22 popular beliefs that are completely untrue

BELIEFSPOPULAR

COMPLETELY UNTRUE

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Newsflash: everything you know to be true is actually false.

Oysters aren't aphrodisiacs. You've been drinking 8 glasses of water-the worst of all beverages-for no reason. You couldhave been swimming more. Like, WAY more.

Indeed, the truth ahead could be painful. But if you think you can handle it, read on...

www.payscale.comPayScale: The Modern Compensation Company

http://www.payscale.com


50% of Marriages End in Divorce 4

You Need to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day 6

Oysters are Aphrodisiacs 8

You Need to Wait 30 Minutes After Eating Before Swimming 10

Being Cold Gives You a Cold 12

Women Make Less Than Men for Doing the Same Job 12

Turkey is to Blame for Your Thanksgiving Day Nap 14

Bulls are Enraged by the Color Red 16

If You Party in College, You Will Never get a Well-paying Job 20

The Great Wall of China is the Only Man Made Object Visible from Space 22

Bats are Blind 24

Dropping a Penny on Someone from the Empire State Building will Kill Them 26

Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice 28

George Washington had Wooden Teeth 30

Chameleons Change Colors to Blend in with Their Surroundings 32

People Don't Leave Their Jobs Because of Pay 34

It Takes 7 Years to Digest Swallowed Gum 36

Alcohol Make You Warm 38

Employers Talking to Their Employees About Pay Will Incite a Riot 40

Bathroom Door Handles are Full of Bacteria 42

Cracking Knuckles Causes Arthritis 44

Goldfish Have a 3 Second Brain 46

Contents


50% OF MARRIAGES

END IN DIVORCE

www.payscale.comwww.payscale.comPayScale: The Modern Compensation Company



According to The New York Times, the oft-quoted 50% divorce rate is a relic of the 1970's. Today, it is predicted that nearly two-thirds of marriages will never involve a divorce, according to data from Justin Wolfers, a University of Michigan economist. Moral of the story? Don't believe everything you read in panic-inducing The Atlantic articles.

Original Source: The New York Times


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/upshot/the-divorce-surge-is-over-but-the-myth-lives-on.html?smid=tw-share&abt=0002&abg=0&_r=2


You needto drink glasses of

water a day!



No one knows exactly where this myth started, but the best guess is this 1945 recommendation from the National Food and Nutrition Board, a government advisory agency, that stated: “A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily in most instances. … Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.” The theory is that people read this, ignored the last sentence, and the eight glasses a day (about 2.5 liters) recommendation was born. Moral of the story? Read ALL the data, or you may end up peeing every fifteen minutes for the rest of your life.

Original Source: FiveThirtyEight

Indeed you do not.


http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/you-dont-need-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


oysters are aphrodisiacs



Original Source: The New York Times

Contrary to popular belief, these infamous bivalves are not as bow-chicka-wow-wow inducing as we have been led to believe. This claim was started by Casanova himself in 18th century Venice, where, devoid of modern medicine, Casanova ate dozens of oysters as preparation for his amorous activities.However, there is no scientific evidence that oysters are the Viagra of the Sea—and any success is generally chalked up to the placebo effect. Moral of the story: Don’t believe everything you read in 18th century literature. Also, take the money you would have spent on oysters and invest it in a sensible 401k. Ladies love stability!


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/10/health/the-claim-oysters-are-aphrodisiacs.html?_r=0


YOU NEED TO WAIT 30 MINUTES AFTER EATING BEFORE SWIMMING




This famous fun-ruining myth is predicated by the idea that, upon eating, most of the available blood in one’s body would

flood to the stomach to help with digestion. Thus deprived of proper blood flow, the limbs wouldn’t have enough of the precious fluid in them to be able to swim. While it’s true that blood flows to our stomachs after eating a big meal, we have enough blood to keep all of our other parts running just fine

after a meal. Moral of the story? All this time! All this time, you could have been swimming.

Original Source: How Stuff Works


http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/health-myths/swimming-after-eating.htm


BEING COLDGIVES YOUA COLD



Sorry kids, bundling up won’t completely prevent you from catching a cold. Colds actually have nothing to do with body temperature. Colds are a virus, which means

they are contagious. If there are no viruses near you, then you won’t get sick—even if you’re practically in an ice box! In fact, avoiding outdoors and staying cooped

up indoors with multiple people perspiring germs is MORE likely to give you a cold. Moral of the story: Stop

watching Netflix and go outside.

