Popular beliefs

Cracking your knuckles has consequences, but not the ones you think

You’ve heard it before: Don’t swim after eating. You’ll lose most of your body heat through your head. Swallow a piece of gum, and it’ll stay in your body for years. Many of these common beliefs that parents or teachers have told you repeatedly over the decades are simply not true. Here are 10 everyday myths that science has set straight, and the real stories behind them.

The myth of carrots providing a better sense of vision in the dark became especially popular during World War II, when the British government promoted this idea to help explain the success of its pilots while keeping its new airborne radar technology a secret. It was just a myth, although there was a scientific explanation to back it up.

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, an important nutrient for healthy vision. If someone is deficient in vitamin A, eating more of it can improve their eyesight. But for people who already get enough of the vitamin, extra carrots won't suddenly make it easier to see at night.

You hear footsteps in the middle of the night and find a family member quietly wandering through the house while asleep. Your first instinct is to wake them up, but remember you’ve been told it’s dangerous. That’s just a myth, so go ahead and wake them.

The person may be startled, confused, or briefly disoriented, but there’s no evidence that being awakened causes physical injury. The bigger concern is that someone suddenly pulled from sleep may react unpredictably or accidentally lash out because they don’t understand what’s happening. For that reason, sleep specialists usually recommend gently guiding the person back to bed if it’s safe to do so, rather than abruptly shaking them awake, but there’s no intricate danger to waking a sleepwalker.

Almost everyone has heard the sharp popping sound of someone cracking their knuckles, followed by another person saying, "Keep doing that, and you’ll get arthritis."

Researchers have been looking into that claim for decades, and the evidence simply doesn’t support it. The popping sound comes from tiny gas bubbles forming and collapsing inside the fluid that lubricates your joints, not from bones grinding together. Multiple studies comparing habitual knuckle crackers with people who never crack their knuckles have found no higher risk of developing arthritis. Some research has suggested that frequent knuckle cracking may slightly reduce grip strength or cause temporary swelling in a few people, but it has not been shown to damage the joints. So while the sound may bother the people around you, it isn’t likely to lead to arthritis.

Most of us have heard someone say, "Imagine what you could do if you used the other 90 percent of your brain." The truth is that modern brain imaging has shown that virtually every part of the brain has a purpose.

Even when you’re resting, different regions are constantly working together to control movement, memory, breathing, emotions, vision, and countless other functions. While not every area is active at the same moment, there is no large section of the brain sitting permanently unused. Scientists aren’t exactly sure where or how this myth started, but your brain is one of the busiest organs in your body. Even while you’re asleep, it’s hard at work keeping you alive and processing the day’s experiences.

If a child accidentally swallowed a piece of gum, some adult would inevitably claim it would sit in the stomach for the next seven years.

The warning, even if a myth, contains a small grain of truth. The gum base isn’t fully broken down by the digestive system the way other foods are. But that doesn’t mean it stays behind. Instead, it moves through your digestive tract along with everything else you eat and is naturally eliminated within a few days. So while swallowing pieces of gum isn’t something doctors recommend making a habit of, there’s no need to worry if it happens by accident.

After lunch at the lake or a backyard barbecue, the adults would insist everyone, especially the kids, stay out of the water for at least an hour. The idea was that digestion would pull blood away from your arms and legs, causing severe muscle cramps that could make you drown.

Medical research, however, has found no evidence that eating before swimming creates that kind of danger. While vigorous exercise immediately after a very large meal might make some people feel uncomfortable or sluggish, a normal swim after eating is generally considered safe for healthy individuals. The "wait an hour" rule probably prevented plenty of cannonballs during nap time over the years, but it wasn’t based on scientific evidence.

If you ever left the house on a cold winter morning without a hat, chances are someone reminded you to wear one since "most of your body heat escapes through your head." The belief became widespread after military studies conducted in the 1950s observed significant heat loss from uncovered heads. What they didn’t notice was that the subjects were bundled up everywhere else. Naturally, their only exposed body part lost the most heat.

