Wednesday 16 January 2013

Space Kitty & Science Myths

Even though this sweater was on the list of items I'm packing for Japan, I couldn't resist wearing it the other day when it suddenly became inexplicably freezing. I was in the mood for a bizarre kind of outfit, so the effect of a kitty being draped over my shoulders went well with the planet stockings. Again, I'm wearing my amazing new t-bar platform shoes from Topb2c which I've been (somewhat impractically) living in for the past few days.

wearing
sweater - c/o Sheinside
skirt - Vintage
tights - Ebay
bag - Vintage
shoes - c/o Topb2c
hat - c/o Wholesale

Today's science segment is going to be a little different. Rather than teaching you something cool about science, I'm going to give you a list of science facts that you might have thought were true, but are actually very much false (thanks, Snopes!)

So here's a list of false science 'facts':

- The average person swallows 8 spiders each year - FALSE
This "fact" was actually spread by a woman attempting to demonstrate how gullible people are when they hear something on the internet. And it is now one of the most common myths people believe on the internet.
- Your hair and fingernails keep growing after you die - FALSE
In fact, it's the shrinking of skin and flesh after death that makes it seem like hair and fingernails are still growing, when they are in actual fact staying the same length.
- The Coriolis Force (remember the Simpsons episode where they go to Australia?) means that water spins the opposite way down a drain depending on the hemisphere - FALSE
The Coriolis effect is real, but it is very small and only influences very large systems like the movement of air. It has no effect on the water in your toilet bowl. The configuration of taps, sinks and bowls is what causes water to "spin" in any one direction and is much stronger than any swirling from the Coriolis force.
- You only use 10% of your brain - FALSE
This is such a pervasive myth and it irritates me the most out of this whole list (probably because I'm a neuroscience nerd). If you only used 10% of your brain, evolution would probably have worked to remove the 90% we apparently don't use, making childbirth a heck of a lot easier and using the body's resources in a much more effective way. We make use of 100% of our brains. And brain imaging studies show that this is indeed true.
What is true is that we don't use 100% of our brain all at once, just like you don't suddenly engage every single muscle of your body in one specific moment.
- You can see the great wall of China from space - FALSE
You can't.

44 comments:

  1. How would you be able to see the Great Wall of China from space, the Mongols managed to get over it...

    Love your sweater! The kitty is adorable :)

    xx maggie
    saltandleather.blogspot.com

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  2. Ohh, I love the sweater!

    Also love having all those things cleared up once and for all, especially the brain myth! I always did think that if it were true, we would have evolved to have much smaller brains (and heads)

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    Replies
    1. You are very right there, lady. It's really interesting reading why that myth has stuck around as well :)
      http://snopes.com/science/stats/10percent.asp

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  3. adorable outfit :D I really liked this post, as I've also learned something too! XD xx

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  4. You.are.the.cutest.

    And I love the 'false' science facts! I thought all of these were true!

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  5. This outfit is adorable. That sweater is so amazing!

    Also, those 'false' facts were so great. I feel so much better about the spider thing now. Phew.

    xoxo,
    Laura
    http://lauraisthriftingthroughlife.blogspot.com/

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  6. Holy shit I thought all those facts were true! Craayyy. I often think about the whole eating spiders in your sleep thing, I am glad it is not real! I am super jealous of your wintery outfit! I am sitting here melting in the heat. GROSS. Yay Japan! Didn't you go to Japan pretty recently? Have lots and lots of fun :)

    elissiam.

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    Replies
    1. Yeahh back in 2011 (how time flies right??!)

      And I thought the spider one was true as well until I found this! So happy because I haaaate spiders more than anything.

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    2. I know that-And that is a fact. X

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    3. Oh my glob, Mum, don't comment on my blog anonymously, it creeped me out.

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    4. Hahahahaha! That would have been creepy!

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  7. I was always under the impression that the 10% 'fact' applied to the potential of the human brain such as the perceived length of time in dreams vs. waking life and things of that sort, either way pretty muddy stuff. I'm glad I knew all these were false except the Great Wall one, good to know. One of my favorite false 'facts' is that carbonation causes bone density issues, which is not true.

    Glad to see those "Stellar" Tights making another appearance, have fun in Japan, make sure to eat some Unagi and buy a beer from a vending machine and drink some of whatever the hell this is: http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad113/DUPchino/Blog/Pancake_Drink.jpg

    Bon Courage

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    Replies
    1. Hahaha oh my god, pancake drink, that's amazing! I saw some pretty weird ones last time I was in Japan, including canned cream corn and strawberry-milk flavoured pepsi. But that's even weirder. I'll be on the lookout for that in vending machines now.

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  8. I thought the "we only use 10% of our brain" thing was true! I feel bit dumb now haha

    Rach
    xx

    Teardops Are Falling

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  9. I hate how OFTEN people use that false science fact about our brains usage. It's not only being said, but it has been used in a lot of self help BOOKS as a way to make us feel like we've yet to reach our full potential (by just paying two easy payments of $9.99 of course).

