The scientific community is constantly trying to expose its own mistakes — after all, what is a statement worth if it's never been the subject of scrutiny? However, no matter how hard it tries, some people just don't listen.
Recently, Redditor Jimbo_Jigs asked other platform users to share some myths and misconceptions that many still believe to be true, and they got what they asked for. Not just the classic "vaccines cause autism." Continue scrolling and check out the replies.
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That vaccines cause autism.
Personal carbon footprint or any green initiative which focuses on individual action. BP invented the entire concept during a marketing push to hide the fact that like ~72 companies produce 90% of pollution.
The earth being flat. We have literally done studies, taken pictures, boiled all of that down to the level that a kindergartener can understand it, and some idiots still don't get it.
The proof that earth is a globe is that if it were flat, cats would have pushed everything over the edge already.
To answer the question, vaccines being anything but safe and effective is a hoax that some people believe.
Vaccines are *by far* the medical intervention best-supported by evidence. Tens of billions of vaccines given to billions of people over the course of multiple centuries have proven them to be safe and effective. If you trust *any* part of medicine, you should trust vaccines.
I would hazard a guess that vaccines have saved more lives than every other medical intervention combined.
Vaccines are nothing but literally TRAINING for an individual's own immune system! Being anti-vaxx is like saying you don't believe in Training!
Detox.
B******t, b******t, b******t.
What do you think your liver and kidneys are doing all day? If they weren’t working you would be on a form of detox called dialysis.
edit: To clarify since it might not be obvious, I’m referring to pseudoscience detox teas and pills. Not medically justified detoxification like opioids, alcohol, acetaminophen, etc…
The case of the woman who sued mcdonalds because she spilled hot coffee on herself. The hoax was that it was a frivolous lawsuit, that she was driving while drinking and she spilled the coffee on herself and just didn't like it and sued mcdonalds and won a lot of money. But the reality was that she wasn't driving, the coffee was extremely hot, people had already complained it was too hot, I don't remember how she spilled the coffee, but anyway after spilling just a bit of it on her leg, she got severe burns on her leg and had to go to the hospital and go to the ER. If she had drunk that she could have suffered much more harm. All she wanted was for mcdonalds to pay for her hospital bill, they didn't, and she sued them and won. Then either mcdonalds or it was a corporation that represented a bunch of corporations spread the hoax that some clumsy woman sued and won a lot of money because she spilled her coffee.
The Big Lie. The United States election for president was not rigged. There was no fraud in the voting process.
1. There is only one election referenced when using the term "Big Lie", and that's discussing 45 and his allegations that he actually won. 2. Notice that 45 only says he was impacted and not anyone else who lost the election that year. 3. There have been more recent local and state elections since then.
"Catching a cold" from cold weather. It's a pathogen. You catch it from people.
Though disease does increase in the winter. It's commonly thought to be due to close quarters indoors and less Vitamin D from the sun, important for the immune system.
Crystals. They are just f*****g rocks. There is no scientific evidence proving that they have healing effect. Any possible effects are due to the placebo effect. People will actually go against medical advice because they think holding a crystal will fix all their problems.
However, for some people believing in something will make them feel better.
Scientology
Edit: Scientologists are programmed to reply to this with "dOn'T yOu MeAn ALL ReLiGiOnS?" and try to do the all lives matter thing when someone says black lives matter to dilute the message.
It's the internet age, cultists. We researched your tactics to put yourself on equal footing with actual religions. You are programmed by NLP, get help.
Homeopathy. It's water.
Hey, it’s not just water! It’s at least 0.0000000000001% something else!
That using a tampon can take away a females virginity. It’s crazy that people still believe that myth even though it’s been busted many years ago.
There is not enough evidence that it can take away an individuals virginity. It shouldn’t even matter if your child is a virgin or not. You should love your child no matter what.
Your child should be able to have the right to use tampons when they’re on their period. Not everyone wants to miss out from a chance of going swimming, and not everyone wants to wear a diaper everyday for 7 days straight.
That cows just produce milk naturally without being impregnated and giving birth first.
they are simply mammals, and produce milk for the sole purpose of feeding their young.
