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Here Are 33 Of The Weirdest “Theories” Science Has Debunked Yet Many Folks Still Consider True
They say that in medieval times, people didn’t believe in weather forecasts - according to legend, one of the dukes in a fit of anger ordered his court weather forecaster to be hanged right from the spire of his castle, saying that maybe now the guy would at least correctly indicate the wind direction. Today, we believe in weather forecasts as something completely usual, right?
Why am I telling you all this? Well, here’s the point: in our world, there are actually many things that by all indications are nothing more than pseudoscience, but people all over the world still fervently believe in them. Today’s list by Bored Panda is made up of exactly these ideas, theories, and things.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Cleanses to reduce the "toxins" in your body. We have organs for that: your liver and kidneys. If those aren't working you have problems way bigger than any juice can handle.
RELATED:
#2
Flat earth. I know a lot of it is trolling, but there are some sincere crazies out there.
Ravenkbh 6 months ago
Typical Round Earther. You'll change your tune when the Earth frisbees it's way into the sun
Glenn Cuneo 6 months ago
ThaT WONT HAPPEN! Firmanent, and ice wall s**t....
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Michael Largey 6 months ago
But the physics - and astrophysics - of an actual flat earth would be fascinating
Robert Trebor 6 months ago
Sir Terry Pratchett and the Discworld handled some of that cosmology. Asked how the water spilling over the edge was returned, he said, "There are ways."
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WindySwede 6 months ago
Tru flefs don't belive that, they say flat earth societyareathing from the government to mock real flat earth sopeoplestkll believe in the spherical model.
Load More Replies... Nathan Lewis 6 months ago
its not even trolling. these people are just shockingly dumb and want to feel special.
Cuppa tea? 6 months ago
I'm on flat Earth theory. Fine, let's agree Earth is flat. But why it's circular? If it's flat it can be triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, or some weird irregular shape.
panther 6 months ago
I want someone to point out to them that in all of recorded history no one has found the edge. So why haven't they proven it? After all it would make them famous.
Michael Largey 6 months ago
They did find it. But a cat knocked them off the edge so they never came back to report what they'd found.
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no adhesiveness 2020 6 months ago
Reading these, it just occurred to me that if the Earth was flat, you couldn't possibly have it be midnight in one place and noon in another. When the Sun rose over the disk, it would be sunrise the world over, right?
#3
"Manifestation." Babe, that’s not the universe aligning. That’s just you ignoring red flags while journaling in cursive.
nottheactualphoto 6 months ago
Now, now; don't hate on the cursive. Or is cursive a thing that's newly cool? Also, "journal" is a noun.
It all started a couple of days ago, when the user u/miaangelaa decided to ask readers in the AskReddit community the question: "What’s a pseudoscience that people still commonly believe is real?" In just a couple of hours, a thread has formed that we are pretty sure will soon be a contender for viral status, with nearly 5K upvotes, and 4.3K different comments and counting.
From strange theories to "full-fledged" scientists with licensed degrees and their own colleges, and from talismans and amulets to an obvious disregard for the achievements of modern science in favor of "mystical" considerations - now meet this selection of netizens' opinions, collected for you by Bored Panda!
#4
Scientology.........................
F**k them so bad there a******s reach all the way to their front flappas.
Shane S 6 months ago
Perhaps Mormonism too. Ancient religions are wacky enough. It blows my mind that people can fall for a ‘modern’ religion with all the science and understanding that we have now.
Glix Drap 6 months ago
The Book of Mormon (as in the theatre show) still makes me chuckle.
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detective miller's hat 6 months ago
To give credit where credit is due tho..... LRH was a freaking brilliant con artist.
Lee Gilliland 6 months ago
Best religion ever founded on a bar bet. I'm serious, this happened at an SF con and Grandpa Brown was there.
#5
That a wolf pack has an alpha male.
Doctor Strange 6 months ago
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. The 'study' that came up with the idea of alphas was based on studying random wolves in captivity. Basically wolf prison behavior. In a real pack, its a family unit. Mom and Dad who are in charge, and their kids. If the kids want to be in charge, they leave and start their own family. So the guy you see at the theme park, with a waist pack full of snacks, making sure his kids are happy, well fed, and hydrated? That is the truest alpha male you will ever meet.
WindySwede 6 months ago
As i remember the author withdrew the study, but that was just because of he studied captive ones?
Load More Replies... meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
It's difficult to get most people to even believe that the guy who came up with it said he was wrong
Uncle Panda 6 months ago
Pretty much every social organism lives in a hierarchy, and somebody has to be at the top. But I'm pretty sure they don't care what word humans use for it.
