The Most Unscientific Urban Legends

"The Most Unscientific Urban Legends"*

*Redefining the value of Pi
Myth: The state of Alabama has redefined the
value of pi to be exactly three to fit in with the bible.

Truth: The bible, like the Pirate's Code, should
be taken as more of a guide than a strict rule.

Cabbage patch kids are nuclear mutants
Myth: The toys were orders by the US government
to prepare us for life post-nuclear holocaust.

Truth: If they were to prepare us for anything,
it's the modern obesity epidemic.

More people are alive today than ever lived
Myth: Population growth has been so massive
over the last 100 years the living outnumber the dead.

Truth: Not really. Yes there's a lot of people
alive, but 40,000 years is a long time and a lot of people.

NASA's expensive space pen
Myth: NASA spent $$$ developing a pen that
could write in space. The Russians used a pencil.

Truth: Both the Americans and the Russians used
pencils, until someone designed a space pen.

Smile to save energy
Myth: It takes 43 muscles to frown but only 17 to
smile. Smiling saves energy.

Truth: It depends on the type of frown, the sincerity
of smile and the pedantry of the researcher.

KFC's mutant meat
Myth: Kentucky Fried Chicken changed to KFC
because their chickens were mutants.
Truth: Mutant chickens? Really? Oh come off
it, only MacDonald's use those.

Blondes face extinction
Myth: Blondes are slowly going extinct and the
last one will die out in Finland in 200 years.

Truth: You're telling me there isn't a preference
for blondes. Get back to your lab, freak boy.

No swimming after dinner
Myth: If you go swimming after lunch, that's it,
you're dead. This must be true, Mum said so.

Truth: There has never been a reported death
linked directly to a post dinner dip.

Lemming suicides
Myth: Lemmings leap to their deaths from cliffs
in mass fits of suicidal fervor.

Truth: It was Disney. They made them jump.
They pushed them off a cliff on camera. Bastards.

Wasted brains
Myth: 90% of our brains go unused, sitting
dormant until we get consciousness expansion.

Truth: If you only use 10% of your brain then
you're an id-iot. In more ways than one.
Received on Wed Dec 17 18:44:24 2008