7 Scientific Urban Legends Debunked!

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  • Опубліковано 25 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 6 тис.

  • @besmart
    @besmart  5 років тому +603

    BIG EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!! We are now on Patreon! Come join our family: www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart
    For a while, you've been asking if there's another way you can support our show besides just watching and sharing the videos. The answer is now YES!!! Head over to our Patreon page to check out all the different perks, and thank you for your support… however you show it

    • @alphabeta9425
      @alphabeta9425 5 років тому +6

      I just came as soon as i saw the notif and typed the first word on my suggestion bar.
      Q.What was that word?

    • @cheesecake3581
      @cheesecake3581 5 років тому +1

      Bing bong

    • @SuviTuuliAllan
      @SuviTuuliAllan 5 років тому +3

      Question: What happens to the poop when Steven and Connie fuse? #StevenUniverse #TheImportantQuestions

    • @FluffyGamer2005Ed
      @FluffyGamer2005Ed 5 років тому +1

      Nice portal reference. Reall smooooooooooooooth.

    • @andrepaulsen2660
      @andrepaulsen2660 5 років тому +2

      So my "immune boost vitamin c tea" doesn't actually body my immune system?

  • @Darth_Pro_x
    @Darth_Pro_x 5 років тому +3343

    "If you want common knowledge to be true,
    you must make true knowledge common"
    Awesome!

    • @krellend20
      @krellend20 5 років тому +44

      Which means we need to end capitalism, which is why most scientific knowledge is currently behind paywalls.

    • @benjaminnelson5455
      @benjaminnelson5455 5 років тому +17

      Nevermind that capitalism is why we have enough science for most of it to be behind paywalls. Modern research is frequently expensive, because while we can't ever say that we've absolutely discovered everything that can be discovered by a curious person in a home lab, we can say we reasonable confidence that we discovered a significant plurality of things that can be discovered that way.
      Somebody has to fund further research, and the government only funds what will win votes, which these days mostly means high profile space exploration, green energy (without much regard to actual viability, I might add, just look at how much tax money has been poured into nuclear fusion with nothing to show for it), and the LHC.
      Governments do make smaller investments in other fields, but on the whole those contributions are negligible compared to private sector spending/contributions that result from free market decisions. To abolish capitalism is therefore to abolish most science.

    • @krellend20
      @krellend20 5 років тому +24

      @@benjaminnelson5455 Name one thing besides useless pharmaceuticals being research by private funding. Almost all research is government funded. Try again.

    • @richardjoyce1
      @richardjoyce1 5 років тому +2

      Yeah, I had to screen-grab that one.

    • @benjaminnelson5455
      @benjaminnelson5455 5 років тому +5

      @@krellend20 Space Travel, particularly efforts to mine asteroids (with the goal of building a "2001" style gateway space station), and colonize Mars. Nasa has plans for the latter, but Blue Origin and especially SpaceX are years ahead of them. Just about anything related to computing, especially quantum computing and machine learning, all of the actually promising efforts to achieve practical nuclear fusion. All of the advances in self-driving vehicles. Most of the advancements in energy storage. Any advancement in civilian air travel, there's even talk of going supersonic again.
      That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure I could write a longer list than most people are willing to read with a bit of research. Shall I continue?

  • @_Keith_
    @_Keith_ 4 роки тому +786

    "If you want common knowledge to be true, you have to let true knowledge be common." (11:00)
    I wish that sentence was common knowledge.

    • @Prober61
      @Prober61 4 роки тому +11

      T shirt idea!

    • @mynameisthis1580
      @mynameisthis1580 4 роки тому +4

      All that science behind a paywall is accessible through the library. People that really want to check sources, can.

    • @RyuMai
      @RyuMai 4 роки тому +2

      im sorry but that sentence is just made to sound smart. what is true knowledge ? what do you mean by common knowledge to be true? is common knowledge false right now ? this sentence implies that current common knowledge is false and should be replaced with a "true" version.. true to who?

    • @onetrd855
      @onetrd855 4 роки тому +11

      @@mynameisthis1580 oh, common, not everyone lives in a megapolis where you have a library where you can find a specific journal. And not everyone lives in USA, libraries may even not have any journals in English at all.
      The fact that you have to pay for any properly verified information and get fake one for free is ridiculous..

    • @Tzar1
      @Tzar1 3 роки тому +6

      @@mynameisthis1580 my local library is very small, so definitely not going to have science papers. My local city library(over and hour away) is what I would call verging on a medium sized. They barely have any papers. My regions largest city(about 2 hours away) is bigger, but barely any science papers. I do not have easy and free legal access to many science papers, so I need to use the internet.

  • @ameliasprague1991
    @ameliasprague1991 5 років тому +756

    We were literally just taught that 10:1 was the ratio of microbes:to human cells....... in my university biology class. I'm a biology major. I'm so confused now

  • @jpsned
    @jpsned 3 роки тому +379

    My Dad, an aeronautical engineer, once pointed out how media outlets love to use the word "expert" when interviewing someone without providing evidence as to what makes that person an "expert." He also noted that the media loves to use the expression "numerous studies" when talking about how a certain conclusion was reached about something--without citing those "numerous" studies.

