50 misconceptions that we have about the world

THINK Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth? Coffee comes from beans? Think again. This list of common misconceptions may shatter everything you thought you knew about the world.

The stuff you’ve been getting wrong for years

YOU may need to sit down before you continue reading. It appears much of what you thought you knew about the world is simply not true.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in London has released the top 50 misconceptions we have about planet Earth and you could be in for a shock.

Modern day facts — termed “faux facts” by Ripley’s — have been put under the microscope and proven by experts to be factually incorrect. Think Everest is the highest mountain and that coffee is made from beans? Think again.

Instead our beliefs are thought to be a mash up of old wives tales, rumours and a case of good old Chinese whispers.

Not the tallest.

A spokesperson for Ripley’s Believe It Or Not said it was understandable most of us have fallen for these myths.

“If you’re told something enough times, you’re sure to start believing it.

“The misconceptions in this list are all pretty plausible, so it’s understandable that many ... will have read it and been certain it’s true, with many of us being told these from an early age.

“Unbelievably, all of these commonly believed facts are in fact common misconceptions that we have myths and misconceptions.

“As our founder Robert Ripley used to say, it is often the strangest things that are true.”

Here are some of the more common myths busted::

1. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world

Not true. While Mount Everest is officially known as the tallest mountain in the world, experts claim that in technical terms this is not true.

The summit of Mount Everest is higher above sea level than the summit of any other mountain however Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest when measured from base to summit.

2. The Great Wall of China can be seen from space

It is commonly believed that one of the greatest feats of mankind is so huge it can be seen from the moon. However Apollo astronauts have confirmed that you can’t see the Great Wall of China from above and that all you can see from the moon is the white and blue marble of Earth.

Tales about seeing the Great Wall of China from space are a little far fetched.

3. Coffee is made from beans

Coffee fanatics obsess over their coffee beans. But while many assume that coffee comes from coffee beans, experts say they are actually made from seeds called a bean.

4. Sushi means “raw fish”

Although one of the common ingredients may be raw fish, sushi actually means “sour tasting”.

5. Toilets flush in different directions because of different hemispheres

Remember when you first went overseas and were told to expect toilet water to spin in a different direction because you were in a different hemisphere?

Well it’s not actually due to the hemisphere: the real reason is just that the water jets point in the opposite direction.

6. Dropping a penny from the Empire State Building will kill someone

Yes, it towers 381 metres high but a penny only weighs a gram and it tumbles as it falls. Its light weight combined with the tumbling effect produces so much air resistance that the penny never really gathers speed before it hits its terminal velocity and therefore definitely not enough to kill you.

7. Peanuts are a type of nut

Yes they have the word nut in their name, but peanuts, along with beans and peas, actually belong to the single plant family — Leguminosae.

8. Fortune cookies are a Chinese tradition

Love going to your local Chinese restaurant for the fortune cookie that comes with the bill at the end? This tradition was actually invented by the Americans.

Fortune cookie and a Chinese takeout box. The fortune cookie shows a blank slip of paper for text.

9. Vikings wore horned helmets

They might be depicted in movies and books this way but experts say there is no actual evidence to suggest that Vikings ever wore horned helmets.

10. Chameleons change colour to match their surroundings

A chameleon is thought to change colour to fit in with its surroundings and people are often accused of being like a chameleon when they change their beliefs or behaviour to please others. But the real reason chameleons actually change colour as a response to mood, temperature and exposure to light. Not because of their surrounding objects.

11. One human year is equivalent to seven dog years

While it may be true for some dogs, it’s not a blanket rule. It all depends on the size and breed of the dog.

12. You lose body heat fastest through your head

You know when your mum tells you to put something on your head if you want to keep warm? Well apparently that’s just an old wives tale. Experts say you sould be just as cold if you went without a hat as if you went without trousers.

Thoughtful winter woman drinking coffee

13. The forbidden fruit mentioned in the Book of Genesis is an apple

Absolutely not true. The bible never mentioned the forbidden fruit was an apple.

14. Vitamin C is an effective treatment for colds

You start to get sick and people tell you to eat an orange or buy some vitamin C tablets but apparently there is little or no evidence that vitamin C helps a cold. It is thought instead to help build up the immune system to ward off potential flu viruses.

15. Penguins mate for life

We all refer to penguins as upholders of the moral order as they remain entirely monogamous. But some species, such as the Emperor Penguin, are serial monogamists. They will mate with one penguins for a season then move onto another penguin the following year.

16. Caffeine dehydrates you

If you have a cup of coffee, make sure you follow it up with a large glass of water we’re told. However, while caffeinated drinks do have a mild diuretic effect — experts say they don’t appear to increase the risk of dehydration.

17. We use just 10 per cent of our brain

Neurologists say this is entirely untrue. Humans use nearly every part of their brain and most of the brain is active all the time.

18. Bulls charge at the colour red

It is a proven fact that bulls only see blues and yellow. The only reason they seem to be angered at red capes in bullfighting is because of its movement.

19. The capital of Australia is Sydney

We’re hoping every Australian already knows this but apparently this is one of the top misconceptions in the world. The capital, as we know, is Canberra.

SONY DSC