#11

Myth: If you touch a baby bird, its mother will abandon it.

Fact: Birds don’t have a very strong sense of smell. Therefore, birds aren’t able to smell any human scent on its babies.

According to ornithologists, birds do not have an evolved sense of smell. Consequently, they can’t smell any human scent on their babies, and so they won’t abandon them if a human touches their little ones. Birds are quite devoted to their young ones and are not easily deterred from taking care of them.(source)

#12

Myth: The number of people alive today is greater than the number of people who have ever died.

Fact: The number of people alive today is only 6.6% of the total number of people who have ever lived.

In 2002, Carl Haub, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C., made an estimation about the number of people who have ever lived. He started with two people in 50000 B.C. – Adam and Eve. Using historical growth rates and population benchmarks, he estimated that slightly over 106 billion people have ever been born on this planet till now.

Today there are about 7 billion people on earth according to UN. Thus, when compared with people alive today, it turns out that the present population comprises only 6.6% of the total population to have ever lived on earth.(1,2)

#13

Myth:  Swimming within one hour of having a meal can be risky as you can get cramps and drown.

Fact: Swimming after eating is not dangerous, but it is just uncomfortable.

During our childhood while on a beach vacation, our parents have forbidden us from hitting the water for at least one hour after having a meal. According to our parents, swimming on a full stomach can get us cramps, and we can drown. It is a common belief that after having a meal most of the blood in our body floods to stomach to aid digestion. So, any strenuous activity such as swimming after eating can cause a lack of blood carrying oxygen in our limbs, which causes cramps resulting in drowning.

Nevertheless, the truth is that our body has enough blood to keep all our body parts running even after a meal. The oxygen required during physical activities and exercises are delivered to the muscle by adrenaline. So, it’s perfectly safe to swim after a meal, but it’s better to wait a while before going for a long swim so that you do not feel uncomfortable.(source)

#14

Myth: We wear wedding/engagement rings on our left “ring” finger because that finger contains a vein that goes directly to the heart.

Fact: All fingers of our hands have similar vein structure. There is no special vein in the ring finger of the left hand which goes directly to the heart.

The tradition of placing a ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to the ancient Egyptians. They believed that a vein in this finger is connected directly to the heart, and thus, placing a ring on it will ensure everlasting affection. This belief traveled through many generations and then passed on the Romans who called this vein “Vena Amoris” or the Vein of Love. In 1549, King Edward VI of England declared this finger as the official ring finger, and since then the myth has prevailed.

The truth is that there is no such vein in the ring finger because all fingers of our hands have similar vein structure.(source)

#15

Myth: Marilyn Manson removed 2 of his ribs so he could suck his own di*k.

Fact: No, Marilyn Manson hadn’t got 2 of his ribs removed to perform self-fellatio.

The rumor about Marilyn Manson sucking his dick started on 27 December 1994. On that day, Marilyn Manson was arrested after a concert as the police were under the impression that he performed oral sex on Jessicka, the Jack Off Jill vocalist. But later, it was revealed that Jessicka was wearing a prosthetic penis and there was no real penis involved. So, the police released Manson without any charge.

In his autobiography ‘The Long Hard Road Out of Hell’, Manson writes: “If I really got my ribs removed, I would have been busy sucking my own dick on The Wonder Years instead of chasing Winnie Cooper”. Therefore, it’s absolutely an urban legend that Marilyn Manson removed 2 of his ribs so he could suck his own dick.(source)