MLMs, Boss babes, "be your own boss" scams.
I'm not sure how many documentaries need to be put on YouTube before people will stop buying into these companies and wasting their money.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. They're all equally as important, Kellogg just convinced everyone of that to sell more cereal.
That MSG is bad for you.
I meet people regularly that think it's a super insta-cancer ingredient that will cause you to die or something based on 80s/90s false scares. Then I tell them "you do know it naturally occurs on tomatoes, yes?"
So I can keep my instant noodles. Was worried I'd have to toss the lot
That GMOs cause cancer. Literally no evidence to prove this. Everything that has gone through evolution or adaptation is GMO.
Now there are issues with monoculture, but that's a whole different discussion.
We'd be screwed if GMOs caused cancer because 99% of the veges we buy today have been genetically modified of the last 10,000 years...
I believe there’s a difference between modifying the genetic code of a plant, and selectively breeding it to have certain characteristics. Yes, most of the plants we consume have been selectively grown, but that doesn’t mean 99% have had their genome modified artificially.
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When people talk of GMOs they aren't normally including selective breeding. They are referring to mutagenesis, RNA interference and transgensis. The EU does allow trangenic crops to the grown and sold, but the process is long, and costly.
GMOs are safe. But it is complete b******t to OWN it to the point you can sue small scale farmers for your seeds flying over to them and taking root.
In Europe we are quite strict with GMOs. They need to be specifically labelled and it's easy to buy products without GMOs.
My only concern with GMOs was that I had heard of Monsanto working to produce wheat and other crops that produce their own pesticides. Which means the food made from those plants would contain pesticides regardless of whether farmers sprayed them or not, and regardless of how well you wash them. So things like that make me very leery, given Monsanto's viciously evil reputation.
Plants already produce their own pesticides naturally, though. So in reality there is no such thing as non-pesticide produce. It is a part of the plant's natural defense system. However, I agree that boosting the levels of natural pesticides may be harmful to humans, because "natural" doesn't always equal "safe."
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The whole GMO freakout is entitled BS. Take a look at what corn or strawberries or almost any other crop looked like before people started modifying it. Please.
To be clear: GMO refers to organism who’s DNA has been directly edited in a lab. What people have been doing for the past 10,000 (+!) years selectively breeding animals and plants is called artificial selection. Either way, there is no associated mechanism that would cause cancer.
GMO. Genetically Modified Organic. The literal purpose of this is to make food better. More pest resistant, bigger yields, even better flavor. If there's anything to be upset about, it's the companies acting like the mafia to the farmers who buy their seed products.
Try to tell these Wing nuts that the Wheat we consume has been a GMO since the 50's, and if it wasn't we would have had some serious issues supplying food to this ever growing world.
Genetically Modifying Organisms in a lab is similar, but vastly different from hybridization. GMO labs take the DNA from one item and slice it into a second item. In theory, you can create a plant with no disease issues that produce more, etc. In practice, it has created lettuce that is still tasty when it bolts, peas that are more heat tolerant, and super super sweet corn. They have also created pink mice and extremely docile lab animals. GMO can create these changes in one generation
Huge myth: GMOs are safe. Pseudo science makes them seem safe, they aren't.
Most people who make this claim wouldn’t even be able to explain to you what a GMO is .
Actually not entirely true. Studies have shown that evolution can occur quite rapidly in stressed populations. And, of course, how fast evolution moves depends on the life cycle of the organism. That's why many studies use fruit flies, because they breed fast and die young, so on human timescales they cycle through generations very quickly.
Load More Replies... Counterpoint: Gwyneth Paltrow and many celebrities say that 'GMOs are toxins!'
I do approve of GM foods but I do need to qualify this - natural genetic adaptation where the organisms genes go to allot of trouble to ensure that gene mixing can only occur between closely related organisms (EG of the same species) and has built in mechanisms to correct mutations is a world away from direct genetic modification whereby genes from entirely different gene groups, like plants and animals, can be mixed. Genetic modification could really help humanity, but we need to be really careful, particularly as our understanding of the interaction of genes is still extremely limited.
