The 1970s
34 entries on file
Things people believed and taught during the 1970s.
The decade of the diet, the disco, the disco diet, and a wave of reassuring pop psychology. Tony Buzan's mind maps. The five stages of grief, taken further than Kübler-Ross intended. Repressed memory therapy as the next big thing. Vitamin C megadoses. Linus Pauling at the height of his post-Nobel scientific eccentricity. The Razor Blades In Halloween Candy panic. The 70s also gave us a lot of myths that had a kernel of real science distorted past usefulness, which is the most dangerous form, because the kernel makes the rest sound credible.
Sugar Makes Children Hyperactive
Scientific studies show no causal link between sugar and hyperactivity
Strangers Put Razor Blades in Halloween Candy
A myth that created unnecessary Halloween fears
The Middle Finger is the Rudest Gesture Everywhere
The 'worst' insult varies dramatically by culture, and some gestures barely register in others
Eating Fat Makes You Fat
Excess calories from any source cause weight gain; dietary fat is essential
Running Ruins Your Knees
Moderate running doesn't increase knee osteoarthritis risk
Vitamin C Stops Colds
Modest, slow, and only if you take it daily before you ever catch one
Daddy Longlegs Spiders Are the Most Venomous But Their Fangs Can't Pierce Skin
Daddy longlegs aren't spiders, and they're harmless regardless
The Stanford Prison Experiment Had Seriously Flawed Methodology
Participants were coached and coerced; the results don't demonstrate human nature, but rather experimenter demand
Daddy Long Legs Are the Most Venomous Spider in Australia But Can't Bite Humans
This dual myth is false, daddy long legs are not particularly venomous and their fangs can pierce skin
Blood Type Determines Personality (Japan)
Blood type personality compatibility (ketsueki-gata) has no scientific basis; the belief is widespread despite lacking evidence
Canadians Pronounce 'About' as 'Aboot'
Canadian English demonstrates 'Canadian raising' but doesn't distinctly say 'aboot'; this is linguistic mythology
'The Whole Nine Yards' Has a Secret Origin
A phrase whose true etymology remains genuinely unknown
Queen's 'We Are the Champions' Ends with 'of the World'
The album version ends with 'of the world' but live performances vary
C-3PO Is Entirely Gold Plated
C-3PO has one silver-coloured leg from the original trilogy onward
BMI Is an Accurate Measure of Fitness
It was invented in 1832 by a Belgian astronomer to study the average man, not assess any individual one
Mama Cass Died Choking on a Ham Sandwich
She died of heart failure. The autopsy found nothing in her airway.
Wolf Packs Are Ruled by an 'Alpha' Who Fought His Way to the Top
Wild packs are families led by the parents; the alpha idea came from captive wolves
Microwave Ovens Emit Dangerous Radiation
Microwaves use non-ionizing radiation; properly designed ovens are safe
Pop Rocks Will Explode in Your Stomach
Pop rocks are harmless candy with just popping candy
Crop circles are created by aliens visiting Earth
Crop circles are created by humans; patterns show evidence of human design
Poinsettias are highly toxic to humans
Mildly toxic at worst; causes minor symptoms if ingested
Double-Jointed People Have Extra Joints
They have the same number of joints, just greater flexibility
Rod Stewart Had His Stomach Pumped After a Sex Act
A decades-old urban legend the singer has denied for years. No hospital record exists.
Antonio Salieri Murdered Mozart Out of Jealousy
A hit play and film ran with a rumour there is no real evidence for
Women Who Live Together Sync Up Their Periods
The original study was flawed; better research finds no real synchrony
Defibrillators Restart a Heart That Has Stopped
They stop a chaotic rhythm; they cannot jump-start a flatline
CPR Usually Brings People Back to Life
Real survival rates are low; it buys time rather than guaranteeing rescue
Birds Navigate Using Iron Deposits in Their Beaks
Birds likely use quantum entanglement in cryptochromes; mechanism still debated
Black Holes Always Cause Immediate Spaghettification
Spaghettification occurs at event horizon; timing depends on black hole size
C-3PO Always Had a Metallic Gold Colouring
In The Force Awakens, C-3PO has one red arm, a recent addition to the character
Sleeping with a fan on overnight causes death
Korean urban legend; scientifically unsupported
Moon rocks brought back by Apollo are fake
Moon rocks authenticated by multiple independent labs worldwide
Eminem Wrote All His Own Music and Lyrics
Eminem primarily writes his own work; some songs involve co-writers and producers
Black holes will eventually suck in the entire universe
Black holes have localized gravity; universe expansion prevents capture