    • @CdnGeoff
      @CdnGeoff 3 роки тому +27

      And they're not just experts, they're "top" experts.

    • @jpsned
      @jpsned 3 роки тому +5

      @@CdnGeoff 👍😄

    • @summer-west
      @summer-west 3 роки тому +6

      Gotta get tired of that. “Arguably one of the most xyz of his time”. The burden to meet that criteria is “at least one person can make the case that some person ranked >%50 of who ever happened to be involved in that activity the same day, month, year. They never say.

    • @incredibleflameboy
      @incredibleflameboy 3 роки тому +10

      I recently had this with an "expert" on surgical intervention (read as dental patient unhappy with her dentists choice to use analgesia because she was scared) provide 10 medical abstracts that "agreed" with her statement despite not being peer reviewed. Now, I take issue with abstracts in general since they don't give the whole paper, you only see the hypothesis and the results they want you to see. I also disagree with 1 person providing me with the papers and telling me they must be right. Of course papers you give me will agree with your statement, you chose them. Why would you choose something that disagrees to prove your point?
      "Expert opinion" is just that especially when you ignore opposing "expert opinion". An expert can be very wrong and are only right until they're challenged, it's how we make progress in our knowledge. We challenge known convention to prove or disprove the hypothesis.

    • @bertmeinders6758
      @bertmeinders6758 2 роки тому +4

      According to the late Reg Smythe, an expert is someone who knows no more than you do, but is better at using diagrams.

  • @Allegroport
    @Allegroport 5 років тому +4084

    at first I thought the shirt said manly microbe.

    • @besmart
      @besmart  5 років тому +809

      😏 not wrong

    • @ghost--castl
      @ghost--castl 5 років тому +103

      i just imagined a manly microbe. o cod...

    • @jackielinde7568
      @jackielinde7568 5 років тому +143

      @@ghost--castl I just imagined a bacterium flexing it's flagella, and it was swol. Talking sick gains that any body builder would be proud of.
      [EDIT] Forgot to mention the olde timey handlebar mustache, too.

    • @aname8155
      @aname8155 5 років тому +4

      Samr

    • @rowynnecrowley1689
      @rowynnecrowley1689 5 років тому +45

      Sounds like the Medicare Transport van I saw today. I thought it said "Mediocre Transport".

  • @youremakingprogress144
    @youremakingprogress144 3 роки тому +457

    I think a big reason kids seem hyperactive when they eat sugar is that they're often allowed (or encouraged) to eat sugar during times when they're going to be excited - holidays, parties, sports events, etc. - so they're acting energetic anyway.

    • @judythompson8227
      @judythompson8227 2 роки тому +27

      kids are already wired for hyperactivity, and I truly never understood the ban on sugar. ir''s brain food,, quite literally. It doesn't cause diabetes, it doesn't burn holes in your clothes, and if kids seem super excited when you "'allow' them a candy cane once a year, that's because they arent used to the stuff and it probably wakes them up.

    • @eds6889
      @eds6889 2 роки тому +42

      @@judythompson8227 Refined sugar is bad for you, period.

    • @gordonlawrence1448
      @gordonlawrence1448 2 роки тому +34

      @@judythompson8227 Refined sugar does cause diabetes. IE it is likely to be turned into fat by your liver which then can cause your pancreas to be less effective at producing insulin.

    • @janet6421
      @janet6421 2 роки тому +19

      @@gordonlawrence1448 Refined sugar doesn't have any vitamins/minerals/protein. It is just empty calories. It also gets absorbed quicker than starch and triggers the liver to overproduce insulin, causing a sugar spike then drop.

    • @deadpiratetattoo2015
      @deadpiratetattoo2015 2 роки тому +7

      Sugar is fuel. You guys don't sound like parents. Predisposed or not, they burn sugar very efficient. I've told them it was diet and vice versa. It's true that they get excited when they get the sugar in their possession because sugar is a reward, but in event instance physical activity increases.

  • @JifromthePH
    @JifromthePH 5 років тому +494

    He got me at "what size of glasses even?" Cause ive been asking that my whole life too man

    • @88michaelandersen
      @88michaelandersen 4 роки тому +21

      I asked someone (probably one of my teachers, but I don't remember) that question and was told that glass meant 8 fluid ounces in this context, but I bet that they either made that up or got that information from a chain that leads to a source that made it up.

    • @macronencer
      @macronencer 4 роки тому +16

      @@88michaelandersen Eight fluid ounces is definitely not right, because the paper says 2.5 litres, which would be about 84 fluid ounces in total - just over ten per "glass".

    • @KlaudiusL
      @KlaudiusL 4 роки тому +1

      250 cc

    • @NidraxGaming
      @NidraxGaming 4 роки тому +2

      @@KlaudiusL also not, because 2.5 liters would be 10 glasses of 250 cc in volume.