In reality, your head loses heat at about the same rate as any other uncovered area of skin, depending on its size. A warm hat is still a smart idea on a cold day, but only because it covers exposed skin, not because your head has some special ability to leak away most of your body heat.

Many tongue illustrations show the tongue divided into neat sections, with one area for sweet foods, another for salty flavors, and others for sour and bitter. The famous "taste map" came from a misunderstanding of research published in the early 1900s.

While some parts of the tongue may be slightly more sensitive to certain flavors than others, taste buds across nearly the entire tongue can detect sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, the savory taste found in foods like mushrooms, cheese, and broth. The old diagram appeared in textbooks for decades, making it one of the most successful scientific misconceptions ever taught in classrooms. Today, we know the tongue is much more versatile than that simple map suggested.

If you grew up in the age of bulky television sets, you may remember a parent telling you to back away from the screen before you damaged your eyes. That warning became especially common in the 1960s when early television models were found to emit unusually high levels of radiation because of a manufacturing defect. Those sets were quickly recalled, but the myth lingered long after the problem disappeared.

Modern televisions don’t pose that risk. Sitting very close to the screen may leave your eyes feeling tired or dry after a while, but it doesn’t cause permanent damage to your vision. Even if screen time is not recommended for children up until 7 years old, the screen itself isn’t likely to be the cause of poor eyesight.

Everyone learned about the five senses at some point: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. That lesson dates back more than 2,000 years to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.

However, modern science paints a much more intricate picture. In addition to the five traditional senses, your body constantly relies on other senses that work without you even noticing them. These include your sense of balance, your awareness of where your arms and legs are without looking, your ability to feel pain, temperature, and more. Depending on how they’re classified, scientists recognize anywhere between 10 and 20 different senses.

GREATEST STYLE HITS

You Probably Wore These: 10 Decade-Defining Fashion Trends!

Image: Nik Korba

We know that keeping pace with the speed of fashion's evolution can be challenging. However, in the wide range of trends that emerged across the decades, some stood out, leaving a mark and defining an era.

Quoting Heraclitus' wisdom, we can think of fashion as the water of a river: it's ever-changing. And while there will always be comebacks, trends never return quite the same, but with a twist that transforms each of them into something unique.

From the popular miniskirts to the different styles of jeans, let's venture on a journey through fashion history, recalling 10 iconic trends that undoubtedly found a place in our closets. We bet you've worn some of these at one point!

Image: Tessa Simpson

Although they emerged among military pilots and aviators in the first decade of the 20th century, it wasn't until the defiant 1950s that leather jackets elevated to fashion icon status.

Worn primarily as a statement of style and rebellion, especially among young men, leather jackets became the ultimate symbol of cool. And that was, in part, thanks to iconic bad boys of the silver screen, such as Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" (1953), and music legends like the one and only Elvis Presley.

To this day, our closets still shelter this kind of jacket that resists the passage of time and defies the whims of fleeting fashions.

Image: National Archives and Records Administration

Originally appearing in ancient times as a type of military headgear, pillbox hats made a modern comeback in the 1930s. They gained widespread popularity among European royals, becoming a symbol of elegance and style.

But it wasn't until the early 1960s that pillbox hats captured worldwide attention. This was thanks to the admired First Lady Jackie Kennedy and her impeccable fashion sense.

Jackie made these hats her staple. And, you know, her influence cut deep, since every woman wanted to imitate her, leading to a widespread fashion frenzy across America.

Image: Anton Mislawsky

The miniskirt has undoubtedly revolutionized the fashion world. Emerging in the early 1960s, this garment quickly became an icon of style, particularly reaching its peak in the UK by the mid-decade. While some manifestations of above-the-knee skirts had appeared throughout history, it was the visionary work of British fashion designer Mary Quant that catapulted the mini into the mainstream.

Since its popularization over 60 years ago, the miniskirt has proven its indisputable power, constantly reinventing itself with each resurgence.

