

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did an actor hang himself on the set of The Wizard of Oz? There's an urban legend that if you look closely, you can see a Munchkin hanging themself during one scene. However, this myth is most likely just a combination of poor resolution and people seeing what they want to see. CRACKED — MGM
Little White Lines

35

Urine

Despite the popular myth, urine has bacteria and isn't actually sterile. CRACKED.COM The myth spread when epidemiologist Edward Kass set a cutoff in the 1950s for the number of bacteria in normal urine, and any number under that resulting in a negative test. — Science News

34

The Great Chicago Fire

Mrs. O'Leary is remembered for causing the Great Chicago Fire. But she was innocent. And so was her cow. Despite all the campfire songs to the contrary, the 1871 Chicago fire wasn't caused by Catherine O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern she'd left burning. The official report actually cleared Mrs. O'Leary (and her cow). But that didn't stop The Chicago Tribune from publishing Michael Ahern's unproven story blaming O'Leary. Because of anti-Irish prejudice, she was reviled and literally spit on her entire life. CRACKED.COM https://www.thoughtco.com/mrs-olearys-cow-great-chicago-fire-1774059 — 21 Historical Figures Everybody Gets Wrong

33

Potatoes

MYTH: ACCIDENTALLY useD TOO MUCH SALT? ADD A POTATO! FACT: POTATOES ARen'T MAGICAL SALT-SUCKERS. Potatoes added to overly salted soup will taste salty, but that's because they absorb the water. And if it's salty water, they'll absorb salt too. But potatoes don't specifically leach the salt out of your dish and make it less salty. The only way to decrease saltiness is to dilute your dish. CRACKED.COM https://saramoulton.com/201 2/07/saras-kitchen-revelations-oversalted-it-there-is-one-solution/

32

Men and Women

MYTH: men PeAK AT 20. women PeAK AT 35. FACT: MALE OR FemALe, YOU GAIN FROM experience. True, men have the most testosterone at 20, while women hit their highest estrogen levels later. But while a shortage of hormones messes with sex, that doesn't mean max hormones give you the best sex ever. You gotta learn how to do it first. CRACKED.COM — Sex Myths You've Probably Believed Your Entire Life

31

60 Minutes

MYTH: 60 Minutes ran a story about a man who sued because his ladder slipped in manure. FACT: Не actually sued because the ladder broke. The story that still circulates on the internet is that he set up his ladder in frozen manure, and when it thawed, the ladder slipped. But the ladder didn't slip, it broke. It broke with less than 450 pounds of weight on it, when it was supposedly rated safe up to 1000 pounds. CRACKED.COM Stephen Daniels, Joanne Martin, 1995 Civil Juries and the Politics of Reform. — 23 Widely-Circulated 'Facts' About The Law That Are Myths

30

Pirates

Myth: Somalia has the highest rate of piracy in the world. Reality: The piracy rate in Somalia has dropped significantly since 2013. Now most pirate attacks take place near Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. CRACKED COM — 15 Countries We Picture Wrong Side By Side With Reality

29

Ostriches

MYTH Ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they're scared. TRUTH Ostriches run (at high speeds) when they're scared. They never bury their heads. CRACKED.COM — The 6 Most Frequently Quoted Bullshit Animal Facts

28

Madagascar

The original settlers of Madagascar really went out of their way to get there. You'd think that Madagascar was first settled by people coming from Africa - and you'd be wrong. Madagascar's indigeous population are descended from people who canoed all the way from Indonesia, 3,000 miles away. The motivation for that long trip is still a mystery. CRACKED COM — Source: 18 Knowledge-Quenching Random Facts

27

Birds

Contrary to popular belief, handling a baby bird won't make its parents reject it due to the smell of human. Most birds can barely smell. ... but it's still a bad idea to handle any baby birds you find. Their parents are rarely far off, and even if you don't see them, they see you. CRACKED.COM — Source: 40 Myths (That've Been Around Forever) We All Believe

26

Buddhism

YOU'D THINK THAT A RELIGIOUS LEADER LIKE THE DALAI LAMA WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT SCIENCE 16 A N ACTUALLY, НЕ LOVES IT! World-class scientists have generously coached me in subatomic physics, cosmology. psychology, biology. If science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change. CRACKED.COM — 19 Celebs Who (In Private) Aren't Like Their Public Personas

25

Medieval Knights

Medieval knights wearing full armor actually weren't terribly bulky at all. For example, contrary to widespread myth, knights could get on their horse without any help - they didn't need, say, elaborate cranes or anything. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Spiders

MYTH: DADDY-LONGLEGS ARE THE MOST VENOMOUS SPIDER IN THE WORLD. CRACKED COM The myth states that the deadly arachnids are harmless to humans because their fangs are in the back of their mouth, SO they can't bite us. Daddy-longlegs, otherwise known as harvestmen, not only aren't actually spiders, but they have no venom at all. — Source: Burke Museum