    • @MultiPleaser
      @MultiPleaser 4 роки тому +2

      @@NidraxGaming Ten times ten is a hundred, not 2500 cc, which is 2.5 liters.

  • @miltongurl28
    @miltongurl28 2 роки тому +69

    What I’ve read about hyperactivity in kids is ... it’s not the sugar, it’s the environment. Kids commonly eat sugar when with friends, parties, Halloween, etc. These are events where they’re going to be all revved up anyway. Makes sense!
    Love the video!

    • @JMacSD
      @JMacSD 5 місяців тому

      Agree that makes sense. But note that sugars, and most carbs, do get converted to energy (or if not needed at the moment, fat) fairly quickly, so people maybe sometimes feel a little boost of energy, then crash (that energy runs out). Also, something he didn't mention: sugar is addictive, especially in kids.

    • @amazinggrapes3045
      @amazinggrapes3045 4 місяці тому

      I heard it was misattribution from caffeinated soda

    • @amazinggrapes3045
      @amazinggrapes3045 4 місяці тому +1

      ​@@JMacSDprobably he didn't mention it because it's not relevant to the question of hyperactivity

  • @thenateman27
    @thenateman27 5 років тому +759

    'A lie gets halfway around the world before truth puts on its boots'
    -Ben Franklin, 1969

    • @jaysea5939
      @jaysea5939 5 років тому +16

      Nice

    • @norbertlauret8119
      @norbertlauret8119 5 років тому +31

      Damn, I was about to quote Terry Pratchett : "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." Then, I read your comment...
      So I've searched a little and found this : quoteinvestigator.com/2014/07/13/truth/
      Guess we are right in the topic here ! ;)

    • @billskinner7670
      @billskinner7670 5 років тому +4

      Good one.

    • @hrayz
      @hrayz 5 років тому +29

      Ben was alive in 1969! Those apples really work!

    • @go2viraj
      @go2viraj 5 років тому +15

      Damn they have been lying to us that Ben died in 1790

  • @Donar23
    @Donar23 5 років тому +838

    I learned in school that the tongue has different taste zones, even though I was born 11 years after that myth was debunked. I believe that myth is still printed into biology school books today.

    • @dvldgz6306
      @dvldgz6306 5 років тому +108

      people dont trust me when I say that isn't true because they learned it in school.

    • @Donar23
      @Donar23 5 років тому +86

      @@dvldgz6306 They don't have to trust you, they just have to google it :D
      Sadly many people are incapable of googling.

    • @dvldgz6306
      @dvldgz6306 5 років тому +58

      that's what I say. but most people get very offended being corrected. even when I try my best to be polite. I just say they should look into it and hope they do

    • @danielborenstein237
      @danielborenstein237 5 років тому +110

      I remember learning this too. Though I always thought it didn't make sense because I would try to put food on different areas, but I could still taste it. Seems like a fairly straightforward thing to dismiss, surprised it became an idea at all.

    • @Davwyn
      @Davwyn 5 років тому +20

      I can confirm that 3 school divisions still teach this false fact to this day

  • @joynthis
    @joynthis 4 роки тому +354

    I may have misunderstood some of this, since I've been pouring eight glasses of sugar on my head each day to keep my microbes warm. Guess I can stop.

  • @johnwrath3612
    @johnwrath3612 6 місяців тому +18

    This is the one thing my science training has taught me that I value more than anything else. If things you think you know aren’t supported by evidence or if new evidence is presented, there’s no shame in changing. Being wrong is fine. Continuing to be wrong in the face of new evidence isn’t. Changing your mind is a very good thing.

    • @jeffclark5268
      @jeffclark5268 2 місяці тому

      Bingo. This. Critical thinking…it’s what the body craves.

  • @EyeHeytEwe
    @EyeHeytEwe 5 років тому +366

    Whoever did the Rocky running out of the port-a-potty, give them a raise. 😂

  • @echosmyth5021
    @echosmyth5021 5 років тому +351

    "That doesn't make quite as catchy of a shirt though."
    I wholeheartedly disagree.

    • @macsandsquid528
      @macsandsquid528 5 років тому +18

      I's wear the updated t-shirt (provided the reference material was listed on the back, for thoroughness)

    • @CritterKeeper01
      @CritterKeeper01 5 років тому +25

      It would probably be more clear if you started with the "mostly microbe" with a strike-out through it, and the new text below. Then put citations in smaller print on the back. I'd buy it!

    • @DragoniteSpam
      @DragoniteSpam 5 років тому +3

      I give it about three days before someone watching this starts selling one somewhere.

    • @sheepketchup9059
      @sheepketchup9059 5 років тому

      @@CritterKeeper01 great idea!

    • @sephirothjc
      @sephirothjc 5 років тому +6

      I would buy that t-shirt without thinking twice

  • @chrisecker4190
    @chrisecker4190 5 років тому +617

    Replacement t-shirt idea "You're more you after a pooh" 😁

  • @FilosophicalPharmer
    @FilosophicalPharmer 6 місяців тому +14

    Hooray!! The toughest thing a human can do is be open minded enough to admit they’re wrong occasionally. Kudos, sir!

