Top 30 most commonly-believed myths from swallowing spiders to goldfish memory

Researchers have identified the top 30 myths which are commonly believed to be true – such as 'the most heat escapes through your head', 'we only use 10% of our brains' and 'goldfish only have a three-second memory'.

The study of 2,000 adults found nearly four in 10 aren’t even sure how they came to believe these fraudulent bits of trivia – but 49% have shared them with others, in the belief they were accurate.

Nearly half believe most heat escapes through your head – despite experts claiming only around 10% of body heat is lost this way, due to its relatively small surface.

And far from the belief that goldfish only remember things for a few seconds, they are thought to have memories which last as long as three months.

And even something as simple as clenching and unclenching one’s fist uses far more than 10% of the human brain, according to scientific studies.

Other misconceptions Brits often pass on include the colour red sending bulls into a rage – even though the animals can’t even see the colour – and that it takes seven years to digest swallowed chewing gum, which isn’t true because we can’t digest it at all.

More than one in five (22%) are convinced a penny dropped from the top of New York’s Empire State Building would generate enough force to kill anyone it landed on, however it’s simply too lightweight to do such a thing.

A spokesman from Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care which commissioned the research as part of a campaign to help alter the nation's perceptions on contact lenses, said: "If enough people tell us the same thing we're inclined to believe it – even if it's not completely true.

“For many of us we will have believed these titbits of incorrect information to be true since childhood, so it’s hard to accept we’ve been wrong for decades.

"It, therefore, comes as no surprise that the myths around contact lenses getting lost behind your eye, as well as freeze to your eye in cold weather make the top 30."

“Our study also shows," they added, "that nearly half the people surveyed (44%) say they would not switch their glasses for contact lenses due to common myths about them being too fiddly (46%) or simply don’t like the idea of them (36 per cent).

"However, those that have converted to contact lenses are happy with their decision because they are both convenient and comfortable.”

The study found one in 10 believe it’s possible for contact lenses to get lodged behind the eyeball, another scientific impossibility.

Other falsehoods we frequently believe include the old wives’ tale about adding salt to a pot of water to make it boil more quickly – when salt is said to raise water’s boiling point.

And one in four are labouring under the misapprehension that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space.

When in fact, it’s not visible to the naked eye at all from orbit, being very long – but also too thin to pick out.

It also emerged around two thirds of Brits have a tendency to simply believe whatever they’ve been told.

More than a quarter (27%) would even confess to simply being a ‘gullible’ person, according to the OnePoll figures.

Brits are also learning to be wary of all they read on social media, estimating that just a quarter of what they see online is actually based in fact.

Scrivens’ spokesman added: “It’s funny how these plausible-sounding ‘facts’ seem to take on a life of their own.

“For example, why would anyone believe that we swallow eight spiders a year, per person? If you think about it, how would that even be tested?

“We wanted to highlight some fun falsehoods, but also highlight that much of what people believe about contact lenses might be out of date as well.”

Discover more about contact lens myths here.

The top 30 myths Brits believe

  1. Chameleons change colours to blend in with their surroundings

  2. Heat escapes through your head

  3. Sugar causes hyperactivity in children

  4. The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space

  5. You should urinate on someone if they get stung by a jellyfish

  6. A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building could kill someone

  7. Your hair and fingernails continue to grow after you die

  8. Dogs sweat through their tongues

  9. Humans only have five senses

  10. We only use 10 percent of our brains

  11. Bats are blind

  12. Drinking alcohol raises your body temperature

  13. You'll get cramps if you go swimming right after you eat

  14. Dogs only see in black and white

  15. It's safe to eat food that's been on the floor for five seconds or less

  16. If you touch a baby bird with your bare hands, its mother will reject it

  17. Bulls get angry when they see the colour red

  18. Shaving your hair makes it grow back thicker

  19. Goldfish only have a three-second memory

  20. Cracking your knuckles too much will cause arthritis

  21. Adding salt to water makes it boil faster

  22. Contact lenses can get lost behind your eye

  23. We swallow eight spiders a year in our sleep

  24. Going out in the cold will give you a cold

  25. It takes seven years for your body to digest gum

  26. All deserts are hot

  27. Putting your laptop on your lap will cause infertility

  28. Contact lenses can freeze to your eye in cold weather

  29. Lightning never strikes twice

  30. Babies are born with a full size adult head – and your body grows into it

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