myths

9 Stories

Evidence of 'New' Whale Behavior Found in Ancient Myth

Dismissed as inaccurate, old texts hold evidence modern scientists have missed: study

(Newser) - In 2011, researchers described what they thought was a new phenomenon. They'd observed humpback and Bryde's whales opening their jaws, then waiting for prey fish to swim into their waiting mouths, in what's been dubbed trap fishing, per Smithsonian . The practice has been observed at least a...

Scientists Think One Catholic Legend Is Really True

Carbon tests prove at least part of myth linked to St. Francis of Assisi

(Newser) - Catholic lore has it that in the depths of the winter of 1224, things looked grim for a group of monks who, trapped by snow, were starving inside a friary in southern Italy. Then a knock at the door alerted the monks to a life-saving delivery: a sack of bread,...

Cranberry Juice Stops UTIs? Um, Nope


Cranberry Juice
Stops UTIs?
Um, Nope
NEW STUDY
Oct 28, 2016 8:38 AM CDT

Cranberry Juice Stops UTIs? Um, Nope

Scientists say it's just an old wives' tale

(Newser) - Among things all females learn early on is that you guzzle cranberry juice to prevent a urinary tract infection, which one in five women will eventually get. The reason: cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, or PACs, which can keep bacteria from sticking to the bladder and urinary tract. That's why a...

On Facebook, Cat People Are 'Tired,' Dog People 'Excited'

Cat people prefer fantasy and anime, while dog people go for romance and, well, dogs

(Newser) - Facebook analyzed the behaviors and preferences of 160,000 people who posted photos of cats and dogs, at once both confirming and busting several prevailing pet myths. For instance: Cat owners have 26 fewer friends on Facebook, yet are more likely to be invited to events than their canine-loving...

King Arthur Was a Scot, Lived in Swamp: Historian

Amateur historian says claims proven "beyond reasonable doubt"

(Newser) - Scotland may have a new, ancient celebrity to call its own, according to an amateur historian. In a new book , Adam Ardrey claims King Arthur was actually Arthur Mac Aedan, the son of a Scottish king, whose "Camelot" was not Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, but a Scottish marsh—and...

Do Super Bowls Really Predict Elections, Stocks?

Bizarre Super Bowl myths busted

(Newser) - Do Super Bowls really predict presidential elections? Or the stock market? Do they make you hit your wife? People have claimed all of these things over the years, so the Guardian decided to take a look at what it calls "Super Bowl-ology," the "science" of making weird...

Beer Drinkers Don't Get Big Bellies, and Other Myths

Plus a few truths...

(Newser) - You probably memorized many of these drinking tips before you could legally drink. Thing is, a number of them are false. In an article excerpted from New Scientist, the Washington Post busts a few myths ... and confirms a few others. Things that just aren't true:
  • Coffee sobers you up: Caffeine
...

Crime Doesn't Rise During Full Moon

Legendary link is just that—a legend: criminal justice experts

(Newser) - Crime rises with the temperature and climbs during weekends—but not during the time of the full moon, illuminating new research reveals. Crime statistics for San Antonio helped criminologists shed some light on the deeply entrenched belief in what the researchers called "the lunar-crime relationship," reports USA Today ...

5 Movie Myths About Guns
 5 Movie Myths 
 About Guns 
Jun 19, 2010 5:00 PM CDT

5 Movie Myths About Guns

For starters, it's hard to blow up a car with one

(Newser) - Hollywood just loves its guns, but it doesn't always get the facts straight. Robert Evans of Cracked.com busts 5 common gun myths:
  • Bullets blow up cars and stuff (Jaws, Casino Royale, Matrix Reloaded): If it were that easy to make flammable things go boom, every car accident "would
...

9 Stories