# Ten SCiENCE "FACTS" that are Widely Believed...but WRONG!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqOWgn1edY4
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/XqOWgn1edY4
Generated: 2025-07-14T17:07:36.55+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Many commonly held beliefs about science are actually misconceptions, including that lightning never strikes the same place twice, toilets flush differently in hemispheres, bulls are enraged by red, bats are blind, goldfish have short memories, humans only use 10% of their brain, we only have five senses, sugar makes kids hyperactive, cracking knuckles causes arthritis, and shaving hair makes it grow thicker. These myths persist due to misinterpretations, cultural associations, and confirmation bias, despite scientific evidence proving them false.

**Key Points:**
- Lightning frequently strikes the same tall structures multiple times, disproving the common saying.
- Toilet flush direction is determined by the toilet's design, not the Earth's rotation or the Coriolis effect.
- Bulls are red-green colorblind and react to the motion of a bullfighter's cape, not its red color.
- Bats can see well, often better than humans at night, in addition to using echolocation.
- Goldfish possess memory spans of several months, capable of learning and remembering complex tasks.
- Humans utilize 100% of their brain, with different regions active at different times, not just 10%.
- Humans have at least nine senses, including balance, body awareness, temperature, pain, and internal body states, beyond the traditional five.

![Screenshot at 0:06: Lightning striking a city skyline at night, illustrating the myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-00-06.png)

**Context:** Many scientific "facts" widely accepted as common knowledge are, in reality, persistent misconceptions. These beliefs often stem from historical misunderstandings, misinterpretations of scientific concepts, cultural narratives, or even convenient assumptions. Despite modern scientific advancements and evidence, these pseudo-facts continue to circulate through popular culture, word-of-mouth, and sometimes even outdated educational materials, making them difficult to dislodge from public consciousness.

## Detailed Analysis

This video debunks ten widespread science misconceptions, explaining the scientific truth behind each and exploring why these myths continue to be believed. Firstly, the idea that lightning never strikes the same place twice is false; lightning frequently hits tall structures like the Empire State Building multiple times annually, as it seeks the path of least resistance. This myth originated metaphorically but became literal over time. Secondly, toilets do not flush differently in different hemispheres due to the Coriolis effect; their swirl direction is determined by the toilet's design, as the Coriolis effect is too weak for small-scale phenomena. This misconception is perpetuated by pop culture and the plausible but incorrect extension of large-scale weather phenomena to small-scale water movement. Thirdly, bulls are not enraged by the color red; they are red-green colorblind and react to the motion of the cape, which is traditionally red to hide bloodstains. This myth is rooted in the cultural association of red with anger and the dramatic narrative of bullfighting. Fourthly, the saying "blind as a bat" is inaccurate; bats can see quite well, often better than humans at night, and use echolocation as an additional navigation tool. This myth likely arose from their nocturnal, erratic flight patterns and small eyes, reinforced by folklore. Fifthly, goldfish do not have a 3-second memory; they can remember things for months and be trained to navigate mazes and recognize shapes. This myth may have started as a joke or misinterpretation, perpetuated by the convenience of believing fish don't suffer in small bowls. Sixthly, humans use 100% of their brain, not just 10%; brain scans show activity throughout the brain, even during rest, and the brain consumes 20% of the body's energy. This appealing idea of untapped potential was popularized by self-help and Hollywood, misinterpreting that not all neurons fire simultaneously. Seventhly, humans have more than five senses, including proprioception (body awareness), thermoception (temperature), nociception (pain), and interoception (internal body states). The five-sense idea dates back to Aristotle and persists due to traditional teaching. Eighthly, sugar does not make kids hyperactive; scientific trials show no significant behavioral difference between children given sugar and those given a placebo. This myth gained traction from unproven hypotheses in the 1970s and is reinforced by parental confirmation bias. Ninthly, cracking knuckles does not cause arthritis; studies show no link between habitual knuckle cracking and joint problems. The popping sound is from gas bubbles in joint fluid, not bone damage. This myth is intuitively plausible and was used as a scare tactic. Finally, shaving hair does not make it grow back thicker or faster; it only creates a blunt tip that can feel stiffer or appear darker initially. This misconception is due to visual perception and the natural thickening of hair during puberty, which is confused with the act of shaving.

### Lightning Myth

- Lightning can and does strike the same place repeatedly, especially tall structures like skyscrapers, as it follows the path of least resistance
- The phrase "lightning never strikes the same place twice" was originally a metaphor for rare events not repeating, but it became literally believed over time due to a lack of scientific understanding of thunderstorms.

