List of Common Misconceptions

• Mama wrote on 2011-01-28 22:42
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions
  
  some of these were surprising to me.
  
  

  During World War II, King Christian X of Denmark did not thwart Nazi attempts to identify Jews by wearing a yellow star himself. Jews in Denmark were never forced to wear the Star of David. The Danes did help most Jews flee the country before the end of the war

  
  WHAT?
  

  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.

  
  I also know that bats can hunt perfectly well while drunk. amazing creatures.
  

  Bulls are not enraged by the color red, used in capes by professional matadors. Cattle are dichromats, so red does not stand out as a bright color. It is not the color of the cape that angers the bull, but rather the movement of the fabric that irritates the bull and incites it to charge

  
  Looney toons parroted a lot of animal misconceptions, including bulls and ostriches sticking their head in the ground when afraid.
  

  Bottled water, vitamin-enriched water, and sparkling water are not healthier than tap water.[129] In fact, many studies have shown that bottled water often contains mixtures of bacteria, fertilizers, and a variety of pollutants.

  
  best thing to use is those snap on water filters for the faucet.
  

  Photographic or eidetic memory refers to the ability to remember images with extremely high precision – so high as to mimic a camera. However, it is highly unlikely that photographic memory exists, as to date there is no hard scientific evidence that anyone has ever had it.[196] Many people have claimed to have a photographic memory, but those people have been shown to have good memories as a result of mnemonic devices rather than a natural capacity for detailed memory encoding

  
  

  Nowhere in the Bible is Satan described as ruling over or being in Hell. Throughout the Bible Satan is described as constantly on Earth, and the Book of Revelation says that after Judgment Satan will be cast into Hell.

  
  apparently Satan was thought to be based off some burning garbage also, I don't recall where I heard it from tho.
  
  @_@
  a lot of things I already knew, but at the same time many caught me off guard. I wonder if anyone's outlooks will be changed :d
• Devoth wrote on 2011-01-28 22:50

  Quote from Mama;308592:

  Photographic or eidetic memory refers to the ability to remember images with extremely high precision – so high as to mimic a camera. However, it is highly unlikely that photographic memory exists, as to date there is no hard scientific evidence that anyone has ever had it.[196] Many people have claimed to have a photographic memory, but those people have been shown to have good memories as a result of mnemonic devices rather than a natural capacity for detailed memory encoding

  
  
  I remember watching something on television about some guy who apparently had a 'photographic memory', and I think they flew over... Rome?.. In a helicopter or something along those lines.. Can't remember completely, but what I do remember is that they placed an enormous stretch of paper in front of him, and he drew the city. When they analyzed it, they found flaws, though they were very, very small flaws. Was rather interesting.
• Shirayuki wrote on 2011-01-28 22:51
  Is knowing 3/5 good D:?
• Chockeh wrote on 2011-01-28 22:53
  Does stereotypes fit in here?
  Asians do not have small ****s (there is lots who have one though), I've seen some pretty crazy ****.
• Kueh wrote on 2011-01-28 22:56

  Quote from Devoth;308600:

  I remember watching something on television about some guy who apparently had a 'photographic memory', and I think they flew over... Rome?.. In a helicopter or something along those lines.. Can't remember completely, but what I do remember is that they placed an enormous stretch of paper in front of him, and he drew the city. When they analyzed it, they found flaws, though they were very, very small flaws. Was rather interesting.

  
  
  You mean http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Wiltshire, who had a rare version of autism known as savant syndrome
  
  What's more interesting, is that many of the "Flaws" turned out to be accurate depictions, and that the maps used to analyze were inaccurate.
• Cynic wrote on 2011-01-28 23:05
  Lolz. I don't know why people ever assumed the Devil was just in Hell. I still am set on him 'ruling' it, but that doesn't mean he is stuck there.
  IMO, the devil can be everywhere. Given how humans are these days.. I'm pretty damn sure he is everywhere, helping (mind you, not forcing them) along those corrupt and evil beings.
  
  And lol @ Jesus not being born in December. No wonder I hate bible thumpers who make Christmas so religious.
• Mama wrote on 2011-01-29 00:07

  Quote from Shirayuki;308602:

  Is knowing 3/5 good D:?

  
  yes it is :D
  

  Quote from Chockeh;308605:

  Does stereotypes fit in here?
  Asians do not have small ****s (there is lots who have one though), I've seen some pretty crazy ****.

  
  lol.. even in my introductory psychology they went over racial stereotypes to my surprise. On average they do have smaller dicks but obviously saying they all have it small would be an overgeneralization.
  They used to think having a large forehead meant you had a higher IQ too, but that was quickly proved wrong.
  People say the darndest things!
  
