School Daze
Boomers had a pretty rough time of it in school. Bullying was rife, teachers were mean… and they were taught facts that later turned out not to be facts after all. Here are formerly important things that boomers thought were true, only to get a rude awakening later on. But it’s not a bad thing when knowledge is challenged, it’s an important part of life!
Bats Are Blind
You’ve no doubt heard of the phrase “blind as a bat.” But bats actually aren’t blind! They do use echolocation to see in the dark, but they have some vision as well. It’s always worth learning more about these fascinating creatures.
Columbus Discovered America
People of a certain age remember being told the rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” But by the time the millennials were in school, things were starting to change. It’s no longer taught that Columbus “discovered” America – after all, the Native Americans already lived there.
The Great Wall of China Is The Only Man-Made Structure Visible From Space
This was taught in schools a lot and made it to multiple “fun fact” books back in the day. But it’s not true! Astronauts themselves have said they can see other things from space, and the Great Wall of China isn’t visible with the naked eye.
Einstein Failed Math
Teachers used to tell kids, “Einstein failed math” in order to reassure them that you don’t have to be good at everything to be successful. Only trouble is… he didn’t fail math. He was very good at it! Of course, the point still stands, though.
The Tongue Has Different Zones For Different Tastes
Back in the day, many a biology classroom had a map on the wall of the different zones of the tongue. It was thought to be scientific fact, but it’s nonsense. All areas of the tongue are capable of tasting everything you put in your mouth.
There Are Four Oceans In The World
Boomers leaned the names of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans and thought that was all they needed. Nope! The Southern Ocean was recognized officially in 2021, so now there’s five oceans.
Napoleon Was Short
You’ve probably heard the term “Napoleon complex” used to describe a short man with a bad attitude. But as it turns out, Napoleon probably wasn’t short at all. He was average height, but British propaganda portrayed him as short in order to demean him.
Pluto Is a Planet
For years, Pluto held a proud place as the ninth planet in the solar system. There were little mnemonics we were taught so we remembered the order of the planets, and “P” was always at the end. Then, a huge shock – Pluto was demoted as a planet. Thanks a lot, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Mount Everest Is The Tallest Mountain In The World
Okay, there’s some wiggle room here. Everest is the tallest above sea level, that’s true. But the actual tallest mountain in the world is Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. Knowing that it’s not the tallest doesn’t stop people putting their lives at risk to climb Everest, though.
George Washington Had Wooden Teeth
Teachers delighted in the historical tidbit that George Washington had wooden teeth. Only trouble is, he didn’t. He had several sets of dentures and while some of them were made from animal teeth, others were almost certainly made from the teeth of slaves. History is truly grim sometimes.
Diamonds Are Made From Coal
There’s a great many turns of phrase about crushing a piece of coal until it becomes a diamond. But that’s not how it works. Coal and diamonds are both made from carbon, but one doesn’t turn into the other. Sorry!
Dinosaurs Looked Like Big Lizards
The movie Jurassic Park didn’t help with this one. Although the traditional portrayal of dinosaurs has them as big lizards, in truth we have no way of knowing what they looked like. Scientists of today think they most likely had feathers.
Blood Is Blue
It’s true that if you look at your veins through your skin, the blood appears to be blue. But that’s just a trick of the light – blood is red inside your body. Yet so many teachers convinced us that blood is blue until it comes out. Let’s hope they’ve fixed that one now.
Chameleons Change Color To Match Their Surroundings
Countless cartoon chameleons change color to match whatever’s in the background… but chameleons don’t actually do this in real life. They actually change color depending on mood or temperature, which is admittedly still pretty cool.
Humans Only Use 10% Of Their Brains
Teachers repeated this one without a second thought, and then those students they taught grew up and passed the myth onto their children. There are even movies based on the premise! But no, humans use all of their brains, not 10% of them.