### Toilet Swirl Myth

- The direction a toilet flushes is determined by its design and the angle of its water jets, not the Earth's rotation or the Coriolis effect
- The Coriolis effect is real but only influences large-scale phenomena like hurricanes, being too weak to affect small volumes of water like those in toilets or bathtubs
- This misconception is spread by pop culture and the plausible but incorrect assumption that Earth's rotation affects all moving fluids, regardless of scale.

### Bulls and Red Myth

- Bulls are red-green colorblind and react to the motion of a bullfighter's cape, not its red color
- The red color of the matador's cape is traditional to hide bloodstains, not to enrage the bull
- This myth is deeply ingrained in culture because the image of red representing anger or danger creates a dramatic and psychologically easy association.

### Blind as a Bat Myth

- Bats can see quite well, often better than humans in low light, and many species can even detect ultraviolet light
- While bats do rely on echolocation (biological sonar) to navigate and hunt in the dark, this does not mean their eyes are non-functional
- This misconception likely arose because echolocation seemed like a replacement for vision, and bats' erratic night flights, combined with their small eyes and folklore, led people to believe they were sightless.

### Goldfish Memory Myth

- Goldfish can remember things for months, can be trained to navigate mazes, recognize shapes, and learn simple tricks for food rewards
- Studies show goldfish can recognize their feeding times and the people who feed them
- This myth might have started as a joke or misinterpretation, becoming "common knowledge" because humans tend to underestimate animals with small brains, and it conveniently alleviates guilt about keeping fish in small bowls.

### 10% Brain Use Myth

- Humans use 100% of their brain, though not all parts are active simultaneously; brain scans show activity across the entire brain over the course of a day, even during sleep
- The brain is a highly energy-intensive organ, consuming 20% of the body's energy, which would be evolutionarily wasteful if only 10% were utilized
- This appealing idea of untapped potential was popularized by self-help books and movies, stemming from a misinterpretation of early neuroscience findings that not every neuron is firing at any given moment.

### Five Senses Myth

- Humans have at least nine or more senses, including the vestibular sense (balance), proprioception (body position awareness), thermoception (temperature), nociception (pain), and interoception (internal body states like hunger or thirst)
- Each of these additional senses has distinct receptors and nerve pathways, making them separate from the traditional five senses
- The idea of five senses dates back to Aristotle's classification and has persisted for millennia due to tradition and the slow integration of new scientific understanding into general education.

### Sugar Hyperactivity Myth

- Scientific trials have found no significant difference in behavior between children who consumed sugar and those who received a sugar-free placebo
- Sugar is a carbohydrate that, if anything, might cause a mild energy crash or sleepiness after a large dose, rather than a spike in energy
- This myth originated from unproven hypotheses in the 1970s and is reinforced by popular culture and confirmation bias, where adults expect hyperactivity after sugar and interpret normal energetic behavior as proof of the "sugar effect."

![Screenshot at 0:06: Lightning striking a city skyline at night, illustrating the myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-00-06.png)
![Screenshot at 0:45: The Empire State Building being struck by lightning, providing visual evidence against the lightning myth.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-00-45.png)
![Screenshot at 1:31: An animated globe with toilets at the poles, showing water swirling in opposite directions, representing the toilet flush myth.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-01-31.png)
![Screenshot at 1:45: A hurricane seen from space, labeled "Coriolis Effect," demonstrating the large-scale influence of Earth's rotation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-01-45.png)
![Screenshot at 2:35: A bullfighter waving a red cape at a bull in an arena, depicting the common belief about bulls and the color red.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-02-35.png)
![Screenshot at 2:48: A red-green colorblindness test image, showing how bulls perceive colors differently.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-02-48.png)
![Screenshot at 5:17: A bat hanging upside down, with text overlay "Blind as a bat!" to introduce the misconception.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-05-17.png)
![Screenshot at 5:27: A diagram illustrating a bat using echolocation to detect a butterfly, showing their biological sonar system.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-05-27.png)
![Screenshot at 6:36: A goldfish swimming in a small bowl with a castle decoration, representing the myth of a 3-second memory.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-06-36.png)
![Screenshot at 6:47: A goldfish navigating a maze in a pond, demonstrating its actual memory and learning capabilities.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/XqOWgn1edY4/00-06-47.png)