23

Star Wars

You'd think Dejarik would be CG by The Force Awakens. It's not. It's still stop-action animation. The original props had deteriorated, though, so special effects workers used scenes from the original trilogy and a 3D printer to painstakingly sculpt new Dejaric pieces. Then they hired original animator Phil Tippett. CRACKED.COM — 26 Movie Effects That Look Like CGI, But Nope

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22

Sword Fights

Sword fights weren't all about the sword. Yes, you'd try to strike your opponent with your blade but you'd also grab at them, punch them, and kick them. The idea that these were dirty tricks comes from the 18th-19th centuries. — Source: The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts

21

Alcohol

MYTH: ALCOHOL WARmS yoU UP. ACHTEO IMERICAE FACT: ALCOHOL OnLY MAkes YouFeeL WARmER. Which may be all you care about, if you're just worried about getting a little chilly. But if you're really worried about freezing, feeling warmer means more blood rushing to your skin, which actually makes you

20

Potted Plants

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19

Deliverance

Movie Trivia Everyone Gets Wrong - Myth The Dueling Banjos scene in Deliverance was unscripted. Reality It was totally in the script. A rumor spread t — Sources: Snopes,

The Shape of the Earth

BELIEF: Medieval Europeans believed the Earth was flat. TRUTH: People knew the Earth was round by sixth century BC. The myth was started by people in

17

The Right to Remain Silent

MYTH: CRACKED IF you get arrested, you can just remain silent and the cops must stop questioning you. REALITY: You have the right to remain silent, bu

16

PMS

THE STEREOTYPE ... MOODY? MUST BE THAT TIME OF THE MONTH! BUT In REALITY... PMS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MOOD SWINGS. We're not saying that hormones don — For details, read 5 Gender Stereotypes That Used To Be the Exact Opposite

15

Latin Women

THE STEREOTYPE... LATIN WOMEN ARE ALWAYS PARTYING! 68 BUT in REALITY ... HOLLYWOOD INVENTED THIS, ON PURPOSE. During WWIl, Hollywood wanted to enter t — For details, read 6 Terrible Stereotypes (That Came From Positive Things)

14

French Surrender

THE STEREOTYPE ... THE FRENCH ARE SURRENDER MONKEYS. BUT in REALITY ... THEY'VE WON SO MANY WARS. Since 387 BCE, France has fought 168 major wars. The — For details, read The 5 Most Statistically Full of Sh!t National Stereotypes

13

The Intelligence of Polish People

THE STEREOTYPE... THE POLISH ARE DUMB. BUT In REALITY ... THAT'S A MYTH ... INVENTED TO SMEAR POLISH IMMIGRANTS. As far as IQ goes, Poles score almost — For details, read The 5 Most Statistically Full of Sh!t National Stereotypes

12

Body Dysmorphia

THE STEREOTYPE ... BODY DISORDERS? THAT'S A WOMAN THING. BUT in REALITY ... THEY'RE JUST AS COMMON IN MEN. The difference is that in men, it usually m — For details, read 6 Things You Learn As A Guy With An Eating Disorder

11

Gossip

THE STEREOTYPE ... GOSSIP IS A WOMAN'S GAME. Mail BUT In REALITY ... MEN CAN'T RESIST IT AT ALL. When men and women hear a juicy secret, many men will — For details, read 5 Myths About Men And Women That Are Statistically B.S.

10

Female Drivers

THE STEREOTYPE... WOMEN SUCK AT DRIVING. BUT In REALITY ... NOT AS MUCH AS MEN DO. Men die twice as often in car crashes. In fact, auto insurers histo — For details, read 6 Things Everyone Knows About Women (That Aren't True)

9

Stairs

CRACKED CO HOME INVASION. THE PROSPECT IS SCARY. I MUST GET A GUN TO PROTECT MY FAMILY FROM INTRUDERS! YOU'D BE BETTER OFF SHOOTING YOUR STAIRCASE.

8

Australia

Contrary to the stereotype of Australians being constantly at risk of death by venomous snake or spider. the leading culprit in animal-related deaths

7

Fingerprints

MYTH: FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL super unique. FACT8 THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORRYINGLY SIMILAR. Your fingerprints aren't all that unique - -relatives will have ma

6

Couples

I used to think fiery relationships were romantic and exciting GRAUN but in reality, adult couples that fight all the time are either cringe-inducing

5

Having Kids

Having kids doesn't make people happier, and it doesn't bring spouses closer together. In fact, it'll probably be the opposite. Fantasy Reality Resear

4

Emotions

Contrary to the common stereotype, women are not more emotionaliy expressive than menb While it's true that wwomen express more positivitys there are

3

The Right to Remain Silent

MYTH: When the police ask you a question, you'd better answer. FAGT8 You always have the right not to answer. The right to remain silent doesn't just

2

Urban Upbringings

You'd think babies born in big cities would be healthien. Not when it comes to mental health. Specifically, children born in large cities are nearly t

1

Memorial Day

You'd think every state would have immediately supported Memorial Day. But before WWI, they didn't. Memorial Day began in 1868 as National Decoration

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