#6
Vaccines cause autism.
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
It's because unvaccinated kids d!e, so they never get a chance to get diagnosed.
SleepyVampire 6 months ago (edited)
I have a cousin who never vaccinated her son because she didn't want him to be autistic. He was diagnosed with autism when he was seven.
BarBeeGirl 6 months ago
My daughter firmly believes this because her son began to display symptoms of autism shortly after getting his vaccinations at age 2. Funny enough that age group is exactly when autism begins to reveal itself
nottheactualphoto 6 months ago
BBG, your daughter needs to learn about the "post hoc fallacy."
Load More Replies...A special place in this selection is occupied by the so-called "flat Earth theory," which, despite the fact that its peak of popularity passed about a thousand years ago, continues to be believed by millions. At least, according to a survey conducted back in 2021 by the University of New Hampshire, about 10% of respondents admitted that they believed in various conspiracy theories - and in flat Earth, too.
To be honest, I still don't understand why the authorities of hundreds of countries around the world, from democracies to totalitarian regimes, regularly hide from people the "fact" that the planet supposedly has the shape of a flat disk (and how does that even work?), but people believe, and it can be very, very difficult to convince rabid adherents of the opposite.
#7
Homeopathy. That really needs to go away.
Mook The Mediocre 6 months ago
Homeopathy is not only completely wrong, it's dangerous: people eschew effective medical care in place of this debunked antique bullshít.
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
I realize it's not right, but I always picture a homeopath as one of those guys who uses the "bro code" as a thin veil to be an absolute garbage human.
#8
Chiropractor.
Geoffrey Scott 6 months ago
Ironically, most Chiros also have masseuses on staff, which are FAR more effective.
fan of phish 6 months ago
My father is a neurologist and his biggest pet peeve is chiropractors. He’s in his mid 70’s now and can’t even begin to tell you how many people he had to try and help after a chiropractor damaged their nerves.
Namea 6 months ago
Unless you go to an actual medical doctor who does Chiro work. If they're trying to sell you product, saying it's all your posture, telling you you'll need weekly adjustments forever, and don't do actual x rays before treatment, they're a quack. A real doctor will tell you what's wrong, teach you techniques you can use at home, and basically want to fix you and never see you again.
#9
The idea that the brain stops developing after a certain age, or that we only use 10% of it.
Adam Belaire 6 months ago
I'd be more curious if you could prove that the named names' brain developed at all.
Load More Replies... Stephanie Did It 6 months ago
I use 10% of my brain during the day. At night that puppy revs up to about 200%
martymcmatrix 6 months ago
I am definitely a 10/10/10...my brain stopped developing when I turned ten, I just kept on growing physically 'til 16...
However, public consciousness doesn't stand still, and those theories that were previously considered frankly vulgar and "pseudoscientific" may well become the cornerstone of modern science in the future. For example, Einstein faced a lot of ridicule for his theory of relativity, and in the middle of the 20th century, genetics was considered a completely false and incorrect theory in many countries.
Does this mean that in a couple of decades, for example, astrology will become an absolute scientific standard throughout the world? More likely no than yes. In the end, science does have a certain flexibility, and the absence of dogmatism is what has always driven scientific progress. To what extent can progress be driven by faith in, for example, ancient astronauts? Honestly, I don't know.
#10
Trickle-down economics.
General Anaesthesia 6 months ago
Come on, it will start working any day now, or not. As long as the 1% get richer they don't care.
#11
Crystals. Girl told me she put one under her bed to attract love and ended up hooking up with her ex who gave her chlamydia. The universe *did* send someone, just not with good intentions.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
Crystals can be great. As decorations. Placed in sunlight, they create rainbows.
•XxWillowxX• 6 months ago
I keep one hanging from the window, golden hour is even better with a “house rainbow” as i like to call it
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Smeghead Tribble Down Under 6 months ago
Crystals and gemstones are /geologically/ fascinating.
Becky Samuel 6 months ago
If you do buy crystals for their decorative value, be aware that many of them are not ethically sourced. Lapis lazuli in particular provides a lot of funding for the Afghan state, but there are many others that are extracted by forced, slave and child labour or funding guerilla groups and wars.
Uncle Panda 6 months ago
I like them but there is an entire class of people I think of as, "You know she has a crystal on her somewhere."
Dragons Exist 6 months ago (edited)
I love amazonite - not for the "healing" qualities people say it has, but because it's pretty
StrangeOne 6 months ago
I like them because they're pretty rocks. I have one stone in the shape of the moon, craters and all. It filters the light all the way through so one side looks blue and the other side looks brown in the direction of the light. It's cool. But I don't think of it any deeper than aesthetic appeal.