Original Source: Huffington Post


http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/06/cold-weather-sick-_n_4550833.html



WOMEN MAKE LESS THAN MEN

FOR DOING THE SAME JOBwww.payscale.comPayScale: The Modern Compensation Company


While a pay gap does exist, it is smaller than most people think. For women and men in identical roles, the pay gap is 2.7%. This myth originates from the fact that, when all women’s jobs are compared to all men’s jobs, the pay gap widens to 74 cents on the dollar, aka 26%, but that is because more women work in lower-paying fields. Moral of the story? Forget the pay gap and focus on this jobs gap – bring more women into leadership roles and high-paying fields.Original Source: PayScale


http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/gender-wage-gap


ZZ

ZZ

TURKEY IS TO BLAME FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING DAY NAP



Turkey gets a bad rap as the culprit for all the Thanksgiving napping, but your over-eating is actually what is causing you to drift to dreamland. It’s true that turkey contains a chemical found in the well-known, sleep-inducing medicine, Melatonin, but just a smidge. That itty-bitty trace of tryptophan in your drumstick will not cause your snoozing. Stuff your stomach to the gunnels with mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and booze and a food coma induced snooze is inevitable. If you want to avoid that nap, put down the fork! Or embrace it and be thankful, after all, it is a holiday. Moral of the story: gobble all the turkey you want (get it?!)Original Source: NBC News

ZZZ


http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/thanksgiving-myth-busted-eating-turkey-wont-make-you-sleepy-f2D11663222


BULLS ARE ENRAGED BY THE COLOR RED



DESPITE WHAT LOONEY TUNES AND DISNEY’S FERNIDAD THE BULL CARTOONS TAUGHT US, BULLS, AND ALL OTHER TYPES

OF CATTLE, ARE ACTUALLY COLORBLIND. A STATIONARY RED OBJECT WON’T ENRAGE THE BULL, BUT WAVING A RED

OBJECT WILL. GO AHEAD AND SWAP RED OUT FOR SUNSHINE YELLOW AND YOU WILL STILL GET THE SAME REACTION. IT ISN’T THE COLOR THAT ANGERS THE BEAST, BUT THE

ANNOYANCE OF WAVING AN OBJECT IN ITS FACE.MORAL OF THE STORY? LOONEY TUNES IS A PACK OF LIES.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: LIVE SCIENCE

!


http://www.livescience.com/33700-bulls-charge-red.html


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IF YOU PARTY IN COLLEGE, YOU WILL NEVER GET A

WELL-PAYING JOB



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Oh, but you will. In fact, PayScale data found that graduates of the top ten party schools make an average annual salary of $89,950, while graduates of the top ten sober schools make only $84,500 annually. In other words, party school grads were able to parlay their beer pong prowess into an additional $5,450 per year. So much for revenge of the nerds. Moral of the story? TOga, TOga….Original Source: PayScale


http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/infographics-slideshows/party-schools-vs-sober-schools


The Great Wall of China is the Only

Man Made Object Visible from Spacewww.payscale.comPayScale: The Modern Compensation Company


Original Source: HowStuffWorks

Turns out, you can see a lot of man-made objects from space—just not the Great Wall of China. In the glow of night, astronauts have seen several iconic structures, but not the Great Wall. Made of rock, the Great Wall tends to blend in

with the rest of Earth—it’s not quite Vegas.


http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/10-false-facts.htm#page=3


BATS ARE BLIND



Next time you're told 'you're blind as a bat', take it as a compliment.

None of the 1,100 species of bats are blind. They actually have

relatively good vision, but are just sensitive to light.

Original Source: Discovery


http://news.discovery.com/earth/are-bats-blind.htm


DROPPING A PENNY ON SOMEONE FROM THE EMPIRE

STATE BUILDING WILL KILL THEM



According to Scientific American, a penny is too small, too flat, and cushioned by too much air to transform into a torpedo. Far from bludgeoning your enemies to death, the actual affect of hitting someone with a penny by dropping it off the top of The Empire State Building would feel like “being flicked in the forehead, but not even very hard,” the article stated.This info should surprise no one because, let’s face it, pennies are stupid. They are America’s worst currency. On that note, if you want to kill someone with pennies, try paying for your morning latte exclusively with them, until those around you perish of rage and boredom. Bwahaha.

Original Source: Scientific American


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-a-penny-dropped-off/


LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES THE SAME

PLACE TWICEwww.payscale.comPayScale: The Modern Compensation Company


There is no double-jeopardy rule with lightning. According to

NASA, lightning is a huge electrostatic discharge searching

for a destination, and it doesn’t matter whether that location

has been hit before. Lightning doesn’t have a memory. Taller

objects, such as trees and skyscrapers, are usually common

targets because there is a shorter distance between that and

the origin of the lightning. The tallest tree in a forest can get

struck several times until the storm passes. In fact, lightning

strikes the Empire State Building around 100 times per year.