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    Replies
    1. hahaha, yep. And it's a favourite of "psychics" as well to attempt to give some kind of legitimacy to their claims for paranormal powers. And how you too can become psychic by using more than 10% of your brain... haha.

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  10. Love the myths and those tights are amazing
    Blog: Style With Friends

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  11. oooooh those shoes are tasty. Thanks for the facts.

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  12. Love your outfit and all of these science facts :)) I've always been a bit sceptic about people using only 10% of brain, thanks for clearing that out :))

    http://smilesnapsparkle.blogspot.com

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  13. So adorable!
    http://agnesandelle.blogspot.co.uk/

    xxx

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  14. awww lovely lolita shoes!
    Really adorable look!

    www.thehappypotatoes.com

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  15. I really like that kitty sweater...I was eyeing it for myself but I hadn't really seen a way I liked it styled yet. I love it with your pinafore though!

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  16. Lovely outfit! Everytime I check up your blog Australian weather seems more weird to me hahaa
    Btw it's cool to read those false facts on your blog, it irritates me a lot too when people say that stuff just because they heard it on some crappy tv show or something! I think the 10% thingie was supposed to be about the conscious and subconscious of the mind and not psychic or neurological stuff like some people go blab around.

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  17. I totally understand you when you say "I was in the mood for a bizarre kind of outfit" !! It's the same for me; sometimes I have the strong desire to dress in nonsense, and I feel so happy to go out with strange clothes. People can look at me so weird, I don't care, that's almost funny actually.

    I feel ashamed, I was part (not anymore now, thank you !) of those people who thinks that we use 10% of our brains. And I read somewhere (can't remember where) that Einstein used 18%. Now I understand how stupid it is, and I wonder WHY there are these kinds of fake informations around us, and who is having fun to spread them.
    Oh and yeah, thank you for clarify the information about this water fact I saw in the Simpsons... I didn't know what to think about it :)

    Noé,
    Couleur Spleen.

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    Replies
    1. Don't feel ashamed at all! i've fallen for that one as well, until I thought about it, looked at the evidence, and realised it didn't make any sense ;)
      i just wanted to show how you need to question what you hear, and weigh it up against what actually makes sense (it's what scientists do!)

      People look at me like I'm a weirdo all the time with what I wear in public lately haha. But I also get people stopping me on the street and gushing over my clothes/wanting to take photos of me so I embrace it ;)

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  18. Oh my glob those beautiful shoes again, your teasing me :) x

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  19. That cat jumper is so sweet!

    The spider fact freaked me right out as a kid. I did once drink a spider. It was in the bottom of my glass and I didn't look properly when I poured a drink. Something stringy was in my mouth so I pulled it out and... yeah. Ew!

    Becky
    xx

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    Replies
    1. oh... my god. ahhhhhh. i am going to be so paranoid of everything i drink now... hahaha

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    2. In a garden at night a little slug fell, probably off a wet leaf, into my delicious mexican style beer. Back inside I took a sip from my bottle and spit out into my hand, what I thought was, a slimy bean...then its little optical tentacles popped up and I got pretty nervous about meningitis. Also I tasted slug for a while. Go for having disgusting monsters in your mouth.

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    3. Oh cool, so this is gross Annika out with horrible bug stories day, I see.

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  20. But I got told that stuff at school! By teachers! It has to be true! :P

    In all honestly I learnt a lot of that wasn't true from QI, great British show with Stephen Fry in it telling you lots of stuff (if you havent heard of it)

    But it is so weird how the 10% thing sticks around.

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  21. Adorable look! I really love the tights! :)

    P.S: I've featured you on my latest post: http://boheme-fille.blogspot.ro/2013/01/favorite-international-blogs-fashion.html. :)

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  22. this is such a great pairing! I love the cat sweater with that pinafore skirt and the tights are crazy cool.

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  23. Ugh the 10% of your brain myth drives me crazy! What was that movie about that? Impossible or something? Ick I couldn't even bear to watch the previews, I kept yelling out - "this idea is stupid! We don't 'only use 10% of our brains' ." Ugggh.

    I didn't know that about the Coriolis Effect though! I really did think the water went the other way in the Southern Hemisphere, haha.

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    Replies
    1. Hahaha no, I haven't heard about that movie! Sounds super annoying though. And great that theyre helping to spread that misinformation.. :/ but yeah! The Coriolis effect is a really interesting one because it's a "fact" that you really don't doubt is true - especially because of it's sciencey name -and it's also such a widely spread bit of received wisdom, that it's really surprising that it's not real!

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    2. And you have no idea how much time I spend yelling at unqualified statements and dodgy medical claims on the tv... hahaha

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  24. I just found your blog, what are your tights called? They're awesome.
    Btw, love your blog :)

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    Replies
    1. Not sure of their name but they're from here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Fashion-Sexy-Women-Tattoo-Pattern-Transparent-Socks-Tights-Pantyhose-Stockings-/330837497820?pt=AU_Womens_Clothing_2&var&hash=item4d077397dc&_uhb=1

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