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
The universe has chlamydia and needs to keep its ways to itself.
Load More Replies... #12
Personality tests. Specifically Myers Briggs. The amount of smart people i encounter who think its real never ceases to amaze me.
Cue folks chiming in here that's its actually scientific in 3...2....
UKGrandad 6 months ago (edited)
It's actually science...just kidding. Personality testing has been fully debunked yet many companies still use them as part of the recruitment process, meaning that they just employ people who can lie their way through a personality test. EDIT: Downvotes for this? No need to run a personality test to find the ássholes on BP; just make a comment and wait for the downvotes 🙄
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Wait, does this apply to the ink blot test? I'm gonna be pissed if they made me look at all those pictures of my parents praising my brother for nothing.
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Austzn 6 months ago
Personality tests should be avoided like an Epstein client list......too soon? 😁
Matthew Savestheworld 6 months ago
I may be wrong but I thought things fell out that Myers Briggs and other personality typing had some value but just wasn't what everyone thought is was. Like some partial insight or something but people treated it like fortune telling
What has always distinguished pseudosciences and false theories is an attempt to match incomprehensible facts to their own level of understanding. For example, people found dinosaur bones thousands of years ago - but of course, there was no scientific understanding of what they actually dug up. Hence the numerous legends and tales about dragons.
We do the same thing today, only on a different level, when we claim, for example, that the pyramids of Egypt or Mesoamerica were built by aliens. At the same time, the adherents of such theories, of course, cannot explain why those aliens actually needed this - so they launch into lengthy conspiracy theories... This, in fact, accompanies almost all of the "theories" described on this list.
#13
All those supplements bros on podcasts are selling you.
Drop Bear from Hell 6 months ago
like the pink salt thing current blasting everyway as a way to lose 50kg in a week or some other nonsense...
Remi (He/Him) 6 months ago
You do need vitamin d-supplement if you live close to the arctic circle especially if you have darker skin. The amount you get naturally won't be enough. Also if you're on any medication that effects the absorption of things like calcium, you'll need extra, but that's something your doctor or pharmacist will warn you about.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
People who are at a high risk for osteoporosis are advised to take calcium supplements. And I was advised by more than one doctor to take iron supplements.
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Ol' Stevie 6 months ago (edited)
As someone with first-hand experience (albeit in my younger days) of these things, I can tell you that you don't need the supplements these people are selling if you want to look the same as they do. All it takes is self discipline, hard work, a good diet, and the right training regime. Oh, and anabolic steroids, not the weak 'stuff' that's meant for humans. Look at the wholesome family man role model Douchwaine Jonson. Wanna know how he's got twice as much muscle and half the body fat than when he was 20 even though he's past 50? It's easy to do. One of the many things he's injecting once a week is a chemical called Trenbolone. It's an anabolic steroid designed so farmers could get twice as much beef from a cow, banned because the cows kept dying. There are downsides to it though: his balls will have shrivelled to the size of garden peas, there isn't enough viagra on the planet stop his wife telling him "this is like trying to shoot pool with a piece of rope", not to mention the two years worth of breast cancer meds and female contraceptive pills he has to take over six weeks every time he comes off it to stop him growing a *massive* pair of t*****s with areola the size of dinner plates.
StrangeOne 6 months ago
Remember was G Fuel was heavily marketed by every gamer and podcaster?
#14
Ghost hunters/ paranormal investigators/cyrptid investigators.
The Other Guest 6 months ago
I understand the ghosts/spirits thing, but where does "nymphomaniac" come in? It seems a bit of a non-sequiter.
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Luke Branwen 6 months ago
Just saying that okapi used to be a cryptid. Hell, GORILLAS used to be cryptids. I wouldn't write off all cryptid sightings as BS.
StrangeOne 6 months ago
I'm pretty big into the paranormal, ngl. I have been since I was a little kid. I've watched many paranormal shows, read ghost books, had my own experiences here and there. I don't label myself as a psychic or clairvoyant. I can just feel a certain vibe in some places that hints to my intuition. As much as I'm aware of the unseen/unknown, I'm still skeptical. I like the T.A.P.S. crew approach on investigations. I decided to go on one investigation a local paranormal group tends to hold at a museum I never visited before. It was super frustrating. It felt more like a show and tell for all their gadgets and trinkets. There was flashing lights, super bright lights, tons of white noise, squealing and other sounds. It was all unnecessary and distracting. I didn't need all that and felt drawn to areas I learned after-the-fact were spots of interest. Some others I had to inquire about. The hosts seemed a bit annoyed with me being too quiet. I did like using the pendulums. It was an experience.