Actually mixing genes with unrelated organisms does happen with viruses.
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It is the PESTICIDES loaded on the GMO plants that are carcinogenic and leave residues in our foods.
There is a significant difference between GMO substances and plants/animals evolving over time. In order to insert new genetic material, a vector (something to carry the new genes into the DNA of another thing) is required. Vectors are often viruses. Adding animal genes to plant DNA is not something that would happen naturally. The original comment on GMOs is incorrect overall. The question of cancer cause is another issue.
There's A BIG Difference Between "Selective Breeding" And "Genetically Modified"
Orange carrots are man made to make them look more palatable
We can't prove either way honestly, because humans exist outside on controlled laboratories and we have no idea what consuming food with artificially modified genomes does long term. Edit: there may be a big difference between selective breeding and lifting genes from one organism into another (making GMOs potentially much different than agriculture in the past. We are finding more and more gene expression depends on other, sometimes seemingly unrelated genes. What happens if we insert part of the sequence into another plant and a gene that normally influences it isn't there? What if the new plant has other genes that unpredictably influence the newly added parts?
It's not BS. People with gluten intolerances are an example. Genetically modifying the dna of wheat strains includes loading them up with more and more chromosomes which makes them harder to digest and promotes inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been proven to have a strong link with the development of cancer. Is it the only cause? No. But there is a reason a lot of gluten intolerant people (not all but some) can comfortably eat wheat in Europe bc the plants there are closer to their ancient origins. They have fewer chromosomes and aren't as irritating to the digestive system.
yes! we humans have manipulated crops for decades if not centuries. anyone who takes the time to check out what a tomato or banana or watermelon looked like a hundred years ago would not be able to identify it as such.
Crossbreeding within types to fix traits is genetic manipulation, as anyone raising animals knows.
I get what the OP is saying, but are selectively bred crops legally classified as GMOs? I don't think they are, but still, serious question. People keep using the selective breeding argument in favor of GMOs, but I really don't think that's the same thing. And to be clear, I'm not strictly against all GMOs, I just don't think GMO = selective breeding at all.
People simply *giving away* drugs or edibles on Halloween. As if.
Now remember kids, if someone gives you drugs on Halloween, you say thank you. Because drugs are expensive.
That dogs can only see in black and white. This is false.
Wolf hierarchy with alpha on top and omega at the bottom.
Qanon
That NASA spent billions developing a pen to work in space and the Russians just used a pencil.
Actually pencils were a major problem on space stations - tiny bits break off and get into every system.
That Kitty Genovese was murdered as people heard her screams and did nothing. To this day people believe in the Bystander Effect.
In fact multiple neighbors called the police. One even went to her to comfort her believing police were on the way and was driven off by the murderer coming back to finish her off.
The New York Times asked the police about it in their reporting, and without checking, believed them that they didn’t get any calls. In fact the police were covering for them badly dropping the ball. If they’d actually responded when the first call came in, Genovese could probably have been saved.
The lazy reporter later became the editor of the New York Times, having eroded a large amount of humanity’s trust in itself.
Isn’t that whole Myers-Briggs personality test recognized as a complete fabrication.
Touching a baby bird will make its parents reject it.
Edited to add: Any baby animal. When in doubt, reach out to your local wildlife rehabilitation network/individual.
Blood in your veins is blue and red in your arteries. Literally every elementary school teacher I had kept this lie going.
Different parts of your tongue don't actually detect different types of taste. Your tongue is the same all over.
Using a cell phone a lot will give you cancer.
The radiation phones give off is harmless. They use radio waves to operate, which many of us here will have been exposed to our entire lives whether or not we use a phone. AM/FM radio causes radio waves to be going through us at all times.
SOURCE: Am currently studying the effects of different kinds of radiation on microorganisms in my microbiology class
Numerous studies on this topic have all come up showing zero evidence of this being a problem, even the ones not sponsored by cell phone companies. Physical models of the effect of this radiation on proteins and other organic chemicals show it's not even possible to have an effect.
A lot of cryptocurrency scams.
Majority of the suckers often either continue to hold their investments; that was worth less than dirt, or go on to invest in yet another scam.
