Bored again.

Here are my Top Five Mis-Facts

Number One - The speed of light is a constant

It's a double whammy. Not only is the speed of light NOT a constant, but it nearly never achieves its top whack pace of 299,792,458 metres per second.

Why? Because light is affected by everything it passes through or is reflected off and it's such an obvious statement that it beggars belief that people hold onto the idea that it's speed is both constant and a universal standard.

Top speed of light through super-cooled sodium? About 17 metres a second. Slower than sound in fact.

Check out this NY Times article on the subject.

From Everything You Know Is A Lie.

Number Two - Sugar rots your teeth

Oddly not; despite being told show many, many times. The fact is that sugar does not rot your death. What rots your teeth is plaque that feeds on the sugar and excretes (yes, I DO mean that) plaque acid aka lactic acid, that breaks down the enamel on your teeth. Without plaque bacteria you could eat sugar until the cows come home and still have nice teeth.

Number Three - Human Beings (Homo Sapiens) are decended from apes

Sorry to sound all scientific but Homo Sapiens are a member of the 'super-family' of Hominoids.

This consists of two families of hominoids:
1. The family Hylobatidae consists of 4 genera and 12 species of gibbons, including the Lar and the Siamang, collectively known as the "lesser apes";

2. The family Hominidae consisting of gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and humans, collectively known for reference as the "great apes"

However, if you imagine the Hominidae as being a tree truck, then apes and humans are on two different branches. Essentially they and we have a much older common ancestor who you will now groan when you realise that THIS is the 'missing link'. Therefore, we are not ancestors of gorillas or orangutans; they are our cousins, once removed.

Number Four - There are more people alive today than have ever lived

In the 1970's it was popular to highlight the issues of an ever increasing global population. Films like 'Soylent Green' show a world over populated, over heating and starving. Part of this rhetoric included the phrase that more people are alive today than have ever lived.

Of course this is complete drivel. Even starting just 50,000 years ago (ignoring evidence of earlier examples of modern man) gives an estimated total of around 106 Billion. Todays world population is around 6.2 Billion, for those without adequate math skills. that's quite a bit lower.

Number Five - Sushi means 'raw fish'.

Popular culture would have us believe that the famous Japanese delicacy of Sushi is created from raw fish. This is described in films, television programs, books and magazines; you name it.

In Japan the word sushi refers to a broad range of food prepared with sumeshi or sushi meshi, which is vinegared rice.

Outside Japan, sushi is often taken to mean raw fish. But this is totally erroneous and has been confused with sashimi.

Sashimi ("pierced body") is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh seafoods, thinly sliced and served with only a dipping sauce (for example soy sauce or ponzu sauce), and a simple garnish like shiso and shredded daikon radish.

Some sashimi ingredients, like octopus, are served cooked, but most fish, like tuna, are served raw. Less common but not unusual sashimi ingredients are vegetarian items such as yuba and raw red meats such as beef or horse.

The name sashimi may have come from the practice of sticking the tail of the fish on the slices, to let it be known which fish one was eating.

One last thought. For all those people who think the idea of 'raw fish' is terrible. Ponder on the production of 'Palma Ham' and 'Smoked Salmon' neither of which are cooked.

All these facts and more can be found at Everything You Know Is A Lie.