#15
Copper bracelets etc to help with pain.
Fellfromthemoon 6 months ago
If one uses copper bracelet (or magnetic stuff) besides the proper medication and treatment, then these knick-knacks can be really effective. Instead of treatment? Not a good idea.
UKGrandad 6 months ago (edited)
I like your thinking, but howling at the moon while taking proper medication is even better than copper- or magnetic bangles because it doesn't cost anything. EDIT: Oh, I'm sorry, downvoter. Was that one quack remedy too far? EDIT 2: Can somebody please tell me what is so bad about my comment that it deserves downvoting? Exactly who am I upsetting?
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Zero Costa 6 months ago
god I remember this was such a craze a few years ago, my mum still has a bunch of magnetic bracelets and necklaces bc she has arthritis
Uncle Panda 6 months ago
The copper bracelets surprised me because I see them on a lot of men who "don't believe in that crapp."
UKGrandad 6 months ago
They really do work...if the desired result is turning the skin on your wrist green.
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Caffeinated Ape 6 months ago
While I doubt copper bracelets do a d**n thing (especially in regards to pain alleviation), copper IS antimicrobial.
It is interesting that the "Five Whys?" technique developed by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Japanese company Toyota, works great to debunk such "theories." This technique is usually used in production to identify cause-and-effect relationships between work processes, but it is in fact quite universal.
To use this technique, you just need to ask the question, "Why?" of each problem, and apply it to the answer to the previous question. Usually, five repetitions are quite enough to identify the root cause of the problem - or to make sure whether we are dealing with absolute nonsense. Just try it - perhaps this technique will come in handy to you.
#16
Healing crystals and essential oils.
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
I put lavender oil on my stomach when I'm in pain and it works, I 100% knows it's placebo but hey, if it makes the pain go away then I'll take it !
WindySwede 6 months ago
Teatree oil have been proven to have some antiseptic properties. Saw that on a science channel on yt, on mobile now and didn't find the video.
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Mare 6 months ago (edited)
They do work, but not like what people 'think'. Smell, light and color therapy actually do work. Doesn't mean they help when you're ill or having serious health issues. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapie#:~:text=etherische%20olie%20daarvan.-,Werkzaamheid,die%20voldoende%20wetenschappelijk%20gehalte%20hadden.
StrangeOne 6 months ago
I don't know about what ails ya, but peppermint oil helped repel the mice for a bit. Until they got desensitized.
#17
Amber bracelets and necklaces on toddlers to prevent teething pain.
Doctor Strange 6 months ago
Want to help teething pain? Do what my parents did. Whiskey on the gums.
*raspberry sound 6 months ago
Or do what my great-great grandparents did, morphine on the gums, c*****e in the ear. I kid, c*****e was for the b******e.
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Peter Parker 6 months ago
I always thought the baby is supposed to bite onto the amber to soothe the pain...
Panda Bear 6 months ago
Those amber necklaces are super dangerous. Babies have died wearing them.
WindySwede 6 months ago
Well it did work for John Hammond.. didn't get bitten one time! 😅 John-Hammo...c-Park.jpg 
#18
Anti-trans "Basic Biology" that denies all scientific understanding of transgender people or how biological sex works.
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
People really need to learn the difference between biological sexe (which is more than 2) and gender.
Mare 6 months ago (edited)
Being trans is an emotional/mental thing ("believe"/"feeling"). Biology is physical ("science"). That people still confuse those two, is beyond my imagination, really. It's basically the same again with the clash between the church and science. It's a never ending 'discussion'. There are people, who are actually 'bi-sexual' in the scientific DNA way, being man and woman at once (having both female and male productive organs) and 'bi-sexual' or 'trans' in a mental way, as in attracted to both males and females or feel you're in a wrong body. People who actually do have that DNA difference (scientific), they are the real transgenders, bi-sexuals, etc. But if you believe that you're a man, born as a female, and 'TRANSformed' yourself into a man, and vice versa, to me, you're delusional really. That's a lack of basic education.
