Myth Mash

Is A Dog's Mouth Cleaner Than A Human's?

2012-05-28T11:18:00.000-04:00

No, a dog's mouth is not cleaner than a human's mouth. If this were true humans would be trying to figure out why and how humans can have very clean mouths. Many people can become ill after being bitten by a dog. It has been known for a long time that dog bites can cause diseases much more easily than other animals. Also, dogs use their mouths to clean themselves, so their tongue would have many germs on it. It is true though that humans mouths are the dirtiest places in their body dogs mouths are still not as clean. -John Baskin

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/dogs/a/dog_breath.htm

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/is-a-dog-s-mouth-cleaner-than-a-human-s/page1.aspx

Mario's full name?

2012-05-19T14:13:00.006-04:00

This post is more of a question than an urban legend.

I was wondering what Mario from Super Mario Bros. last name is. I imagined that since it was called super mario bros. that his last name would be Mario. His full name would be Mario Mario and Luigi would be Luigi Mario. I then though that Mario might just be called by his last name and not use his first name.

I decided to research this and learned that Mario's last name is Mario. This was shown to be true by Super Mario Bros. Super show. There were other sources that says that it is called that just because Mario is the main character. I guess we'll have to wait for an interview with the creator of Mario. -John Baskin

http://www.smbhq.com/who.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario#Biography

Is Chocolate Poisonous To Dogs?

2012-02-25T18:40:00.001-05:00

Yes, chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Symptoms are vomiting, diarrea, high body temperature, seizures, low blood pressure and rapid breathing. For milk chocolate on average it will take about 0.7 oz per pound of dog's weight of chocolate for dogs to experience toxicity. For semi-sweet chocolate it only takes 0.3 oz. For baking chocolate it takes 0.3 oz, too.

-John Baskin

Information from: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_chocolate_toxicity#.T0lv43JSS7Y

Is It Against The Law To Send Money In The Mail?

2011-09-24T12:30:00.000-04:00

No, it is not illegal to send money in the mail, nor is it illegal to send any other type of currency. It isn't a good idea to do it though. The money could get lost in the mail, stolen, or accidentally sent to the wrong address. If this myth was true, every time you send a check to charity it would be a crime. This myth probably started when someone was told that it is a bad idea to send money in the mail, and that person mistook it as illegal, or told his or her friends that it was illegal. - John Baskin

Information from:

Is it illegal to send cash in the mail?

Answerbag

Are coffee beans actually a type of bean?

2011-09-20T17:30:00.000-04:00

No, coffee beans are not beans they are actually seeds. The coffee bean comes from the coffee plant. It is the seed of the plant. A bean is a kind of seed in the fabaceae family. The coffee plant doesn't belong to the fabaceae family because the coffee plant is in the rubiaceae family, so the coffee bean is not a bean. All in all this paragraph has taught you that the next time you want to annoy someone at a coffee shop say can I have a coffee with coffee beans? - John Baskin

Information from:
Coffee Beans Aren't Beans
A Coffee Bean is not Actually a Bean
International Coffee Organization

Is The Dark Side of The Moon Dark?

2011-09-13T19:33:00.003-04:00

No, the "Dark Side" of the moon is dark sometimes, and the side that we can see is also dark sometimes. If the moon is facing the sun it is bright, and if it is facing away from the sun it is dark. To make it easier to understand imagine that you are facing the direction of the sun. At the same time you are also looking at another person and facing someone who's face is opposite the sun. you are the moon, and the other person is the Earth. The person looking at you sees light on your face, because you are looking at the sun. When you aren't looking at the sun the other person doesn't see light on your face. This myth was created when people started calling the side of the moon that isn't facing Earth the dark side of the moon.- John Baskin

Information from:

Far side of the moon

There is no dark side of the moon

Do Dogs Get 7 Years Older Every Human Year?

2011-09-08T17:55:00.000-04:00

No, in the first few years of a dog's life it ages much faster than the rest of its life. Also it depends on the bread of dog. Small dogs live longer than large dogs, so it is hard to tell. Also every dog lives for a certain amount of time, so you could only accurately measure dog years after the dog is deceased. So all in all you can't measure a dog's age by using the old dog years trick. -John Baskin

Information from:

MJ Dog Years

Difference Between: Dog years

Does Sitting Too Close To The T.V Damage Your Eyes?

2011-09-02T14:54:00.001-04:00

No, sitting too close to the t.v doesn't damage your eye sight. This myth was started in 1967 when GE came out with a new model of a television, that gave off X-rays. GE fixed the problem by adding a lead glass shield to the t.v. It still can be harmful to the eyes, but it will only strain your eyes. However moms everywhere thought that t.vs were still harmful to sit too close to. - John Baskin

Information from The truth behind old wives tales and Safe T.V. viewing distance

Do Red Cars Get More Tickets Than Other Cars?

