User:Emma/Myths

User:Matt/nav On this page, I'll bust, or confirm, some common myths.

Falling Objects

Myth

Two objects of different mass will fall at the same rate.

True or False

FALSE
Gravity is a two-way street. The Earth is pulling on the objects yes. But the objects are also pulling back on the Earth with equal strength. The more massive an object is, the stronger its gravitational pull is. So a more massive object does indeed fall faster than a less massive object. Although the difference is incredibly small.

Fat in Food

Myth

When you eat food, the fat in it is immediately deposited into your body's fat stores.

True or False

FALSE
Eating fat does not mean you'll instantly put on some fat of your own. Fat digests very easily. The human body is very lazy by nature. It will take the absolute easiest option possible to accomplish a task. So the fat you eat in foods is more likely to used up as energy the same day, than to add some girth to your lower quarters. Bottom line, do not fall for those "low fat" or "fat free" ad scams. Fat adds flavor to food. So those low fat or fat free foods just taste bad and don't help you lose weight at all.

Global Warming

Myth

Humans caused global warming by emitting greenhouse gasses.

True or False

FALSE
A single volcanic eruption puts out more CO₂ than all of humanity has put out in its entire existence. There are several volcanic eruptions every year. Our impact has been on deforestation of the planet. So to solve global warming we need to cut down on our clearing of trees (no pun intended). And we need to plant many more trees. But global warming is more of a natural cycle. We are rebounding from the last cold period that ended about 130 years ago. Temperatures are not even close to what they were 1000 years ago. And it is by no means the hottest the planet has ever been. In the time of the dinosaurs, sea levels were 500 feet higher. So don't pay any attention to the nut-jobs that say global warming will end the world in fifty years. To the Earth, it is nothing.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Myth

High fructose corn syrup is bad for the human body.

True or False

TRUE
High fructose corn syrup is so highly refined that your body cannot break it down. Consequently, it gets stuck in various parts of the body, such as the liver and kidneys. If enough of it builds up, it can cause kidney failure, liver failure, and various mental disorders. Similar sugar-based products have the same effect. This includes artificial sweeteners like Splenda.