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
Why can't transgender just be it's own gender and everyone shut the f**k up about it and instead worry about the rapists and psychopaths destroying the planet we live on, etc, etc
iseefractals 6 months ago
Acknowledging biological differences between men and women isn't "anti-trans" It's simply a fact. Men have greater muscle mass, greater strength and power, larger hearts and higher lung capacity which leads to enhanced cardiovascular capacity and higher bone density. Those are facts. "Lia" thomas illustrated this perfectly. Competing as a man ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle, but switching to womens competition proceeded to move up to 5th, 1st and 8th respectively. Nearly every athletic record in existence shows that a man ranked somewhere between 400th and 700th, still outperforms the top female record. Ever. The 203rd ranked male tennis player beat venus and serena in back to back matches, having gotten drunk while playing a 18 holes of golf the previous day. The swiss national women's soccer team lost 7-1 against a group of 15 year old boys, and the matilda's again against a team of teenage boys lost 7-0.
iseefractals 6 months ago
The evidence is crystal clear, and overwhelming, as is the foundation of Title IX. We keep hearing that "gender is a construct" and different than s*x, but those same people turn around and demand that an individual's adopted gender be granted more importance than biology. NO. That's not how things work. YOU are free to live your life however you want, that doesn't mean you are allowed to do whatever you want, however you want. Disagreement isn't hate, being told NO isn't hate, facts are not hateful. Nor is reminding the trans community that they are not the center of the universe, everything is not about you.
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Ahnjunwan 6 months ago
That does not make any sense to me, someone care to explain? I do not understand if that means basic biology is denieing transgender people exist or what?
Remi (He/Him) 6 months ago
It means that those anti trans people keep claiming trans people don't exist and that biology somehow proves their point, when in fact it's the opposite
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Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
Explain to me all the small variations of intersex people then.
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In the meantime, we also strongly recommend that you simply read this collection of opinions and stories to the very end. By the way, we don't guarantee that you will agree with all the points of view given here. Sometimes, you will laugh heartily, and sometimes you'll just become indignant and start arguing right in the comments. Well, don't hold back and let the discussion begin! Ultimately, truth is born from debate.
#19
Lie detectors and most other forms of “forensic science” outside of DNA.
UKGrandad 6 months ago
Lie detectors are not forensic science. If anything they fall into the category of pop psychology.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
Yes there are many form of forensic science which are based on actual science. Fingerprints for instance. Phone data analysis. Materials sampling and identification. All well respected and reliable.
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Gordon 6 months ago
Lie detectors aren't admissible in court - so, why use them in the first place?
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
Maybe to stress people into a confession. If they believe in it they might crack
Load More Replies... detective miller's hat 6 months ago
We had a client who insisted on taking a lie-detector test even though we told him multiple times that the results would not hold up in court. So we hired a guy to come into the office to do the test and after it was over and the client left, the 4 of us in the office spent the next hour trying to see if we could successfully lie and get away with it (as far as what the guy with the testing machine could interpret). 2 of us were able to lie and get away with it.
nottheactualphoto 6 months ago
There is no such thing as a lie detector; this has been known for decades. Yet the US government often uses polygraphs to screen people for high-level security clearances.
Uncle Panda 6 months ago
Here's the right use of a lie detector test - "That didn't happen, and I'll take a lie detector test today, tomorrow, next week, and I defy my accuser to do the same." Their refusal provides the answer.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
It doesn't work, so any intelligent person, innocent or not would refuse. It has nothing to do with guilt. All it proves is that the person is better informed than you.
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#20
From a reddit interaction a few hours ago, astrology apparently.
UKGrandad 6 months ago (edited)
No 'apparently' about it: astrology is hogwash. But I would say that - us Aquarians are notoriously sceptical. EDIT: Somebody's humour-recognition software is broken, but their downvote button still works 🙄
Moving Enigma 6 months ago
I upvoted you but I nearly didn't as I think you're being a little harsh on hogwash!
Load More Replies... Zaach 6 months ago
A teacher worked with his class on how things work; he had each student fill out their astrology signifies. After 2 weeks, the results came in and the results were passed out. The students went on about how accurate their reading was. He had the students pass their result to the person behind them - all the results were identical
Cadastros de Helen Vanessa 6 months ago
Como boa geminiana, de tempos em tempos eu acredito e de tempos em tempos eu desacredito na Astrologia!
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago (edited)
I saw someone say that Astrology believers are actually great at pattern recognitions, especially toxic ones, so Astrology does helps a bit with not getting trapped in @busive friendships or relationships.
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Yeah, I get in less friendships and relationships when I throw out red flags left and right, too.
Load More Replies... #21
Getting a cold after being outside in the cold.
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
Isn't it because the cold lower your body's defenses ? Real question by the way.
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Yes, cold temperature has a negative effect on the immune system. It's mostly a semantic argument. As no amount of cold will specifically give you a virus or bacterial infection, but your immune system doesn't function as well in cold weather.
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#22
"Ancient Astronaut Theory".
Jules 6 months ago
"Pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, cos there's bugger all down here on earth"....Eric Idle
Geoffrey Scott 6 months ago
Genesis: If they east from the tree of knowledge they will become like *us*..plural?
