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Home » misconceptions

3 Space Things People Know Wrong

November 4, 2015 By Anne Burwell Leave a Comment

Since the universe we live in is so complex, science has a pretty hard job. Because it has to try and give explanations for all the phenomena in this great universe in an orderly, rational, provable fashion. And since everything is connected to everything in the universe, from the macroscopic level to the microscopic one, and our human mind tends to work by dividing things and putting them into neat categories, you can see why mistakes may happen.

Not necessarily because a certain scientific theory is flat out wrong, although that sometimes happens as well, but because the information available at one point changes later and influences the premises that the theory was initially based on, which needs to be revised.

However, when that theory is revised, the world and its people who aren’t scientists don’t necessarily follow suit. Which leads to cases in which a certain thing is believed which might seem plausible or might have seemed so in the past, but is no longer so.

Since space is vast and its field of study is equally so, here’s 3 space things people know wrong. Keep in mind that the things discussed below might suffer revisions as well, if new information comes to light.

1. The emptiness of space

3 space things people know wrong - empty space.

I’m sure you’ve heard this expression frequently in sci-fi movies, usually with the accompanying intense stare into nothingness of a main character, along with dramatic music. Well, scientists are now saying, based on recent discoveries that space might not be all that empty after all. And that even between planets and stars, though there is a seeming void, in fact there the density of material is just really really low, but clearly not zero.

Not to mention that even more recent explorations focus on something called dark energy which seems to be is everywhere within that void and all around the universe. Though some theories explain it as being part of the fabric of space and others use different approaches, it is still an argument that the space between planets and stars is not just nothingness.

2. BOOM!

One of the 3 space things people know wrong is fire in space.

Explosions and the fires that accompany them do not behave at all like we’ve been taught in the movies. Meaning that a great wave of fire, sound and accompanying shock-wave do not happen. This is logical if you come to think about it. As fire needs oxygen to burn and sound is actually pressure on your ear-drum caused by moving masses of… air, water whatever as long as it is liable to cause vibrations.

But keep in mind that there would be oxygen at hand, from inside the destroyed vessel. So in fact, an explosion in space would happen, but it would take a fraction of a second while the fire manages to consume some of the oxygen before it dissipates and it would look kind of like a flash.

3. Dodge skills The list of 3 space things people know wrong includes asteroid mine-fields.

You won’t need that much of them. In case you thought they were essential when navigating an asteroid field. Which is another common opinion often depicted in movies. You know, that part when the beleaguered protagonists, the underdogs and their clearly inferior ship in size and firepower decides to take the dangerous decision of losing the other ship in an apparently suicidal attempt to traverse a dense asteroid field.

In reality, asteroid fields’s elements are pretty widely spaced apart. Along the lines of weeks, months or even years of space travel between one asteroid or another, with current technology. Which is something that some legendary sci-fi writers knew very well and made note of in their works (like Orson Scott Card in his prequels to “Ender’s game”, which features a family of asteroid miners).

Image source: 1, 2, 3.

Filed Under: fun Tagged With: misconception, misconceptions, misconceptions about space, space, space misconceptions

6 Errors Made By Foreigners About Hawaii

October 14, 2015 By Anne Burwell Leave a Comment

As a famous vacation spot (among other things), Hawaii attracts throngs of tourists each year. Much to the economic and cultural delight of its citizens, with a total of 14.7 billion dollars spent by a record 8.3 million tourists in 2014 alone, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

And Hawaiians are renowned for being welcoming, friendly and hospitable hosts.

However, there are, naturally, things that foreigners do that irk them, whether intentionally or unwittingly. They are many and varied, but let’s look at just 6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii.

1. Pronouncing the name

6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii - pronouncing the name

You’d think that at least that would be fairly easy, right? You go somewhere on vacation and it takes 30 seconds (max!) to Google how the place is pronounced. Or, worst case scenario, you ask the receptionist of your hotel when you arrive. Or you just randomly stop people on the street and press them to tell you! Ok, the last one might not be that optimal, but you get the point… Well, a lot of people don’t. And just pronounce Hah- wah – ee as it would sound in English (especially citizens of USA). In fact, it has a glottal stop between the last two i’s, hence their presence. Some Hawaiian linguists say that it should be written Hawai’i to mark the glottal stop, while others say (based on historical records) that it should not. Anyway, as regards pronunciation, a phonetic approximation (in English) would be Hah – VIE – ee, with the VIE being pronounced as you would if you were to ask someone to vie to pronounce the name correctly.

2. The view that Hawaii is not in the USA

1 of the 6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii the view that it is not in the USA.

Hard to tell if this one’s made one purpose as a form of condescension, or not. It would be weird if it were on purpose, just to irritate people since, hey, YOU are going to THEIR homeland to enjoy the sights, the culture, the landscape etc. Still, Hawaiians often hear the idea that Hawaii is not part of the United States and they get treated like a foreign country! Weird since Hawaii has been the 50th state of the federation since 1959…

3.  Asians, right?

The 6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii include the races issue.

No. Just because you saw the media reels with mostly people with pointy eyes, it doesn’t mean that Hawaii’s population is predominantly Asian (or native Hawaiian!). In fact Hawaii is home for a balanced mix of populations, including white (around 24%), native Hawaiian (~10%), black (~1%) etc., with Asians occupying about 38% of the population. So next time you get the urge to bow to the natives like you saw in Asian movies, think twice and perhaps, look at the person in front of you.