2011-08-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

No, red cars do not get more speeding tickets than other cars. This myth probably was started because back in the day sports cars were usually colored red. People may ask if this myth is true because the human eye may see the color red move faster. Police use radar guns, not their eyes, so it doesn't matter how fast it looks like it's going- John Baskin

Information From: http://www.kcautv.com/story/13077503/myth-or-fact-do-red-cars-get-more-speeding-tickets?redirected=true

Are Peanuts Really Nuts?

2011-08-26T21:00:00.002-04:00

No, although it says it in the name, peanuts are not nuts. They are actually legumes. Legumes are plants that grow inside of another pod, or shell. This myth was probably started because of the name peanuts were given. Peanuts do not grow on trees like nuts, they grow underground.- John Baskin

Information from: http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2011/06/peanuts-are-not-nuts/ http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2006/10/30/
are_peanuts_really_nuts_i_say_theyre_not/

Did Vikings Wear Horned Helmets?

2011-08-24T19:52:00.000-04:00

No, there is no evidence ever found of vikings wearing horned helmets. This myth was started in the 1600's, and the 1700's when romantic writers depicted vikings as violent men, with horned helmets inspired by Roman and Greek texts. These works were made popular in the 1800's. Some priests wore winged, and horned helmets. Not vikings, who were adventurers not priests. The Greeks and Romans saw this and probably used that in their literature. They never had any contact with vikings though. They were making this up long before vikings.- John Baskin

Information from http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2010/10/vik
ing-warriors-didnt-wear-horned-or-winged-helmets/

Do Ostriches Bury Their Heads In The Sand?

2011-08-21T18:40:00.001-04:00

No, lots of people think that ostriches bury their heads in the sand for safety. They do not though. People may think this because when a predator is around ostriches lie on the ground so they look like a bush to predators, and their heads blend in with the sand. Someone probably saw this and thought that the ostrich was sticking its head into the ground.
- John Baskin

Information from http://www.wisegeek.com/do-ostriches-really-bury-their-heads-in-the-sand.htm

Does Sugar Make Kids Hyper?

2011-08-18T18:19:00.000-04:00

No, sugar does not affect how hyperactive the child is. Most children believe it does though, so if you ask if they feel different after eating sugar they will say yes even if they haven't had any sugar. Or if they believe that they have had a lot of sugar, and haven't they will probably say that they are more hyper even though they aren't. So parents, give your kids all the sugar they want ( If you don't care about their teeth).- John Baskin

(This post's information has been checked four times, and is entirely true.)

Information from
Truth behind old wives tales

Does sugar make kids hyper?

Raw facts on sugar

Does sugar make children hyper?

Giving sweets to kids

Dr. Oz

Do Gold Fish Have A 3 Second Memory Span?

2011-08-14T10:12:00.000-04:00

No, goldfish actually have a 5 month memory span. Scientists trained gold fish respond to a certain sound. After being in the wild for months they still responded. Goldfish are known to recognize their owners, and even have favoritism over one owner or the other. They can be tamed ,too. Sometimes they even stop thinking the owner is a threat. While they are calm around their masters, they are scared around strangers.
- John Baskin

Information from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1106884/Three-second-memory-myth-Fish-remember-months.html and http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2010/10/goldfish-do-not-have-a-three-second-memory/

Is This Picture of A Cubical Watermelon Real?

2011-08-11T15:57:00.000-04:00

Yes, a farmer from Zentsuji, Japan grew square watermelons. He came up with the idea, when he noticed that it was hard to store watermelon, so he made them square to fit into a refrigerator. The farmers grew them in a glass box, so the fruit would grow into a square shape. Since it started this business has gotten big. The farmers export the melons all over Japan. The downside of these watermelons is that they are so expensive. They cost 3 times as much as normal watermelons which is 10,000 yen (around $82).- John Baskin

Information from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1390088.stm and
http://articles.cnn.com/2001-06-15/world/square.watermelon_
1_seedless-melons-watermelon-lovers-round-watermelon?_s=
PM:asiapcf

Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?

