Misconceptions

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The claim that a duck's quack does not echo is false, although the echo may be difficult to hear for humans under some circumstances.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
DNA is not made of protein. DNA is instead a nucleic acid. DNA and protein are closely interrelated, however. DNA is always accompanied by proteins in the chromatin of plants and animals. See protein biosynthesis for DNA's involvement in assembling protein. See DNA replication for enzymatic proteins' involvement in assembling DNA.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
The notion that goldfish have a memory of only three seconds is false.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Lemmings do not engage in mass suicidal dives off cliffs when migrating. They will, however, occasionally unintentionally fall off cliffs when venturing into unknown territory, with no knowledge of the boundaries of the environment. The misconception is due largely to the Disney film White Wilderness, which shot many of the migration scenes (also staged by using multiple shots of different groups of lemmings) on a large, snow-covered turntable in a studio. Photographers later pushed the lemmings off a cliff. The misconception itself is much older, dating back to at least the late nineteenth century.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Bats are not blind. While most bat species do use echolocation to augment their vision, all bat species have eyes and are capable of sight.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
It is a common myth that an earthworm becomes two worms when cut in half. However, only a limited number of earthworm species are capable of anterior regeneration. When most earthworms are bisected, only the front half of the worm (where the mouth is located) can survive, while the other half dies. Also, species of the planaria family of flatworms actually do become two new planaria when bisected or split down the middle.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Sushi does not mean "raw fish", and not all sushi includes raw fish. The name sushi refers to the vinegared rice used in it. Sushi is made with sumeshi, rice which has been gently folded with rice vinegar, salt, and sugar dressing. The rice is traditionally topped by raw fish, cooked seafood, fish roe, egg, and/or vegetables such as cucumber, daikon radish, and avocado. The related Japanese term sashimi is closer in definition to "raw fish", but still not quite accurate: Sashimi can also refer to any uncooked meat or vegetable, and usually refers more to the dish's presentation than to its ingredients. The dish consisted of sushi rice and other fillings wrapped in seaweed is called makizushi, and includes both "long rolls" and "hand rolls".

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Microwave ovens do not cook food from the inside out. Microwave radiation penetrates food and causes direct heating only a short distance from the surface. This distance is called the skin depth. As an example, lean muscle tissue (meat) has a skin depth of only about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) at microwave oven frequencies.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Placing metal inside a microwave oven does not damage the oven's electronics. There are, however, other safety-related issues: electrical arcing may occur on pieces of metal not designed for use in a microwave oven, and metal objects may become hot enough to damage food, skin, or the interior of the microwave oven. Metallic objects that are designed for microwave use can be used in a microwave with no danger; examples include the metalized surfaces used in browning sleeves and pizza-cooking platforms.

in Misconceptions

Fallacious yet widespread and documented beliefs courtesy of Wikipedia.
Swallowed chewing gum does not take seven years to digest. In fact, chewing gum is mostly indigestible, but passes through the digestive system at the same rate as other matter.