  • @paulvincentarriesgado3323
    @paulvincentarriesgado3323 4 роки тому +700

    "i stand scientifically corrected" there you go for your new shirts

    • @nmarbletoe8210
      @nmarbletoe8210 4 роки тому +9

      That's a good phrase to learn!
      .
      He can correct his "debunking" of vitamin C!
      "It is required for the functioning of several enzymes and is important for immune system function.[4][5] It also functions as an antioxidant.[6]
      There is some evidence that regular use of supplements may reduce the duration of the common cold, but it does not appear to prevent infection.[6][7][8] It is unclear whether supplementation affects the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, or dementia.[9][10] It may be taken by mouth or by injection.[3]
      \"
      -wikipedia

    • @swrennie
      @swrennie 3 роки тому +6

      "Thanks to science and my orthopedic underwear, I stand corrected."

    • @iCarus_A
      @iCarus_A 3 роки тому +2

      @@nmarbletoe8210 I think his point is that supplementation of vitamin C does not provide "definitive proof" -- at least not anywhere as definitive as the late doctor suggested -- that it is effective against common cold or any other ailment besides scurvy. Most people in developed countries already intake sufficient vitamin C that any extra from supplementation is likely to provide negligible benefit, even your citation suggests that only "some" evidence support "reduction of duration" of the ailment.

    • @lcefrisbee
      @lcefrisbee 3 роки тому +1

      @@nmarbletoe8210 he was talking directly about preventing you from being infected it seems like

    • @whatisyoudoing1187
      @whatisyoudoing1187 3 роки тому

      @@nmarbletoe8210 quiet virgin

  • @jeremiasrobinson
    @jeremiasrobinson 5 років тому +1467

    Now that I'm not mostly microbes I have to redefine my whole identity.

    • @jackielinde7568
      @jackielinde7568 5 років тому +54

      Well, you're half microbes... Until you take a dump. Then you need a nap to recharge. Does that help?

    • @michaeldamolsen
      @michaeldamolsen 5 років тому +18

      @@jackielinde7568 Just what we need in this world; more anally retentive people...

    • @jackielinde7568
      @jackielinde7568 5 років тому +19

      @@michaeldamolsen I wasn't suggesting that you hang onto your poop. I just suggested that you needed a nap to allow your microbiome time to recover.

    • @CraftyZanTub
      @CraftyZanTub 5 років тому +9

      Still, you got a whole lot of microbes going on.

    • @jnawk83
      @jnawk83 5 років тому +6

      revised T-shirt please

  • @orchetect7415
    @orchetect7415 3 роки тому +651

    2:58 "Spinach actually does contain large amounts of iron ... but it also contains compounds that make [it] harder to absorb"
    Oh the... irony

  • @mag8man
    @mag8man 3 роки тому +21

    Thank you for this outstanding video, it is going to become required viewing for all my students (grad and undergrad). As you probably realize, the problems you illustrate go way beyond having false opinions. I have seen false “facts” through citation inhibit research, delay genuine findings by years, and misdirect scientific investigations. Also, you focus on unintentional misinformation entering the literature, but both as a researcher and a subject editor for three journals over my career, I’ve seen lots of deliberate attempts to misinform, many of them successful. Like many, I am a critic of peer-review and the current (absurd) scientific publication system (the public pays for research, but private publishers control access to results), but almost no one outside “the business” realizes the damage being done. So again, thanks for your work in public education, as you did here, it is essential.

  • @bjarnes.4423
    @bjarnes.4423 5 років тому +222

    9:03 "I'm Half Microbes" is still pretty catchy

    • @akrybion
      @akrybion 5 років тому +30

      *"I'm half microbes (except if I just pooped)"

    • @88marome
      @88marome 5 років тому +7

      Half microbe, half human

    • @Sunbro413
      @Sunbro413 5 років тому +1

      Now we need to find out what germaphobes think of this forbidden knowledge.
      Does it cure their phobia or cause a (hopefully minor) panic attack?

    • @j.j.juggernaut9709
      @j.j.juggernaut9709 5 років тому +1

      It still makes us mainly microbes, though... until we poop XD

    • @MelodiCat753
      @MelodiCat753 5 років тому +3

      @@akrybion "Usually Half Microbes"

  • @bareknuckles2u
    @bareknuckles2u 4 роки тому +100

    "What matters is that you are comfortable enough with the idea of not knowing everything. That you are able to replace bad knowledge when you find better knowledge."

    • @rudykrutar3319
      @rudykrutar3319 4 роки тому +1

      I can prove mathematically that if I knew everything, I would no exist.

    • @floo1465
      @floo1465 4 роки тому +3

      @@rudykrutar3319 then prove it

    • @Chimonger1
      @Chimonger1 3 роки тому +1

      @@floo1465 ...wait....was that a death threat?

    • @floo1465
      @floo1465 3 роки тому

      @@Chimonger1 no

    • @Chimonger1
      @Chimonger1 3 роки тому

      @@floo1465 Juist joking around...gotta joke about something, even "morgue" humor. LOL!