Got a call a while ago. Scam: Do you want to invest in cryptocurrency? Me: sure Scam: go to Invest.com Me: how u spell it? Scam: I like in Italy ... (20 minutes later).. Me: no still page not found, I type "invest.comilikeinitalytlikeintomato" Scam: goodbye
That the Great Wall of China is visible from the moon. I swear I even had my history teacher in High School stating that it was true.
That people are “right” or “left” brain thinkers and that it has any bearing on her personality and level of logic or creativity.
The left and the right brain are definitely different. Watch this - https://youtu.be/wfYbgdo8e-8 - it might blow your mind but which one!
If you pull out a grey hair three more grow in its place, my sister still believes this one.
It's true, though not because you've pulled one out, it's because you're going grey! I know, lol.
That carrots improve your eyesight. I think it was used in the Great British blackout because there was a food shortage and carrots was the easiest thing to get. Don't quote me on that tho.
That Kennedy called himself a jelly doughnut in a speech to Berliners and they all laughed at him. Not true, he was fine using "ich bin ein berliner" there.
Essential oils.
Well, they don't treat or cure stuff, but can alleviate some symptoms. Some smell great. I usually put some mint oil on my pillow when i have a cold so I don't wake up every hour to inhale the minty stick or whatever it's called. Oils have benefits, but they don't magically heal, just like a massage doesn't cure my bad bones and muscles, but it sure helps with pain. I feel like people with too much time on their hands and money to buy the oils just have nothing better to do than spew s**t like this instead of listening to medical experts, but who knows what that disorder is called anyway? It's just certain that it cannot be "cured" by the oils.
It’s illegal to keep the light on in the car while driving.
Crop Circles being created by alien spacecraft.
College kids with engineering degrees pull off this hoax all the time, and they do it with nothing more than a central posts, a ball of string, and a heavy roller to mash down the crops. They produce perfectly concentric circles and straight lines using the same technology that the egyptians used to build pyramids.
That you need to wash your chicken before you cook it! Please don’t do this.
Thank you. Meat and animal products can pick up all sorts of bacteria during processing and packaging, washing meat before you cook it will contaminate your kitchen cooking the meat at the right temperature will kill off most bacteria
Professional fighters don't actually have to register their hands as weapons. No body part can be registered as a weapon.
I'm upset with myself for actually believing it for years.
Wait. I have a certificate from the internet that says my hands are lethal weapons. ACTUAL LETHAL WEAPONS AS DANGEROUS AS ANY F I R E ARM. The internet wouldn't give me a certificate if it weren't true.
Chocolate milk coming from brown cows. Isn't it like 7% of americans think that or something?
I hope they were all taking the pi$$ when they answered that survey...
Pretty sure the Bermuda Triangle being more dangerous due to supernatural things but it is just as dangerous as any sea, it just has some intense waters.
That whole miracle mineral solution thing. Or as I like to call it, the drinkin' bleach.
Nelson Mandela’s death in prison. We all know the Mandela Effect at this point.
Our memories are not all that reliable. I was super confused when the death of Prince Phillip was announced last year because I was convinced he had died over 10 years ago. I very clearly remember going through a 9gag post in my college years where they were listing some cute moments between him and the queen for the anniversary of his death. Clearly that's a false memory but it sure threw me for a loop.
Amityville. They said it was made up over a few bottles of wine. The Defeo lawyer and the lutz’s.
The popular ghost boy picture was just an investigator on his knees with glasses. The movies and books made millions and every few years more and more documentaries come about.
I can only speculate what actually happened but people cannot let it go.
Bigfoot
There's an underground community of people on YouTube shorts faking Bigfoot sightings and each one gets more desperate than the last, and the comments are echo chambers of people trying to convince themselves and others that there are still 'Bigfoot' esque creatures out there.
It's entertainment, highly recommend
For hundreds of years the silverback gorilla was a "myth." As were white whales, colossal squids, and a host of other previously undiscovered animals. I'm not saying Gigantopithecus isn't extinct, but that it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they found one.