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
Copied from Sumer - the annunaki made humans as slaves in their image, there was a crowd of them, so the bible writers forgot to even just edit the story for one god. duh
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Tango Wox 6 months ago
Its not an accident that it all boils down to rejecting that non-European peoples could be clever or create with out help.
UKGrandad 6 months ago
Not completely. Stonehenge and other European stone circles are often included in the alien-built nonsense.
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#23
BMI. The standards behind it are garbage, to put it mildly. It's Victorian era pseudo-science, akin to Phrenology.
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
According to the BMI I'm "borderline morbidly obese" when it's very obvious that I'm not. I'm fat, yes, but not that fat. Even my doctor said it was bullsh!t.
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Doesn't take muscle-mass into proper consideration, if I recall. There's a version that does, but honestly, I'm skeptical about its accuracy as well.
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Crazy Cookie 6 months ago
BMI shouldn’t be used for individuals, but it’s accurate enough for general data collection
Doctor Strange 6 months ago
I'm 6'2" and 190 pounds. Mostly its muscle, as I have a lot of physical hobbies. Yet according to BMI standards I'm considered overweight.
Lena Flising 6 months ago
It does not differentiate between muscles and fat. A very muscular and fit person gets to hear that he or she is morbidly obese. When dieting companies wanted to make more money, the levels in the BMI scale were suddenly lowered so that more people were seen as fat.
Louise B 6 months ago
I worked in the dietetics department in a hospital for 8 years. BMI was used as part of the criteria for triaging patients to decide if they needed dietetic input. It's a very blunt tool to put it mildly. Most of our patients were 'underweight'elderly people, mainly older women who had never in their lives weighed more than seven stone. It was very disheartening because it felt like it wasn’t helping anyone, if anything it was causing them stress they didn't need. They weren't malnourished and there was no way we could get their weight up to the minimum healthy BMI.
StrangeOne 6 months ago
It's appalling this was taught in gym class. There were those plier type of tools to measure our body fat and we had to go on scales. I was actually underweight, but the BMI said I had too much body fat. Luckily I never formed an ED, but I can imagine this may have started an ED in some.
Uncle Panda 6 months ago (edited)
BMI includes a fair deal of social norming, that is, setting a standard in the hopes people moved toward it.
#24
My coworker just tried telling me yesterday that the s*x position you use will determine the gender of the baby. Boy s***m are heavier, apparently.
Lousha 6 months ago
Well, people tried to make their preferred gender happen since forever. And whatever they do, let it be prayer, position, diet etc., they have around 50% chance of getting the result they hoped for. Add to that that most people (especially nowadays) don't have 132 children, more like 1-3, so they obviously don't have a large enough sample pool to prove or disprove their belief that their method worked. Therefore, they will often be completely convinced that their boy/girl came to be because of their magical whatever. And if it didn't work, they can explain it away by saying they made a mistake, didn't follow their own method properly etc. That said, there were studies into this, and they did find SOME tentative correlation between popular methods/old wives tales and one or the other gender. Most methods also don't really cause harm, so... Let them get pregnant however they like.
Freddy M. (He/Him) 6 months ago
True, but I think the general mindset of preferring your baby to be born a particular s*x can cause unhealthy relationships between the parent and child, regardless of whether the baby is the "right" s*x or not
Load More Replies... Steve Kadner 6 months ago
This is true! Look at Elon Musk, he only has boys because his position is over a test tube!
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
He has a daughter. A trans daughter.
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#25
That not [touching yourself] gives you special powers/self-mastery.
Adam Belaire 6 months ago
Can you still get these special powers/self-mastery if you touch others or others touch you? Asking for a friend.
General Anaesthesia 6 months ago
Well, you don't have to shave your palms if you don't [touch yourself].
Queen Boudicca 6 months ago
Or refraining from any 6ual activity at all will help you in sports.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
Well, it might keep you from going blind, right? Is that why so many people wear glasses? 😂
Don Adams 6 months ago
I wore glasses for a few years, then had cataract surgeries so I could start over.
Load More Replies... #26
I know a lot of people praise eastern medicine, but I think it's BS. I remember that story of that influencer who thought she could beat cancer with juices and coffee enemas. Well guess what, she died of cancer.
Edit- lots of comments about the validity of Eastern medicine. Let me fix my original comment by saying “alternative medicine”.
Moving Enigma 6 months ago
Anything that actually works gets investigated by pharma companies in the hope of developing and selling the next big medicine. Just think of how the old folk remedy of using willow bark for pain relief was developed into Aspirin. If something actually works it will be commercialised if it doesn't work then it's placebo only.