  • @stiimuli
    @stiimuli 5 років тому +135

    OMG Rocky busting out of that porta pottie and everyone cheering him almost made me fall outta my chair XD

  • @pinkmints
    @pinkmints 2 роки тому +9

    Just graduated nursing school and our books still recommend 2-3 L of water per day, no mention of the food component. I wonder if that needs correction.

  • @tharagleb
    @tharagleb 4 роки тому +1755

    You forgot: "We only use 10% of our brain."

    • @willhendrix3140
      @willhendrix3140 4 роки тому +106

      He was going for widely accepted and correct seeming facts, not ones that most people already don't believe.

    • @Excludos
      @Excludos 4 роки тому +156

      It's true tho. We do only use a small percentage of our brain simultaneously, but not because it hasn't "unlocked" its full potential or anything. It's more for the same reason why we don't use all 6 gears in our cars simultaneously. It just doesn't make sense

    • @mikel9567
      @mikel9567 3 роки тому +61

      @Mr Right The whole brain and the full potential are not the same thing. We use every region of our brains but that doesn't mean we use it to the full potential. Neuroscience is still in its infancy. There is a lot we don't understand about the brain.

    • @viddork
      @viddork 3 роки тому +67

      That's because he was only using 10% of his brain when he didn't think of it.

    • @DardS8Br
      @DardS8Br 3 роки тому +37

      @@willhendrix3140 My science teacher in 5th grade taught us this. Man, was I PISSED.

  • @klaudio07041985
    @klaudio07041985 5 років тому +302

    That's why I feel so satisfied after pooping, because I just won the ratio war with my microbes.

  • @Fayanora
    @Fayanora 4 роки тому +362

    10:10 Actually that's a myth, too. You can just email the scientists who wrote the papers, most of them will gladly send you a free copy because they want their work read and they hate paywalls too.

    • @bryanjackson8917
      @bryanjackson8917 3 роки тому +89

      Right, but that's time consuming and the casual reader, that is, someone just looking into learning new facts as opposed to someone writing a term paper or doing background research will not pursue this strategy. (TMT = Too Much Trouble)

    • @MK-fg8hi
      @MK-fg8hi 3 роки тому +37

      Coming from my Ph.D. experience, this is true! This might not work for older papers since authors change occupations or retire, or just don't answer.. Having open-source papers would be more reliable
      There is also arxiv these days though, I hope it will be used more widely =)

    • @azielmelo7756
      @azielmelo7756 3 роки тому +4

      Thats true but it is legally debatable. The editors OWN the paper. To distribute it without permission is kinda of a crime (yes, even the author). It's like saying: you don't need to pay to watch films Because you can find them on the internet.

    • @Fayanora
      @Fayanora 3 роки тому +32

      @@azielmelo7756 First of all, the author owns it, not the editors or publishers. That's how copyright works. Second, even if you were right on that point, they're not making any money handing it out for free, so there's no copyright violation and thus no law being broken.

    • @Fayanora
      @Fayanora 3 роки тому +18

      @@azielmelo7756 An author distributing something that they themselves wrote is not even remotely close to being the same as piracy. Because they wrote the thing and so they hold the copyright on it.

  • @MrDiveDave
    @MrDiveDave 2 роки тому +42

    Regarding the part about losing 80% of your body heat through your head. My first scuba diving instructor said it perfectly. If you lost that much through your head in the winter all you would need to wear would be a hat.

    • @yvindharila8225
      @yvindharila8225 6 місяців тому

      But aint that the whole point of the claim? You should wear a hat in the winter, cause if ypu dont you can lose a suprising amount of heat and energy through your head. And therefore feel really cold in your whole body.
      Everyone understand that how much heat you loose through a bodypart depend on what clothes you wear. But there is still a lot of people who dont wear hats in the winter and complain about how cold it is and that they need a thicker jacket.
      The same goes for shooes/boots. Good, thick insulated boots have a huge impact. And the same rule apply for warm pants and scarf.
      More generaly, you need to insulate your whole body. Else you might freeze, Even though you have a thick jacket/coat.

    • @MrDiveDave
      @MrDiveDave 6 місяців тому +1

      @@yvindharila8225 You still dont lose eighty percent of your bodies heat out of your head. Yes you lose heat and should weart a hat lol.. but you missed the point completely. And that is that you lose a hell of a lot more than twenty percent of your body heat out of your torso and extremities

    • @ydad8946
      @ydad8946 6 місяців тому

      @@MrDiveDave People used to sleep with hats/night caps once upon a time in the winter for this very "fact."

    • @MrDiveDave
      @MrDiveDave 6 місяців тому

      @@ydad8946 Seriously? Have you ever heard of Dunning Kruger I have a feeling you're suffering from it. I'm a master scuba diver with over 15 different certifications a big part of that is learning where you lose your body heat in cold water. You do not lose 80% of your heat through your head. To even suggest that is absolutely ridiculous. It's better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and prove it.