4. How do you say “I only speak English, no Hawaiian”?

Part of the 6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii is the assumption English is not spoken there.

You don’t. Because you don’t have to. Not because there is no Hawaiian language. There is, and the locals will probably be massively impressed if you learned it and talked with them in it. Those that ARE Hawaiian and speak it, that is (as was discussed in the entry above). But in general, rejoice in the good news that everybody speaks English. Which ties in with the whole “part of the USA” thing mentioned earlier.

5. Food + Pineapple = Hawaiian Food

6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii - Hawaiian food.

Just… no. Sure, you ate “Hawaiian” Pizza and deduced with a logical leap fit for Sherlock Holmes that … the pineapple must be the key (queue in suspenseful music). But really, like any culture with a modicum of history, the Hawaiians have many more types of food with or without pineapple. They certainly don’t all feature it as a center-piece. And vice versa, adding pineapple to something does not magically, instantly make it Hawaiian. Sorry for the disappointment. You can stop making your Hawaiian Strudel now.

6. Huts

The list of 6 errors made by foreigners about Hawaii includes housing.

Another entry that’s hard to determine whether its intentional and meant to portray the Hawaiians as inferior, just happens out of ignorance or even more innocently shows a profound naivete in some people. The idyllic notion that Hawaiians live in grass huts (possibly, again risen due to the soothing commercials designed by foreigners to make foreigners go to Hawaii or due to some poor “documentaries” or whatever the cause), is false. Hawaiians are just as technologically advanced, with all the amenities and comforts of the modern era, as… all the other states of the USA. Of which they’re part of. In case it wasn’t mentioned…

Image source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Filed Under: fun Tagged With: blunders, errors, Hawaii, misconceptions, misconceptions about Hawaii

Common Misconceptions: More Things You Thought You Knew But Didn’t Really

December 28, 2014 By This Blog Rules Guest Leave a Comment

The more I find out the less I know, said someone once. Maybe it was you.

After all, there is a lot of stuff you thought you knew but didn’t really. If you don’t believe me then keep reading and you’ll learn something new.

People Didn’t All Die Before 30 in the Middle Ages

Common Misconceptions and the Middle Ages

Those poor sods in the middle ages didn’t even normally live long enough to grow a proper beard, to enjoy the full gray hair experience or to appreciate jazz music, did they? Didn’t they all die at 30 or before? Actually, it is thought that many people lived comfortably into their 60s back then. The figures for life expectancy in this time are distorted by much higher infant mortality rates than those seen in modern times.

Shaving Hair Doesn’t Make It Grow Back Thicker

Common Misconceptions About Shaving Hair

Have you ever held back from shaving a patch of hair because you don’t want it to grow back all horrible and thick? Hey, don’t worry so much; you probably won’t end up looking like a grizzly bear, Tom Selleck or David Hasselhoff. This is because shaving hair just makes it appear coarser and thicker when it grows back rather than actually causing it to be like this.

They Didn’t Actually Think That the Earth Was Flat In Medieval Times

Common Misconceptions about a flat world

Why do you think that Christopher Columbus set up on his voyages? Was it to find out whether or not the Earth was really flat? The truth is that our happy sailor wanted to reach Asia by an alternative route, which shows that people already accepted that the planet was just a giant freaking ball. Plato and Aristotle are among the early dudes who understood the shape of the planet long before medieval times. Conversely, some people still believe that the planet is as flat as a particularly flat pancake.

A Duck’s Quack Does Echo

Common Misconceptions and A Duck’s Quack Echo

Many people believe that a duck’s quack doesn’t echo. I believe that some ducks believe this too. The truth is that they do have an echo. The reason for the long-standing and widespread confusion is rather technical but I’ll explain it as simply as I can; it sounds like there’s no echo but there is. Does that make sense?

Goldfish Can Remember More Than You Think

Common Misconceptions and Goldfish's Memory

How long do you think a goldfish’s memory span covers? If you said just a few seconds then it is time to learn another new fact today. Goldfish can remember things for weeks and possibly months. Of course, if all of your memories involved going round in circles in a glass bowl you wouldn’t be all that bothered about how long your memories lasted for.

Napoleon Wasn’t a Midget

Napoleon Bonaparte's Size and Common MisconceptionsDinky old Napoleon Bonaparte was so small you could have picked him up and put him in your pocket, couldn’t you? It makes you wonder why a diminutive, half pint little short arse ever managed to become one of the most powerful military leaders in history. The truth of the matter is that as 5 feet 7 inches Napoleon was slightly taller than the average Frenchman of his time. One theory suggests that the height of his imperial guards made him seem smaller than he was.

Filed Under: strange news Tagged With: common misconceptions, misconceptions, myths

Top 10 Misconceptions About Nudism

May 23, 2011 By Theresa Carrion 10 Comments

Nudism (naturalism) has been a center of attraction forever – be it the sidelong, scandalized glares or the welcoming, liberal brouhaha around it – Nudism, let’s face is famous, or infamous. Whether you like it or not is irrelevant, fact is: you cannot ignore it.

So here’s a list of myths that have been built around nudism over time. What is not openly understood, is mostly classified ‘exotic’, ‘occult’ or even as some other “not so-very-cool” names. [Read more…]

Filed Under: top list Tagged With: 100 years, adults, deviant, exhibitionist, facts, holistic, hotties, illegal, lifestyle, misconceptions, myths, naturalism, nude, nudism, nudist, privacy, sex, stigma, top 10, truth

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