Moral of the story? Bad data can kill you. Original Source: NASA


http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0107lightning.html


George Washington hadwooden teeth



George Washington’s teeth were made out of a lot of things, But, despite popular belief, wood wasn’t one of them. A far cry from the porcelain used in dentistry today, George Washington’s teeth were made of ivory (hippopotamus and elephant), lead, gold, and actualteeth from horses, donkeys and humans. Original Source: Smithsonian Magazine


http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/smart-news/george-washington-didnt-have-wooden-teeth-they-were-ivory-180953273/


chameleons change colors to blend in with their surroundings



chameleons change colors. this is true. however, it's not to blend into their environment. chameleons change their color because of heat, to warn neighbors of danger, and when they’re feeling a little frisky. sometimes, a chameleon changes colors just because they're in a foul mood. moral of story? chameleons be crazy. Original Source: Live Science


http://www.livescience.com/33159-chameleon-color-change-isnt-all-about-hiding.html


PEOPLE DON'T LEAVE THEIR JOBS BECAUSE OF PAY



Not true. In 2015, the number one reason most people left companies was compensation. The majority of respondents to the 2015 Compensation Best Practices Report cited “seeking higher pay elsewhere” as the primary reason for leaving a company. Moral of story? Money CAN buy you love.Original Source: PayScale 2015 Compensation Best Practices Report

www.payscale.comPayScale: The Modern Compensation CompanyPayScale: The Modern Compensation CompanyPayScale: The Modern Compensation Company

http://resources.payscale.com/hr-2015-compensation-practices-report.html


IT TAKES 7 YEARS TO DIGEST SWALLOWED GUM

v



Not to worry; that gum you swallowed in a panic to avoid detention did not linger in your digestive track beyond your high school years. Though the majority of gum matter is in fact indigestible, the relatively small size of the average piece of gum allows it to flow freely through the digestive track and out of your body in far less than seven years. Moral of the story: this too shall pass.Original Source: Scientific American


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-chewing-gum-takes-seven-years-to-digest/


ALCOHOL MAKES

YOU WARM



Though shirtless, painted, rowdy football fans at Midwestern winter games appear to assume otherwise,

alcohol will not warm you up. In fact, because alcohol dilates blood vessels

forcing blood closer to your skin, alcohol can actually make you feel

colder. Moral of the story: Cover your tail while tailgating.

Original Source: Business Insider


http://www.businessinsider.com/15-everyday-facts-that-are-totally-wrong-2011-8?op=1


he makes HOW MUCH?

My manager lied.

I am so out of here!

EMPLOYERS TALKING TO THEIR EMPLOYEES ABOUT PAY WILL INCITE A RIOT



If you aren’t talking with employees about pay, chances are they are talking to one another—creating their own story of your compensation philosophy. Not a good thing. PayScale, the compensation software company, surveyed 71,000 employees to study the relationship between pay and transparency. The study found that transparent conversations about money can actually mitigate low pay. So, if an employer pays lower than the market average for a position, but communicates clearly about the reasons for the smaller paycheck, 82% of employees surveyed still felt satisfied with their work. Original Source: Harvard Business Review

How much do they pay you?


https://hbr.org/2015/10/most-people-have-no-idea-whether-theyre-paid-fairly


BATHROOM

OF BACTERIA

DOOR HANDLESARE FULL

PayScale: The Modern Compensation Company

No need to grab that paper towel to open the bathroom door, but you may want to avoid the hand dryer. Turns out the dirtiest places in public restrooms are the floors (no surprise there) and the hand dryers! ABC News 20/20 found the toilet seat and the door handle to be the cleanest spots in a public restroom. They even went as far as to say that it may be cleaner to eat your lunch off the toilet seat than your desk. Eww. Original Source: ABC News

PayScale: The Modern Compensation Company

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=1213831&page=1

CRACKING KNUCKLES CAUSES ARTHRITIS



According to a Harvard study, though your knuckle cracking habit may annoy everyone around you, it likely won’t be the cause of your arthritis. After a long Harvard-y study of knuckle crackers and non-knuckle crackers, scientists concluded that there is no connection between cracking your knuckles and arthritis. However, Harvard medical researchers did conclude that cracking your knuckles can cause swollen hands, reduced grip strength and sometimes even injury. So if you're working on achieving that pull-up or just trying to grip the handle tight enough to avoid falling on your public transportation commute, it’s best to kick that cracking habit. Moral of story? Crack is wack.

Original Source: Harvard


http://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis


GOLDFISH HAVE A SECOND BRAIN3



Goldfish having a three second memory is the excuse that we use to feel better about keeping a fish in a small bowl—each time they circle the bowl,

it’s a new experience! Unfortunately, it's not. Our friends at Mythbusters were able to train a goldfish

to go through a maze lasting about 45 seconds. Though their brains are small, they proved to be

mightier than three seconds.

Original Source: Discovery Channel


http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/goldfish-memory-minimyth/


PayScale is committed to purging bad data from the world, starting with faulty salary data. Learn about

PayScale's innovative crowdsourcing method for providing the most accurate salary data in the world:

CLICK HERE TOLEARN MORE ABOUT PAYSCALE

http://www.payscale.com/hr/data?SRC=hrmyths_gen&utm_medium=slideshare&utm_source=social&utm_campaign=hrmythsgen

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22 popular beliefs that are completely untrue

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