For our purposes: Myths are commonly held beliefs or ideas that are false. For a claim to be considered a myth one or more parts of it must be proved false. Other definitions of myth, such as those pertaining to the not false-but-allegorical stories we tell to explain things, are discussed on our “what is a myth?” page.

Below is a collection of all factoids rated “myth” (as in “not true or not fully true”) by our authors.  If you disagree or have more evidence to support a claim consider commenting. See our list of facts here.


The Appendix is Useless Myth

For a long time, people thought the Appendix was useless, that it was a “vestigial organ”. However, recent research has shown the appendix acts as a safe house for good bacteria.

Saying “Moshi Moshi” Proves You Aren’t a Ghost Myth

There is an idea that the reason “Moshi” is said twice in the Japanese phrase “Moshi Moshi” is that ghosts can’t say “Moshi” twice. Thus, saying “Moshi Moshi” proves you aren’t a ghost. This is unlikely to be the true root of “Moshi Moshi.” It is more likely “Moshi Moshi” is simply an evolution of the telephone hello used by telephone operators.

Twinkies Never Go Bad Myth

Twinkies don’t last forever, but they can go a long time without spoiling (up to 30 years, by one estimate). The “sell-by” shelf life of a Twinkie is 45 days. After that, they go hard and brittle.

A Soul Has Weight Myth

There is no scientific evidence that shows that living beings have a soul or that a soul has weight. However, the notion that a soul has weight (specifically 21 grams) does come from a scientific study.

Turkeys Can’t Fly Myth

The idea that Turkeys can’t fly is a myth. Wild turkeys can fly in short bursts and actually will roost in trees at night. That said, while domestic turkeys can fly in theory, they are typically too heavy to fly in practice.