Mario Clouâtre 6 months ago
It's investigated and used only if it can be put in a pill and sold.
Load More Replies... Fellfromthemoon 6 months ago
Nobody, I repeat, nobody will argue that"Galenian medicine worked for millennia, let's use it", because there was no better option at that time. The same is true for any old/traditional medical approach: if we have any better method, then use that. Chamomille is still a good bacteriostatic, we don't need to abandon it. A more severe bacterial infection? Chamomille won't cure it alone.
UKGrandad 6 months ago
I have a book of old folk remedies: it's absolutely insane what people used to believe would cure their ailments.
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Bartlet for world domination 6 months ago
On the other hand, "alternative medicine" is the same before and after double blind peer reviewed research declares it valid.
Lousha 6 months ago
Brings to mind a friend's mom who went to the doctor with a stubborn throat infection, and told the doc that she had been putting a cloth dipped in turpentine or whatever folk medicine she grew up believing it and the pain was still not gone, so she came to have it looked at. The doc did not bat an eye, just told her with a straight face that next time she should try putting cocoa powder on it. She was very surprised, "oh, never heard of that, does that help?" The doc said "no, but it's just as silly as your current treatment, so why not?".
turk 6 months ago
Depends what you mean. Despite being very skeptical, rather than have surgery for elbow tendonitis, I tried acupuncture and it worked wonders. I'd still be going for treatments if my insurance would cover it. But they deem it "experimental", even though it's been practiced for centuries.
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 months ago
Is juice and coffee up the a**e medicine from the east? I thought it was western californican s**t
#27
The concept of race. Our modern concept of race is pseudoscience on the level of flat earther type s**t.
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
I feel that's not fair to the scientists that put in ACTUAL effort and contributions towards studying it. Our concept of it would be fine if we just listened to the guys who get paid to research it.
XenoMurph 6 months ago
I have a Nigerian friend who is incredibly outgoing, bubbly and funny. We live in the North of England which tends to be none of those things. He says we are boring and unfriendly. But there's another Nigerian in our group who is quieter and less outgoing than anyone else. There is more variation within races than between races. Judging anyone by the colour of thier skin is silly.
Load More Replies... Jules 6 months ago (edited)
The only 'race' is the human race - we're just different varieties of loveliness, like ice cream ❤️
Miki 6 months ago (edited)
Imo, from psychology point of view, ofc true. But from medical, AFAIK no. I am NOT talking about сrap like "superior" or something. I read some medicines need different dosage etc.
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 6 months ago
The modern obsession with shutting down genuine conversations because they are not politically acceptable is not helping anyone. There are very real biological differences between people with different genetic backgrounds - which is the definition of 'race'. Pretending that Inuits have the same risk of sickle cell trait as African populations is just being silly. We are not doing people any favour by closing down medical research because we feel icky or embarrassed by the subject matter.
Margaret Wartime 6 months ago
True but I don’t think researching genetic variants for medical purposes is what the post is referring to
Load More Replies... Glenn Cuneo 6 months ago
One race monkey: Human. We have different ethnicities- which is what folks are talking about when they talk about "race."
Xenia Harley 6 months ago
Also, Eugenics. I think the US current president believes that c**p.
#28
“Transvestigation” the batshit crazy idea that someone can be identified as transgender by wild assumptions about anatomy, angles and features of the body. Example: “feminine skulls” transposed onto male highly masculine people as “proof” of transition.
Ellinor she/they/elle 6 months ago
When I was a child people always took me for a boy with my "boyish" face, body and style of clothing. Weirdly that changed at puberty when I grew a C cup.
#29
Alkaline Diets.
The Other Guest 6 months ago
The lemon in that water should do a good job of counteracting the alkaline "benefit" of the peas & basil.
WindySwede 6 months ago
Some believe drinking lemon juice makes the blood more alkaline. Heard this myself, had to use the bathroom not to be rude! 🤦♂️
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#30
As a teacher, I will chime in with **learning styles**. The idea that learners can be categorized as either those who learn by seeing, hearing or doing. No basis is peer reviewed research whatsoever.
Turns out that the student's interest in the subject is far more important - as well as the quality of the teacher.
Peter Parker 6 months ago
Frankly, I do learn better when I can read it than when I only listen to it..
