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YOU WONT BELIEVE: Learned wrong posts - What They Never Told You
We go through life and learn each day, but sometimes we can be factually wrong in what we believe. Research shows that we tend to embrace information that supports our beliefs, even when it's wrong, and scientists call this "confirmation bias." Sifting through what's true and not can be especially hard online; luckily, there are communities that help debunk common misconceptions and myths.
The "Learned Wrong" is a subreddit dedicated exactly to that, with a mission of "Clearing up misconceptions and outdated information you might have been taught across history, science, [intimacy], health, and more."
From serious science stuff like myths about the ozone layer, to more light-hearted ones like our teachers telling us we won't always have a calculator in our pockets or how periods really work, here are the most interesting things people have unlearned thanks to this online community.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Most Women Probably Won't Care Either
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#2
I Learned Wrong That "News" Stands For "Notable Events, Weather, And Sports"
#3
I Learned Wrong That Botox Makes You Look Younger
LakotaWolf (she/her) 53 minutes ago
My mom is 82 and has been getting Botox for years. She looks exactly like an 82-year-old who has gotten Botox and many many other plastic surgeries XD
#4
Some Of Y'all Learned Wrong That Society Totally Forgot About The Hole In The Ozone Layer
#5
I Learned Wrong That Puerto Rico Isn't Technically Part Of The US
LakotaWolf (she/her) 43 minutes ago
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. "Under the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, all individuals born in Puerto Rico are granted natural U.S. citizenship, entitling them to American passports and the same rights as those born in the 50 states." As an American growing up in the 80s/90s, I remember that Puerto Rico was sometimes jokingly and affectionately called "the 51st state". It's saddening to me that some of my fellow Americans refuse to acknowledge that people born in Puerto Rico are American citizens just like they are.
#6
How To Never Work A Day In Your Life
David 2 hours ago
Sadly too many people choose degrees that have few or no jobs. Do a practical degree with a second major in what you like. We graduate 2x more english majors than jobs that require it, 8x more gender studies than jobs for it, while a shortage of engineers, math, PA, NP, etc. Unless you plan to go to law school or med school (doing the pre-reqs), do a degree that will lead to a job. Or go into the wonderful world of the Trades where we need and can earn well as a welder, Plummer, electrician, etc. We have a 1.1 million deficit in the US for the skilled trades. Most can be done in 14-24 months, with much lower costs and debt than college.
#7
This Guy Learned Wrong That Menstrual Pain Is A Myth
#8
Being Cold Won't Directly Give You A Cold. Colds Are Caused By Viruses, Not By Temperature
Remi (He/Him) 51 minutes ago
A recent study showed that cold nose means weaker immune system in the area, so you might be more right saying, people catch colds easier when the air is cold. Also cold weather means people spend more time indoors coughing at each other
#9
I Learned Wrong That Everyone's Forgotten After 3 Generations
#10
Nobel Prize Winning Economist Paul Krugman
David Paterson 27 minutes ago
I can tell you quite a few wrong things said by former Nobel prize winners. Even from people who have won a Nobel prize twice, like Linus Pauling.
#11
Dinosaurs Weren't All Scaly Reptiles. Some Actually Had Feathers Or Feather-Like Coverings
#12
Turkey May Not Have Actually Been Eaten At "The First Thanksgiving" In 1621
#13
People Didn't Only Live Until They Were 30 In The Past
David 2 hours ago
If you lived past 10, average age in ancient Rome or Medieval period was 58-63. Average age in the poorest parts of the developing world today is 63. And yes, old people were around, even people hitting 100 happened, but it was rare. Basically most people lived to late 50s to mid 60s back then.
#14
Shaving Doesn't Make Hair Grow Back Thicker. This Was Disproven Almost A Hundred Years Ago. This Myth Might Exist Because Newly Grown Hair Can Look Thicker
LakotaWolf (she/her) 39 minutes ago
I remember hearing this all the time as a girl/teen. Expected to shave my legs as a female because leg hair on girls is gross, but also don't shave it because it'll grow back in thicker! XD
#15
Vikings Didn't Actually Wear Horned Helmets. That Image Was Based Off 19th Century Art Rather Than Actual Archaeological Findings
David Paterson 9 minutes ago
According to QI, most Viking raiders didn't wear helmets at all. They wore beanies.