    • @KasumiRINA
      @KasumiRINA 6 місяців тому +1

      ​@@yvindharila8225 unless you're bald, hat won't help that much compared to, say, gloves. If your face is exposed, like if you don't wear a ski mask, a hat won't stop you losing heat through your head.

  • @LiLi-or2gm
    @LiLi-or2gm 5 років тому +129

    You should make this a regular feature- once a month, a video about commonly misunderstood science and technology "facts."

    • @danielsteel5251
      @danielsteel5251 5 років тому +3

      What you're describing seems something like the UA-cam channel Captain Disillusion.

    • @walkinmn
      @walkinmn 5 років тому

      I do that daily on Twitter, it makes you sound obnoxious though

    • @danielsteel5251
      @danielsteel5251 5 років тому +2

      @@walkinmn _I do that daily on Twitter, it makes you sound obnoxious though_
      I'm often reminded of the following:
      ----
      _Scene Three: Parking Garage:_
      _Frasier and Niles are still encamped before the exit gate. A line of cars is stopped behind Frasier, honking. George is directing them one by one out through the entrance lane._
      *George:* [ _as another car tries to enter_ ] Hold it, man!
      _The car stops, allowing one of the trapped cars to get out._
      Woman in Car: [ _as she's passing, to Frasier_ ] Dumbass!
      *Niles:* Other motorists are getting angry.
      *Frasier:* If they weren't so shortsighted, they'd see that I'm doing this for their own good. It's like correcting people's grammar -- I don't do it to be popular.
      *Niles:* And I support that, but in this case I strongly feel we should pay the money and get out of here before there's violence.
      *Frasier:* Niles, they can get around us if they want to. So what, it takes them an extra two seconds! It's a small price to pay for making this a better world.
      *Niles:* OK, but we're also inconveniencing ourselves.
      *Frasier:* Niles, you'll get home to your stupid, filthy bird soon enough!
      *Niles:* I meant that your radio show is about to start ... dumbass.
      _A chorus of horns behind them accompanies this point._
      ----
      And, to be clear: I agree with Frasier that it _is_ "okay to be smart."

    • @walkinmn
      @walkinmn 5 років тому

      @@danielsteel5251 Lol, thank you for that

    • @nicholaslewis8594
      @nicholaslewis8594 5 років тому +1

      It’d be cool if them and channels like scishow had a monthly retraction video. Everyone makes errors sometimes, but people interested in facts are willing to admit that and find where they have made mistakes. Also be a great insight into the research for these kinds of videos.

  • @ivanbooker7432
    @ivanbooker7432 5 років тому +3606

    "We all know water freezes at 0° C"
    Americans: *sweating

    • @frogz
      @frogz 5 років тому +116

      i thought water froze at 100c and boiled at 0c, not my fault you guys got the scale in reverse (people will hate me when they google this and find out it is true)

    • @luftwaffle3766
      @luftwaffle3766 5 років тому +84

      Frogz I just checked, its you that’s wrong.

    • @frogz
      @frogz 5 років тому +71

      @@luftwaffle3766 Celsius himself made the scale and it was originally reverse of what it is now

    • @ivanbooker7432
      @ivanbooker7432 5 років тому +201

      @@frogz No one goes by that
      So you are in fact wrong
      There are reasons why we change things

    • @geckoo9190
      @geckoo9190 5 років тому +33

      I don't know, I think that only in the united states and canada they use the imperial system, the rest of the continent, as far as I know, use metric.

  • @julienribollet3210
    @julienribollet3210 5 років тому +528

    shaving doesn't make hair growing faster or thicker

    • @illusionfaderr5394
      @illusionfaderr5394 5 років тому

      Julien Ribollet explain.

    • @illusionfaderr5394
      @illusionfaderr5394 5 років тому +60

      Here’s the thing, I tried to prove this ... by using my own damn body, which I deeply regret. Like 2 years ago I was in the shower and I had the smart idea to test this and shaved the area around my bellybutton, which at the time, looked completely hairless. A couple weeks later hairs were clearly noticeable ... and so every summer I have to shave my stomach. My stomach. They are thick and long as hell. The rest of myself is completely normal.
      So that’s why that one area in my stomach is hairy and the rest are not...
      What makes you call this a myth?

    • @Keebzoo
      @Keebzoo 5 років тому +18

      @@illusionfaderr5394 The same thing happened to me. I feel like hair regrowth must vary person to person and body part to body part.

    • @imlearningenglish4957
      @imlearningenglish4957 5 років тому +73

      Your hair is cone-shaped like ,so if you shave the top you get the base of the cone

    • @donepearce
      @donepearce 5 років тому +84

      @@illusionfaderr5394 The first hair that grows back will be thicker because it is cylindrical, not tapered like your usual hair. Leave it until you have natural replacement to fallen hair and it will be back the way it used to be. This just needs patience.

