Myths

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.

U.S. Universities Have Always Charged Tuition myth

US public state universities used to be tuition-free from the early 1800's to the late 1960's, although they still charged fees, but college has never been free in the US.

People Have Always Slept Through the Night myth

Artificial light changed sleeping habits. People used to sleep in two phases, "first sleep" and "second sleep", with two hours of awake time between.

Jingle Bells Was Written as a Christmas Song myth

Jingle Bells may be one of the best known Christmas songs, but it was actually published in 1857 as a Thanksgiving song titled "One Horse Open Sleigh".

A Theory Isn’t True Unless Proven True myth

A theory can be true or not true, all we know about a scientific theory is that it has predictive power and hasn't been proven wrong by experiment yet.

The Universe is Mostly Empty Space myth

The universe and everything in it, including humans, is mostly "empty space." However, space is not actually "empty," it's filled with quantum fields and dark energy.

Everyone Has 6 Degrees of Separation From Kevin Bacon myth

Most people have about 6 degrees of separation (small world theory), but not everyone has 6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon or any other given person.

America Has Always Had an Income Tax myth

The first income tax in the U.S. was part of the Revenue Act of 1861, the first permanent income tax was in 1913 as part of the 16th Amendment.

Things Can Actually Touch Each Other myth

Things never touch because everything is made of atoms. Atoms contain electrons and electrons repel each other. This is basic physics.

Astrology and Astronomy are the Same myth

Astronomy is a science that studies celestial objects and the physical universe. Astrology is a pseudoscience that studies celestial objects to predict events.

Fahrenheit 451’s Main Theme is Censorship myth

Fahrenheit 451's main theme isn't censorship, it's the loss of intellectual curiosity due to reliance on mass media and technology. It is people, not the state, who are to blame for the burning and banning of books.