Whether it’s that old rumor everyone heard in middle school about shock rocker Marilyn Manson having his ribs removed or something more tame like the lie about keeping the car light on while driving at night, we’ve all fallen for misinformation from time to time. We can fall for it for various reasons, from not knowing the right questions to ask to not asking any because we trusted the person who told us. Your teachers and your parents would never lie to you, right? And certainly not your best friend or a Facebook post. Today we’re revealing some of the biggest rumors, lies, and scams Redditors say they can’t believe people have been duped into. Chances are you’ll find some on the list that you didn’t think sounded fishy until now. Don’t panic. We’ll fill you in on why they’re fibs so you can pass the word and this article along to anyone else who might need it.
This Tastes Off
When I was in the Girl Scouts, I earned a badge for conducting an experiment where sweet, sour, salty, and bitter-flavored q-tips were dabbed on my tongue as I recorded the results. This was meant to teach us about the different taste zones of the tongue, which in fact, do not exist, despite what all our textbooks said.
Neuroscientists have debunked the old tongue map and found that while the edges and tip of our tongue are most sensitive, every taste bud has a bundle of varying receptor cells independently responsible for communicating one of the five tastes to the brain. The same goes for the often-overlooked tastebuds in your throat and on the roof of your mouth.