6 Myth: Leukonychia is a white spot on the nails we perceive as indicating some nutritional deficiency, mainly calcium.

Truth: These tiny spots are harmless and caused due to small injuries when the nail is growing and have nothing to do with deficiency.

There is a common belief that white spots on the nails indicate calcium or zinc deficiency. However, this is far from the truth. These white spots are called “leukonychia and are purely harmless. Leukonychia is a common condition and can occur in healthy humans as well.

The main cause of their existence is an injury that is caused either by nail-biting or due to an injury during nail growth. They can also be the result of allergic reactions to certain products like nail polish, nail hardeners, or sometimes mild infections. (source)

7 Myth: Landmines don’t explode when you step on them but will only make a “click” sound. They will explode as soon as you take your foot off.

Truth: Landmine explodes the minute a person steps onto it because they are used to kill people instantly.

Television shows and films depict that a group of people is walking along and suddenly you’ll hear a “click” sound. Here, they come to know that one of the soldiers has stepped onto a landmine and that they need to disarm it as soon as possible.

The misconception here is developed that landmines don’t explode when you step onto them but when you take your foot off. However, the upcoming scenes will be spent trying to get the people out safely without detonating the landmine.

These common myths and misconceptions are highly dangerous. This can risk the lives of civilians who contact the ordinance taking unnecessary steps. This can also endanger the lives of ordinance technicians who put their lives at risk while trying to make such areas safe again.

Landmines don’t allow getting to safety and have someone cut that red wire before the countdown ends. They’ll explode as soon as someone steps on them. Also, they aren’t visible but buried in the ground and detonate when adequate pressure is applied. (source)

8 Myth: Girls having their periods should not touch or go near plants. The plant will die if they do so.

Truth: There are no scientific justifications. Plants DO NOT discriminate!

In many areas of the world, girls are perceived as impure when they’re menstruating. They are not allowed to enter religious places, kitchens, etc. In many places, they aren’t even allowed to enter the commonly used place of the house and have to spend those days in one room.

It is commonly believed that girls should not touch or go near a plant when having their periods because they are impure. This will lead to the death of the plant, or the leaves will turn brown. This perception isn’t based on any scientific logic.

It is a misconception as pants don’t discriminate. All they need is good care, and they’ll survive no matter who touches them. (1, 2)

9 Myth: Bats are blind.

Truth: No, bats are not blind! They have small eyes with extremely sensitive vision, which helps them see even when humans are unable to. However, they can’t see objects in their actual colors.

Bats are perceived as idiosyncratic creatures, meaning they have habits that are quite odd for humans, like sleeping upside down, occasional bloodsucking, and not sleeping at night. Many of us associate these creatures with superheroes and even vampires.

However, bats are not blind at all. Researchers say that they have keener eyesight than most humans. This misconception arose from their nocturnal nature and increased hearing abilities.

Since they find food mostly at night time when it is very dark, bats use echolocation to exactly locate where their prey is. Echolocation means that bats use echoes of self-produced sounds which bounce off objects to help direct them to their target.

Echolocation doesn’t mean they are blind. Their eyes are attuned to low-light conditions to help them find prey and are enhanced by their super-hearing capabilities. (1, 2)

10 Myth: Alcatraz’s reputation as tough-as-nails prison was a misconception developed by Hollywood.

Truth: Many inmates asked to get transferred there because of its good food and one-man-per-cell policy.

Another popular belief among these common myths and misconceptions is Alcatraz’s reputation as tough-as-nails prison. Although Alcatraz was probably not a Club Med, its tough-as-nails reputation was made by Hollywood.

Many inmates were amazed and attracted toward the prison’s one-man-per-cell policy because they were at lower risk of getting attacked by fellow jailbirds.

James A. Johnston was  Alcatraz’s first warden and knew that poor food was often served which mainly caused prison riots. Therefore, he prided himself on providing good food, and prisoners could return for as many helpings as they wanted.

Inmates who behaved well and followed the rules were rewarded with privileges including monthly movies and a library with 15,000 books and 75 popular magazine subscriptions.

Many prisoners believed that the conditions inside Alcatraz were more attractive than other federal prisons. Due to this reason, several prisoners asked to be transferred there. (source)