  • @MaxPowweer1
    @MaxPowweer1 2 роки тому +35

    For the hyper kids eating sugar thing - often when kids have had excessive amounts of sugar, this is usually at a special or fun occasion, like a birthday party, or a special treat to go to the park etc. So this is what has wound your kid up. Also the event of just getting some sweets, or chocolate may be pretty exciting too.

    • @oMuStiiA
      @oMuStiiA 2 роки тому +3

      Also if you tell a kid "if you eat this it'll make you hyper" then they'll be extra susceptible to the power of suggestion.

    • @dmitripogosian5084
      @dmitripogosian5084 6 місяців тому

      dont know about kids, but when i am tired skiing, large coke makes me hit the slopes for the next half a day within 5 min of consumption

    • @nctpti2073
      @nctpti2073 Місяць тому

      @@dmitripogosian5084 That is not just sugar, though, but also caffeine

  • @insane_troll
    @insane_troll 5 років тому +389

    1. Iron in spinach
    2. Colds and vitamin C
    3. Losing heat through your head
    4. 8 glasses of water a day
    5. Sugar and hyperactivity
    6. 10 to 1 microbes
    7. ??? I want my money back!

    • @noradlark167
      @noradlark167 5 років тому +12

      Water freezing point

    • @dudeinoakland
      @dudeinoakland 5 років тому +10

      @@noradlark167 That was debunked? You may be thinking of a different video.

    • @noradlark167
      @noradlark167 5 років тому +2

      @@dudeinoakland Mentioned in the entry

    • @dudeinoakland
      @dudeinoakland 5 років тому +33

      @@noradlark167 Yes, he stated a fact about water freezing at 0°C and was used as an example of commonly known information. I'm saying that it was not debunked.

    • @lynxaway
      @lynxaway 5 років тому +10

      Did you watch the whole video? :-)

  • @emmafish4792
    @emmafish4792 5 років тому +102

    This video just went from hey debunk this to “make knowledge and learning free” which is amazing

  • @matheusribeiro8523
    @matheusribeiro8523 5 років тому +93

    "At least not legally"
    ~looks suspiciously to the side
    We get it man, sci-hub, the unspeakable hero of science

    • @sophiaruizuvalle2523
      @sophiaruizuvalle2523 5 років тому +17

      Scihub, single handedly helping millions of desesperate science majors all around the world

    • @besmart
      @besmart  5 років тому +31

      I DIDN'T SAY IT YOU DID ;)

    • @FelipeKana1
      @FelipeKana1 5 років тому +4

      @@besmart hey man, love your videos.
      About the microbes, what about microbes outside our colon???? How many (in other organs, tissues, etc? Skin, blood, lymphonodes, respiratory tract, etc?)

    • @Brainwashed101
      @Brainwashed101 5 років тому +3

      You can also ask the original authors!

  • @patchez058
    @patchez058 6 місяців тому +8

    As a dog trainer I learned the one about alpha male/female in reference to wolves and dogs.
    A lot of misconceptions seem to originate from one person saying " I think it goes like this" and everyone else saying " That checks out, now I will defend it to the death!"

    • @limo4085
      @limo4085 6 місяців тому +5

      That's probably one of the most fascinating examples because so many people will die on that hill, despite the fact that the original researcher himself discredited his work saying the wolves were studied in captivity and not in natural family units (mostly young males) and once studied in nature those behaviors changed significantly.... so doesn't even apply to wolves.

  • @caleb5234
    @caleb5234 5 років тому +21

    I love that quote
    “What matters is being comfortable enough with the idea of not knowing everything that you’re able to replace bad knowledge when you find better knowledge.”

    • @barbarahouk1983
      @barbarahouk1983 5 років тому

      When you don’t know, it’s ok to admit you don’t know. It is also ok to seek updates. That is the sign of one who is educated.

  • @marim0y
    @marim0y 5 років тому +135

    How does one become an honorary samurai? Asking for myself.

    • @_Piers_
      @_Piers_ 5 років тому +18

      You just find another samurai and ask...
      They'll ask what scientific papers you've published recently.
      If they approve, then congratulations, honorary samurai!
      Sadly there's no oversight.

    • @marim0y
      @marim0y 5 років тому +1

      @@_Piers_ 😂

    • @xyaeiounn
      @xyaeiounn 5 років тому +8

      You must a speaky Baroken Engurish and be prepared to commit Sudoku if you bring shame you famiry.

    • @joshuahadams
      @joshuahadams 5 років тому +2

      Iirc it’s pretty much the Japanese equivalent of being knighted.

    • @xyaeiounn
      @xyaeiounn 5 років тому

      @@joshuahadams It's the Japanese who have been cramming their culture into 'equivalents' of European customs since forever. Their warrior elite corresponds to titled gentry, roughly, but it's not the same.

  • @sielthesnail5628
    @sielthesnail5628 5 років тому +147

    University: You don't need to cite common knowledge
    Also University: You didn't cite this commonly known fact
    Me: 😑

    •  5 років тому +2

      *"reference"

  • @adammcinnes5615
    @adammcinnes5615 2 роки тому +7

    In my M.Sc. thesis in biomedical engineering I was asked to provide a citation for what Brownian motion is, so I did cite Einstein's 1905 paper (and for fun, I also cited Brown's original 1827 paper, but decided against citing Lucretius' "On the Nature of Things", c. 60 BC, because while he describes Brownian motion, the example he used was not due to Brownian motion).

