Oxford’s dictionary defines a myth as “a widely held but false belief or idea.” We’ve all had the jaw-dropping moment of realizing that something we’ve believed our entire lives is untrue. Most of the time, these are trivial facts that leave us saying, “hmmm, all this time, I thought such and such.” I remember discovering that it doesn’t take 7 years for gum to digest. Here are a few other common misconceptions that may surprise you. “Lightening never strikes twice.” NASA debunked this back in 2003. The color red is not what enrages bulls, it’s actually the cape waving. And lastly, another childhood misconception of mine is, “it’s safe to eat food that’s been on the floor for five seconds or less.” That’s simply untrue. Researchers at Clemson University left bologna and bread on a surface contaminated with salmonella in a 2017 study; they found that a substantial amount of bacteria transferred to the food within five seconds.
Following is the transcript. It was initially intended to be heard, not read, so the tone is more conversational than academic. It has only been loosely edited, so forgive any grammatical, syntactical, or spelling errors. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to add a comment.