  

  Quote from Whyrainfalls;308609:

  You mean http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Wiltshire, who had a rare version of autism known as savant syndrome
  
  What's more interesting, is that many of the "Flaws" turned out to be accurate depictions, and that the maps used to analyze were inaccurate.

  
  hmm.. autism does seem to unlock something in the mind in regards to creative outlets. No idea about how though.
• Skye wrote on 2011-01-29 00:15
  I didn't read the whole wiki article, but there are quite a few that I already knew.
  
  

  Quote from Shirayuki;308602:

  Is knowing 3/5 good D:?

  
  
  That's how many I knew in the post! *hi5*
• Tatsu wrote on 2011-01-29 01:12

  Quote from Cynic;308619:

  Lolz. I don't know why people ever assumed the Devil was just in Hell. I still am set on him 'ruling' it, but that doesn't mean he is stuck there.
  IMO, the devil can be everywhere. Given how humans are these days.. I'm pretty damn sure he is everywhere, helping (mind you, not forcing them) along those corrupt and evil beings.
  

  
  
  /shrug
  
  That kind of thinking falls along more like the concept of a demon named Mara found in Buddhism, who tried to tempt the first Bodhisattva.
  
  My superstitious side doesn't allow me to believe in 'the devil'. Instead, there are the seven demons princes of hell that all tempt humans according to the supposed Seven Sins.
  
  Also knew quite a bit of these in the article.
• Kueh wrote on 2011-01-29 01:19

  Quote from Mama;308719:

  hmm.. autism does seem to unlock something in the mind in regards to creative outlets. No idea about how though.

  
  
  Imagine a brain. A normal person's brain, juggling a variety of normal thoughts, processes, actions, and reactions. It uses a certain amount of "Brain Power" to do all that.
  
  Now imagine a similar brain, except this one is not doing all those things. Instead, it's only doing a few of them. That Brain Power that was being used for other things has to go somewhere.
• Chillax wrote on 2011-01-29 02:24

  Bottled water, vitamin-enriched water, and sparkling water are not healthier than tap water.[129] In fact, many studies have shown that bottled water often contains mixtures of bacteria, fertilizers, and a variety of pollutants.

  
  
  That's a blanket statement that doesn't work for all bottled water. I know for a fact that Fiji water is horrible, but some other ones are still better than tap water.
• Kueh wrote on 2011-01-29 02:28

  Quote from Chillax;308883:

  That's a blanket statement that doesn't work for all bottled water. I know for a fact that Fiji water is horrible, but some other ones are still better than tap water.

  
  
  It also depends on from which tap.
  
  My tap water comes just down river from a sewage treatment plant.
• Mama wrote on 2011-01-29 03:31

  Quote from Whyrainfalls;308815:

  Imagine a brain. A normal person's brain, juggling a variety of normal thoughts, processes, actions, and reactions. It uses a certain amount of "Brain Power" to do all that.
  
  Now imagine a similar brain, except this one is not doing all those things. Instead, it's only doing a few of them. That Brain Power that was being used for other things has to go somewhere.

  
  i see.. makes sense. I want to read into the details for that one, regarding the areas of the brain and which ones are more activated in autistic people compared to 'normals'.
  
  

  Quote from Chillax;308883:

  That's a blanket statement that doesn't work for all bottled water. I know for a fact that Fiji water is horrible, but some other ones are still better than tap water.

  
  
  yep. tap water standards varies rather dramatically from city to city, depends on your location and the city's water standards. I know if you get water from basins under farmland I'd be more concerned compared to some canadian city near a natural water source.
  
  reminds me of when i go to myrtle beach for vacation, their water tastes so wierd to me. I can't stand their tap water.
• gentrone wrote on 2011-01-29 03:46

  Quote from Chockeh;308605:

  Does stereotypes fit in here?
  Asians do not have small ****s (there is lots who have one though), I've seen some pretty crazy ****.

  
  
  ...
  
  They do have small dicks... ON AVERAGE.
• Mama wrote on 2011-01-29 03:50

  Quote from gentrone;308978:

  ...
  
  They do have small dicks... ON AVERAGE.

  
  
  thats what I said too :d
  
  the only problem is when people overgeneralize and assume every azn they meet has a small one
  I think it's called 'base-rate fallacy'