#17
This Isn’t How You Should Be Washing Your Face???
#18
"You Won't Always Have A Calculator In Your Pocket"
David Paterson 12 minutes ago
Going back one generation before mine. "Children must be taught to write on slates because there won't always be paper around to write on".
#19
I Learned Wrong Back In Elementary School That Christopher Columbus Was A Hero Who Did Nothing Wrong
#20
I Learned Wrong That Bats Are Blind. Bats Do Use Echolocation To Locate Prey, But It's Supplementary To Their Vision (Which Works Quite Well) Rather Than A Replacement
#22
Just One Space Is Fine
#24
Breakfast Isn't The Most Important Meal Of The Day For Everyone. It Only Might Be For People Who Need Extra Energy In The Mornings. Research Shows That Overall Nutrition Is More Important Than When You Eat
Remi (He/Him) 32 minutes ago
A kid skipping breakfast might do so because the parent(s) aren't providing one. If that's true, the kid is also less likely to have parental help with studying which leads to poorer test scores.
#28
I Learned Wrong That The Moon Has No Gravity
#29
Jesus Might Not Have Actually Been Born On December 25. No Official Record Of His Birth Has Been Found. There Are Multiple Theories As To Why December 25 Was Chosen
#30
The Pilgrims May Not Have Initially Landed At Plymouth Rock In 1620. The Actual Landing Place Hasn't Been Found Yet
#31
Sugar Doesn't Directly Make Kids Hyper. Eating Sugary Foods Is Associated With Activities Where Kids Are Typically Hyper, Such As Birthday Parties
#33
Still Eating Your Halloween Candy? The Chances Of It Being Poisoned Are Way Lower Than What You’ve Probably Been Taught, But Not Zero
#35
Eating Carrots Won't Help Improve Your Vision. Carrots Help Maintain Overall Eye Health, But Won't Make You See Better In The Dark
Gavin Johnson 2 hours ago
Propaganda to cover up our development of radar. The RAF put it about that night fighter pilots had a carrot rich diet to help them see German night bombers. In reality they had radio contact with WAAF members who directed them onto the incoming bomber stream. Later the radar systems were smaller and fitted to the aircraft. Carrots are very nice though, especially dipped in hummus.
#36
The English Spelling Rule "I Before E Except After C" Doesn't Hold Up As Much As You Were Taught It Does. There's A Ton Of Exceptions: Science, Height, Their, Protein, Caffeine, Vein, Beige, Neighbor, Weird, Seize, And Many Others Break This
#37
I Learned Wrong That Marie Antoinette Said "Let Them Eat Cake" About The French Working Class. The Actual Line Was "Let Them Eat Brioche" And Written By Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau In His Autobiography Who Attributed It To An Unnamed Princess
#38
I Learned Wrong That Hip Dips Are Caused By Weight Or Are A Deformity. Turns Out They're Pretty Normal, Common, And Can't Be "Fixed" By Workouts
#39
I Learned Wrong That Bulls Charge At Matadors Because The Flag They Wave Is Red. The Color Doesn't Matter, Only The Motion
TIL that Bulls don’t actually hate the colour red. In Bull fights, they don’t charge at the cape because of its colour, but because of the motion it makes when the matador waves it. The cape is just red to mask the bloodstains from the fight.
#40
The Pilgrims Didn't Actually Wear Black Clothing With Buckles On The Regular. They Usually Wore Colorful Clothing. The Black Clothing Mainly Came From How They Were Depicted By The Victorians
#41
The First Thanksgiving In 1621 Wasn't Just A Celebration Of Gratitude And Friendship Between The Indigenous Folks (Wampanoag) And The Pilgrims. The Wampanoag Were Mainly Motivated By Securing An Alliance For Self-Defense
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