Image: Annie Spratt

While bell bottoms or flared pants may be familiar to most of us, the story behind the conception of these garments dives deep into the world of sailors, an origin that few know about.

At the very beginning of the 19th century, sailors boasted distinctive pants that flared from the knee, ending in the iconic bell-bottom shape we know today.

However, it wasn't until the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the rise of the hippie and counterculture movements, that bell bottoms experienced a major revival. This time around, they reached a wider audience, adapting to a variety of styles and becoming an unmistakable symbol of the era, transcending all ages and genders!

Image: April Laugh

Spandex jumped into the spotlight during the fitness frenzy of the late 1970s and early 1980s. From tights and shorts to bodysuits, spandex abounded not only in gyms but also on the streets and nightclubs.

As with other famous trends, superstars helped drive the spandex boom. Icons like Jane Fonda and Blondie’s vocalist Debbie Harry, are a clear example. But the one that most contributed to its popularity and definitely solidified her reign as the queen of spandex was the unforgettable Olivia Newton-John in the music video for "Physical" and the classic movie "Grease" (1978).

Image: Dancewear Central

Who could forget Jennifer Beals' final audition scene in Flashdance? It is etched in our memories, right? But it wasn't just her awesome dance moves that captivated an entire generation; her outfit made quite the impression too.

The leggings and that voluminous hairstyle were undeniably gorgeous, but it was those famous leg warmers that truly stole the show.

They were originally crafted to protect dancers' legs and ankles against potential injuries. But thanks to movies like "Fame" (1980) and "Flashdance" (1983), coupled with the influence of Jane Fonda's workout videos, leg warmers became an omnipresent fashion statement. Young people everywhere adopted them; what a feeling!

Image: Divazus Fabric Store

Plaid has always been around, from its emergence in Scotland many years ago to the present day. However, it experienced a couple of notorious peaks during the tumultuous 20th century worth pointing out.

In the late 1970s, Daisy from "The Dukes of Hazzard" famously tied a plaid shirt above her waist, sparking a fashion trend that fascinated an entire generation.

Then, during the wild 1990s, plaid was back in the spotlight. Far from its monarchy-related origins, the plaid flannel shirt became a symbol of the grunge movement, worn by members and fans of bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana.

But the real boom came with the movie "Clueless" (1995), which catapulted the plaid suit to worldwide fame.

Image: Mark J Sebastian

Nowadays, many women have declared tight low-rise jeans fully extinct, but by the late 1990s and early 2000s, this type of pants dominated the fashion scene everywhere.

Also known as low-cut jeans, they epitomized the era. While men sported wide and loose low-rise pants, often revealing glimpses of their underwear, women opted for tighter-fitting styles that hugged their lower hips, often paired with crop tops that exposed their belly buttons.

Madonna, the Spice Girls, and Britney Spears (who still prefers them) were among its greatest exponents. Just take a look at red carpet shows of that era; you'll spot this type of jeans everywhere!

Image: Erriko Boccia

Also originating hundreds of years ago, platform shoes have had their share of ups and downs throughout history.

However, platforms are mostly associated with one of their most famous moments: the 1970s. Worn by both women and men, platform sandals and boots were the epitome of cool, and the higher the platform, the better.

Maybe you remember one of their more recent revivals. Around 2010, young women began embracing platforms again, as they seemed more comfortable than high heels for a long night out. This time, the trend didn't quite reach men, who cleverly stuck with sneakers for all their looks.

Image: Brooke Cagle

While already familiar to all 1970s and 1980s fashionistas, the oversize style has made a comeback in recent years, once again captivating young people.

These days, it seems like almost every garment is part of this trend. T-shirts, shirts, pants, jackets, blazers, and even dresses can all be worn a few sizes larger for that cool, relaxed look. The key lies in how you combine them.

According to fashion specialists, the current era is defined by a shift away from tight-fitting garments in favor of comfort, all while maintaining a strong sense of style.