The “organic” food certification cartel. Food labeled as organic isn’t any better for you, science backs this. Modern pesticides are designed to be less harmful to the environment than older methods, and break down long before the food is to be consumed, even though you should always wash your produce. However, organic foods take more land and resources to produce, use older methods for pesticides that are MUCH worse for the environment, have more flaws, cost more, and generally don’t keep as long. Organic food is more wasteful and harmful to the environment, but their scam marketing campaigns have misled the general public.
Sorry but horeshit, do some better research, sure organic is not as easy but bloody hell this comment is ignorant. There is so mamy new studies on pesticides and herbicides in rice and fruit end vegetables. https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/5234787/dirty-dozen-pesticides/%3famp=true "The USDA also does not test fruits and vegetables for all pesticides used in crop production. For example, glyphosate is the most heavily used pesticide in the U.S., and it can be found in high levels on several grains and beans, such as oats and chickpeas. But the USDA has not analyzed these crops for glyphosate. This is troubling, because tests commissioned by EWG found almost three-fourths of popular oat-based food samples, including many popular with children, had pesticide residue levels higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children’s health." Also all the pesticide runoff that has destroyed waterways in many countries.
Dairy products are good for your bones.
Our diet does require some source of calcium, dairy is only one such source, salmon (and some other fish), soy, beans, vegetables. Even a tin of baked beans will give you a decent dose of calcium.
Stop believing anyone's uterus is your business. You are killing women. That's all.
Cheetos make good presidents. The amount of people that still believe this is astonishing.
A few of these are just personal opinions of the author I think, however Myths and conspiracy theories sell well :D
I was hoping GMOs would be on the list. People think they are dangerous when they are not.
The thing with these post is that they just say a word or two but don't let us know why and/or why not. For ex. Essential Oils. Okay, what about them? The other thing is that nothing is supported with reports/facts, etc. either.
Well for one many are poisonous and any oil can cause pneumonia and death if ingested and accidentally inhaled into the lungs (like people do with beverages) because it disrupts surfactant. They can poison children and small animals when used in a diffuser. Just don't buy them.
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Why is/are god(s) not on this list? Just as much nonsense as anything else on the list.
One thing I have learned... and it's not universal and so it does not apply to everyone. Some people just have weak immune systems. Most of the people who always have sniffles, a cold, stomach flu and get the flu annually... don't wash their hands after using the toilet.
My immune system was just fine until I went through pregnancy and childbirth. After that, I catch everything that's going around. I haven't changed my hand washing policy.
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Humans are not the only intelligent species in the whole entire universe. There are other mutch higher intelligent species roaming around outer space. They just don't want to mingle with us because they look at us like the way we look at pond scum.
Not een the only intelligent species on this planet. :-)
Load More Replies... Stop believing anyone's uterus is your business. You are killing women. That's all.
Cheetos make good presidents. The amount of people that still believe this is astonishing.
A few of these are just personal opinions of the author I think, however Myths and conspiracy theories sell well :D
I was hoping GMOs would be on the list. People think they are dangerous when they are not.
The thing with these post is that they just say a word or two but don't let us know why and/or why not. For ex. Essential Oils. Okay, what about them? The other thing is that nothing is supported with reports/facts, etc. either.
Well for one many are poisonous and any oil can cause pneumonia and death if ingested and accidentally inhaled into the lungs (like people do with beverages) because it disrupts surfactant. They can poison children and small animals when used in a diffuser. Just don't buy them.
Load More Replies... Why is/are god(s) not on this list? Just as much nonsense as anything else on the list.
One thing I have learned... and it's not universal and so it does not apply to everyone. Some people just have weak immune systems. Most of the people who always have sniffles, a cold, stomach flu and get the flu annually... don't wash their hands after using the toilet.
My immune system was just fine until I went through pregnancy and childbirth. After that, I catch everything that's going around. I haven't changed my hand washing policy.
Load More Replies... Humans are not the only intelligent species in the whole entire universe. There are other mutch higher intelligent species roaming around outer space. They just don't want to mingle with us because they look at us like the way we look at pond scum.
Not een the only intelligent species on this planet. :-)
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