21 Lies You Were Told As A Kid And Still Believed...Until Now

Tag your lying parents.

Sugar doesn't actually make you hyperactive.

Yeah, science has shown that there’s no such thing as a "sugar high." Your parents are liars! (Although a 2007 study suggested that preservatives in sugary foods might contribute to hyperactivity in kids.)

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You don't have to wait to swim after eating.

This whole myth stems from the (incorrect) notion that while your body is digesting, there isn't enough blood flowing to your limbs, so you'll get cramps and drown. That is totally false.

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Turkey doesn't really make you sleepy.

Yes, turkey has tryptophan, but so do lots of foods you eat every day. In fact, chicken and beef have as much tryptophan as turkey.

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Vitamin C doesn't actually prevent colds.

Studies have shown that your daily OJ won't stop you from getting a cold. BUT! If you already have a cold, Vitamin C could help the symptoms go away faster.

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Dropping a penny from the Empire State Building wouldn't come close to killing anyone.

MythBusters tested this one out, and nope. But don't even THINK about attempting this, as there are a million other ways it could be dangerous.

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Touching frogs won't give you warts.

This falsehood started because people thought the bumps on a frogs' back were warts — but they're not! Warts are caused by a human virus, and you can't get them from frogs or toads. Still best not to handle wild animals, though.

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The Coriolis effect doesn't actually make toilets in Australia flush the other way.

The direction of a toilet's flush depends on how it was designed.

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Cracking your knuckles will not give you arthritis.

There are other reasons you should avoid doing it, though.

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Water does not conduct electricity.

Pure water is actually non-conductive — it's the substances found inside most waters (salt, for example) that make them so conductive.

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You don't actually lose most of your body heat through your head.

Sorry, mom, this just isn't true. But keep wearing those winter hats, because any uncovered part of your body will release heat.

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Watching TV too close to the screen will not make you go blind.

Science hasn't found a significant link between watching TV up close and vision loss. You might strain your eyes or get a headache, but there's no risk of permanent damage.

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...and reading in the dark won't make you go blind, either.

Again, it might cause headaches or eye strain, but nothing permanent.

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Your tongue doesn't actually have different taste bud "sections" for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

Your taste receptors are actually scattered pretty evenly across the mouth. Middle school was all a lie.

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Humans have more than just five senses.

Most people are taught about the core five in school — but there are actually way more than that. Think about balance, temperature, pain...the list goes on!

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It is generally safe to wake up sleepwalkers.

Of course, some of this depends on the individual. But the notion that waking up sleepwalkers is universally dangerous is false. In fact, it could be more dangerous to let them keep sleepwalking.

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Goldfish can remember way more than the past three seconds.

Despite what you may have heard, they can actually remember a decent amount. Some scientists believe their memories last for months.

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Glass is not a liquid.

That thing about old windows being thicker at the bottom because they're "melting"? Total BS. Glass is actually an amorphous solid, and those old windows were probably just made like that.

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Gum does not take seven years to digest — it passes through your system just like anything else you eat.

Unless you're swallowing massive quantities of it, you'll just poop it out.

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Rust doesn't actually cause tetanus.

It's caused by bacteria that can sometimes be found on old, rusty objects. But it can also be found on objects with no rust at all. So basically, if you get a deep cut from something — rusted or not — you need to consult your doctor.

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Shaving your legs does not make the hair grow back thicker.

The tips of your hair are finer than the base, so when you shave those tips off, it might appear thicker. But shaving does not actually affect hair growth at all.

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And finally, you don't actually swallow spiders in your sleep — like, ever.

Your sleeping, breathing body terrifies spiders too much to even go near you. You're definitely not swallowing eight a year.

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