2011-08-06T10:57:00.001-04:00

No, but cracking your knuckles is still bad for you. It can injure your hands in other ways, it can stretch your ligaments, give you swollen hands, or not let you have strong hand strength. In 1990 a researcher tested 200 people over the age of 45 who did and didn't crack their knuckles and there was no difference in arthritis rates. Osteoarthritis is the main cause of arthritis, not cracking your knuckles. So even if cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis do not crack your knuckles, it will damage your hands.- John Baskin

Information from http://oregon.providence.org/patients/programs/medical-group-arthritis-center/Pages/askanexpertlanding.aspx?TemplateName=Ask+an+Expert%3A+Knuckle+cracking+and+arthritis&TemplateType=AskAnExpert

Did Kobe Bryant Really Jump Over An Aston Martian Car?

2011-08-01T16:32:00.000-04:00

No, this video was made for a commercial, so it isn't just Kobe Bryant making a video with his friends. In the video you can see that the shadow of Kobe, and the car are about 1 foot away from each other. Also NBA wouldn't let someone like Kobe Bryant do something that dangerous. People in the NBA aren't even allowed to ride motorcycles. Also on live TV Kobe admitted that the video was fake. This still is a cool video because they didn't even use a green screen, they just shot it at an angle. - John Baskin

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPNrxI--CLY

information from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7shHyZZCcls&NR=1 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/17283-kobe-bryant-jumping-over-car-fake-but-cool
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24071921/

Does The Color Red Agitate Bulls?

2011-07-25T13:58:00.002-04:00

No, in bull fights when bulls try to attack the red capes it is not because the cape is red it is because the cape is a big fast moving object. Bulls are color blind, they can't even see that the cape is red. This myth was started, in the 1700's when bullfights where very popular in spain. The matadors ( bull fighters ) always used red capes to attract the bulls, so it was from then on believed that the color red makes bulls angry. - John Baskin

Information from http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/animals/color-red-makes-bulls-go-ballistic.html and http://uk.ask.com/question/are-bulls-colour-blind

Is This Picture of A Hybrid Half Human Half Pig Real?

2011-07-25T13:33:00.000-04:00

No, This is a picture of a sculpture made by Patricia Piccinini. This sculpture is called "The Young Family" made in 2003 for an exhibit called "We Are Family". This myth probably started when this photo was released online, and many people saw it, and tried to make an accurate description of what they saw. This description was then posted online with the photo, and a lot of people saw it, and believed the description. - John Baskin

Does Standing In Front of a Microwave Give You Radiation?

2011-07-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

No, not unless your microwave has a leak, or its door won't fully close. Microwaves are protected with a layer of special layering that doesn't let any radiation out. Also there isn't enough radiation to harm you in today's microwaves. This myth was started because when they were originally testing the first microwave people stood in front of it a lot, and they all got a severe kidney problem. The public found out about this and over time it turned into this myth. So next time you are about to overcook your meal, feel free to look into the microwave. -John Baskin

If You Go Swimming Before You Wait 60 Minutes After Eating Will You Get A Cramp and Drown?

2011-07-20T17:20:00.000-04:00

No, you probably won't get a stomach cramp, but you might get cramps in your muscles, but not your stomach. You also won't drown. You would just float. This myth is just an old wise tale, so don't make your kids sit on the side of the pool for an hour.- John Baskin

Does Chlorine Turn Hair Green?

2011-07-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

No, it is not the chlorine in the pool that turns hair green, it is the copper in the pool. Chlorine wouldn't turn hair green, because chlorine can be used to bleach clothes. Copper is in pools, because tap water has some copper, the machines used to clean the pool contain copper, and because if people have makeup on while in the pool the copper in the makeup will fall off, and get into the pool. So next time your hair turns green don't blame the chlorine, blame the copper. - John Baskin

Can Starfish Re-grow Lost Limbs?

2011-07-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

Yes, starfish can re-grow limbs, because starfish have totipotent cells, so their body can regenerate any cell that the body needs. Starfish can get their arms decapitated, or they can decapitate their limbs, like a lizard can with its tail, when a predator grabs them by a limb.- John Baskin

Information from http://blog.nus.edu.sg/lsm1303student2011/2011/04/04/can-starfish-really-grow-back-their-lost-limbs/

Is FaceBook Going To Start Charging A Monthly Fee?

2011-07-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

No, this hoax was started by a group of computer hackers. They said to go to a website to protest against facebook charging monthly fees. If you go on the website there will be very disturbing pictures, and malware will try to hack into your computer. So Face Book is not going to charge money. - John Baskin

Did Betsy Ross Make The First American Flag?

2011-07-04T12:01:00.006-04:00

No, the story that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag is a myth started by Betsy Ross' descendants.
Studies show that there is not any proof that Betsy Ross lived in the Betsy Ross House. No one knows who sewed the first American Flag, but we do know that Frances Hopkinson designed the flag. He also designed the Seal of The United States. - John Baskin

Information from http://www.hnn.us/articles/132.html