Go Ahead, Wake Up A Sleep Walker

Waking up a sleepwalker isn’t dangerous. If you do wake them up, they’ll wake up confused, but that’s about it. It’s better to wake them up to prevent an accident or stop them from hurting themselves. The best option is to slowly lead them back to bed. Because they’re in a deep REM sleep when they’re sleepwalking, you may find it difficult to wake them up. Sleepwalking happens in stage three of the sleep cycle, which involves the front part of your brain, which controls memory, is asleep, and the back part of your brain, which involves motor function, is awake. Sleepwalking people can open doors, pick up things, and open windows, which is where it may get dangerous (Cronin98).

Albert Einstein Was A Genius

The IQ of Einstein was extremely high, higher than most, unlike myths that told us he was uneducated. This myth may have spread worldwide to give us an excuse for laziness or unintelligence. He fell into the top 2% of people with high IQs. Apparently, “his IQ score is more than two standard deviations above the mean, only 2.2% of people have an IQ of 130 or more.” He wasn’t the smartest person in the world, however. The world-famous chess player, Bobby Fisher scored a higher IQ than Einstein. Scientists believed Einstein was on the autism spectrum. The genius disliked touch, had difficult times in social situations, and had trouble in other areas at school. After an investigation of Einstein’s brain following his death, they discovered he had thicker areas of his brain, which might explain his intelligence. Other than that, we can only strive to be as smart as Einstein, or else spend the rest of our lives in his shadow (Frizzhalo).

You Can Have A Cat If You Have A Baby, Don’t Worry

It sounds like an old wive’s tale that cats will try and suffocate your newborn baby by stealing their breath, while dogs will be protective. Even though it’s theoretically possible that a cat can kill your baby, just as anything is possible, it’s virtually never going to happen. As science studies cats, they’ve learned that cats are quiet creatures who love to keep to themselves, and will likely stay far away from a screaming newborn. The biggest threat to a baby is when a cat cuddles up too close to its face. Even then, it’s highly unlikely it would happen. The best way to have a cat and a newborn baby is to practice proper, responsible cat ownership (Anothertimesometime).

Don’t Let Your Pet Lick Your Wound

When you were younger, did you ever let your dog lick your bleeding wound because you thought it would help it heal? It’s likely it became infected soon after. There’s no reason to let your dog lick your bleeding wound. It’s an opening for infection and bacteria, and if your dog’s dirty mouth licks it, it’s going straight into your bloodstream. There’s a host of bacteria living in dog’s saliva, like Pasteurella, that can grow and replicate in areas of your body that don’t have air. This can lead to a severe infection that’s difficult to treat and needs prompt medical care, and in the worst case, you’ll have to get an amputation. In one example, a woman who let her dog lick her burn wound lost all of her fingers. Even though that’s a rare scenario, it’s best not to listen to the myth and instead clean your wounds with clean water and soap (Graysong263).

Scrambled Eggs Are Good For You, Don’t Worry

You might have heard that eggs are bad for your health, that they cause high cholesterol, and that they’ll raise your blood pressure and put you at risk for heart disease. Science does not back up this myth, and in reality, science proves that eggs are a great thing to add to your diet. As long as you’re not eating 20 eggs per day, you can reap the benefits of the protein and amino acids in eggs. Research says sticking to around 7 eggs per week is the best, and that consuming eggs may also help prevent stroke and degenerative eye conditions. So go ahead, fry up those eggs and enjoy them with your daily balanced breakfast (Your Temporary BFF).

Your Cellphone Won’t Turn Your Skin Blue

Harm from radiation from cellphones is just a myth. Even though cellphones do give off a small percentage of radiation, it’s not nearly enough to harm us. Research proves that “cell phones and cordless phones use radiofrequency radiation (RF) to send signals. RF is different from other types of radiation (like x-rays) that we know can be harmful.” Even though cellphones haven’t been around long enough for us to truly know the effects in years down the line, we don’t have to worry just yet. There are a lot of other things in this world that are a lot worse for us, like smoking and drinking alcohol (Interspace3029).

We all know you’re not supposed to smoke at a gas station. Previous reports show that people smoking next to gas stations have caused catastrophic explosions and fires. But what about use your cellphone? That’s another myth that people falsely spread around the world. The worst part about using your cellphone at a gas station is the risk of losing your attention at the pump, not the pump exploding. But where did this idea come from in the first place? It’s said that “one culprit could be the little shock you get when you shuffle across the carpet. While cell phones haven’t been shown to ignite fires at gas stations, static electricity has.” Avoid static electricity at all costs. The best thing to do when pumping gas is to put your cellphone away, just as you would do while driving, and carefully put the gas in your car (Reddit).

If You Drop Your Food, Don’t Eat It

People believe that if you pick up your food less than five seconds after dropping it on the floor, it’s still clean. There’s no proof in the scientific world that proves this, or that says it’s clean. According to a study conducted in 2006, where participators dropped bologna on the floor for less than five seconds, “a particular diarrhea-causing bacteria (Salmonella) can transfer from floor to food after just five seconds of exposure.” It disproves the rule in proving that five seconds is more than enough time for bacteria to transfer from the dirty ground to the piece of bologna. Another study in 2016 discovered that “watermelon had the most germs on it when it came back from the floor, implying that perhaps the flatter and wetter a food item, the easier it gets contaminated.” Next time you drop something, put it straight into the garbage (the-hoarding-dragon).

If you’re nearly blind, carrots aren’t the magical remedy that’ll give you 20/20 vision. But the vitamins in carrots will help improve your overall eye health. According to Winchester Hospital, “foods that are high in beta-carotene and vitamin A will only impact your vision if your body is deficient in vitamin A,” because an extreme lack of Vitamin A may cause blindness. So while stuffing your face with carrots won’t make your eyes strong enough to get rid of your glasses, they’ll at least give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs. Carrots also contain lutein, an antioxidant, and “foods rich in lutein increase pigment density in the macula. The greater pigment density in the macula, the better protected your retina is and the lower your risk for macular degeneration.” Eat your carrots to protect your eyes from future disease (KurtyVonougat)