Oerff On Tour 6 months ago
I passed biology with an A (9.8) while not even having ordered, let alone read the books. Just listening to the teacher
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CD Mills 6 months ago
The comments here sort of disprove what she said. Not totally, I think we all have differing levels of how we learn how to do certain tasks. The thing is, no one really has a single way to learn; we have a kaleidoscope of ways to learn My son could hear/see one solid explanation for a mathematical formula and he had it. Everyone else learned by rote but he didn't need to. He had a hard time reading and writing though. He could communicate well verbally, but writing was so hard. He's grown in his ability in all areas. Just keep looking until you figure out what works for you.
jonesnori 6 months ago
I think more than one method for the same information works best. If you do visual and auditory, and have students doing the thing somehow (writing about it or doing problems or experiments), then that will help more than any one method alone.
Load More Replies... SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
Disagree. If you tell me something verbally it will go in one ear and out the other. I need to write it down (or at least have handouts. And yes, hard copy paper handouts are better than digital.)
David Beaulieu 6 months ago
Learning can be forced, but for the most part it's about interest. If listening or doing help you learn, do that.
#31
I've been told by alcoholics that drinking liquor stops you from getting diseases like COVID.
Moving Enigma 6 months ago
Well the concept is the same as the bleach suggested by the Gloriously Orange One, he who has repeatedly told us that he is the most intelligent humanoid.
Remi (He/Him) 6 months ago
Oh I've jokingly used a sore throat as an excuse to drink, to disinfect it you know 🥴
Anthony Elmore 6 months ago
Well, I mean. What is life but how we perceive the world around us? Can't suffer from something if you don't even have the mental presence to experience the symptoms. They do seem to have suspiciously low lifespans, though, but I'm sure that's more of a coincidence.
Ol' Stevie 6 months ago
A*******n is a disease, not a lifestyle choice. Step down from that high horse of yours and walk a mile in another person's shoes before you judge them.
Load More Replies... Matthew Savestheworld 6 months ago
I mean.. if you are passed out drunk in your apartment will you get exposed to covid?
#32
Cupping, acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic, etc, etc, etc.
Lee Gilliland 6 months ago
Acupuncture really works, my spine is degenerating and it's one of my therapies.
Mark Savoie 6 months ago
I had acupuncture, cupping, and electic shocks applied to my back. My back pain went away almost immediately. Two days later, it was back. Turns out it was a treatment, not a cure. But, if you absolutely need to be able to function normally for a couple of days, I recommend it highly.
#33
Body language experts.
Also I don't know if that counts since actual psychology is of course a real science, but there's a lot of pop psychology going around that is based on approximately nothing.
detective miller's hat 6 months ago
This is a real thing tho.... I don't mean some rando on youtube claiming to be an expert, but you can definitely be an expert in the field of behaviour, and that includes body language.
Lee Gilliland 6 months ago
Body language isn't nonsense. It's been proven, we do not converse with only our faces and voices.
Becky Samuel 6 months ago
Of course, but there is an immediate and obvious problem with the interpretation of body language. Someone may be sitting uncomfortably and fidgeting in their chair because they're lying, or they may be in genuine discomfort. If we could reliably read people's emotional state and intentions through body language or facial expressions then acting would be impossible, as would lying. In reality, even the best body language 'experts' cannot tell truth from a lie at better than chance.
Load More Replies... Mario Clouâtre 6 months ago
It's not a "hard science". Not like 1+1=2 But if you can't read someone at all. You must be fun to lie to.
What do you think ?
Lee Gilliland 6 months ago
Seems they missed the idea if a woman gets r*ped, her body won't allow her to get preggers.
DB 6 months ago
I'm very surprised no one mentioned police radar. I did a term paper on it in college and my research showed how inaccurate they really are.
Peter Parker 6 months ago
That's not (pseudo)science. Science flies you to the moon, religion flies you into buildings.
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JK 6 months ago
I researched and wrote this in a way I had to, but there is a lot if you read between the lines. It is about the polygraph. After it was published the American Polygraph Association invited me to speak, but the guy blathered on for so long, I got less than five minutes. He was President of the APA too. https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/opca/pdfs/somgmtbulletinaugust2007.pdf
Lee Gilliland 6 months ago
Seems they missed the idea if a woman gets r*ped, her body won't allow her to get preggers.
DB 6 months ago
I'm very surprised no one mentioned police radar. I did a term paper on it in college and my research showed how inaccurate they really are.
Peter Parker 6 months ago
That's not (pseudo)science. Science flies you to the moon, religion flies you into buildings.
Load More Replies... JK 6 months ago
I researched and wrote this in a way I had to, but there is a lot if you read between the lines. It is about the polygraph. After it was published the American Polygraph Association invited me to speak, but the guy blathered on for so long, I got less than five minutes. He was President of the APA too. https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/opca/pdfs/somgmtbulletinaugust2007.pdf
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