  • @ameerhamza4816
    @ameerhamza4816 5 років тому +30

    “There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt.”
    “I can live with doubt, and uncertainty. I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.” (physicist Richard Feynman)

    • @tumbleddry2887
      @tumbleddry2887 5 років тому

      There's a lyric in a David Bowie tune, Law (Eartlings on Fire) "I don't want knowledge, I want certainty"....wonder if he's paraphrasing Feynman (among others)?

  • @rollomaughfling380
    @rollomaughfling380 4 роки тому +119

    08:49 Stallone busting out of that Portaloo and celebrating his dump made me howl.

    • @gradearawk
      @gradearawk 4 роки тому +6

      I couldn’t stop laughing.

    • @Jay-ate-a-bug
      @Jay-ate-a-bug 4 роки тому +4

      I must be tired... I didn't even acknowledge he ran out of a port-o-potty until your comment, but I do remember him doing it.

    • @user-zl1fx3lw9c
      @user-zl1fx3lw9c 4 роки тому +2

      Not just him, look carefully at the end...

    • @steeljawX
      @steeljawX 3 роки тому +1

      It's an over used scene, but that one. . . oh dear. That was a great one.

    • @Foolish188
      @Foolish188 3 роки тому

      Thought it was out of the TARDIS.

  • @abiaramahapu3582
    @abiaramahapu3582 5 років тому +520

    One of those myths is "we use 10 or 25 percent of our brains"

    • @Roxyx2
      @Roxyx2 5 років тому +86

      that's true, i don't even use 1% of my brain

    • @miguelzavaleta1911
      @miguelzavaleta1911 5 років тому +38

      That's more of a common myth that doesn't even pass a basic "smell test." The ones in the video went through peer-review.

    • @PhilJonesIII
      @PhilJonesIII 5 років тому +21

      I know people who would be greatly improved if they did.

    • @IntergalacticSpaceKitten
      @IntergalacticSpaceKitten 5 років тому +17

      Isn't that just worded wrong that made it a myth? Like people thought it meant that we use ONLY 10 or 25% of our brains, but it's actually we use 100% of our brains, but only 10 of 25%of it at one time?
      I don't even know if that's true. I read it somewhere. Maybe it's just more of the same myth.

    • @loganskiwyse7823
      @loganskiwyse7823 5 років тому +14

      @@IntergalacticSpaceKitten It is a variant of the same myth. I can not quote the source but if memory serves ( as always if you want the truth you have to spend time to look it up or hope someone like the creators of this content do so for you ) is that it's based on the percentage of the brain involved in cognitive behavior. Which I believe is about 10% of total brain mass. Somehow that got translated into the idea we only use 10%. Which then got refuted by other studies leading to confusion on what percentage is involved hence the 10 to 25 percent numbers.
      In fact, all parts of the brain capable of functions do so all the time. Only in damaged brains is there a loss of function. So we use 100% of the brain. Now, how much of that is cognitive is subject to debate. Even if that's our total brain power is subject to debate. Grey matter can be found at the base of fingertips and along the spinal cord. And I am sure you have heard of muscle memory ( most likely linked to the Fascia). Also the brain gut interface affects brain function. All this leads to the possibility that the brain doesn't actually include all of our " processing " ability to begin with and that there may be more to this story. I used the term processing because most of this is not anything we are aware of but is necessary for life anyway. Sort of like a computer were we see the " interfaces " but the real machinery isn't actually any part of that interface. It's only the surface we can relate to. In many ways, the story of the human brain is the same. We are only aware of our conscious interface and miss everything else below the surface.
      ------
      There is nothing more difficult in science then using a organ we don't understand to figure out that same organ. Brain studies often quote this in one form or another and this myth points to the root of why that is so true even today.

  • @GeeniusTV
    @GeeniusTV 6 місяців тому +2

    I came expecting one of the top comments to be about the Stallone busting out of the porta-potty edit and was disappointed! Great video. Truly a fan of your work!

  • @butterskywalker8785
    @butterskywalker8785 4 роки тому +253

    "Your father haven't pooped in a long time,and now he's more microbe than man"-obi wan kenobi

  • @mariep7925
    @mariep7925 5 років тому +227

    "Most public sciences today isn't freely available, at least not legally"
    Me: *sweating* slowly closing my three sci-hub tab.

    • @dianputra7336
      @dianputra7336 5 років тому +6

      Well, joke aside, research results not available for free is because research needs money to be done. If scientists give the information they bleed to research willy nilly, from where they get money for next research? And ppl with money wont throw their money at research that dont benefit them.

    • @patrikwihlke4170
      @patrikwihlke4170 5 років тому +27

      @@dianputra7336 Government and corporate funding like everywhere outside the US?

    • @133774c05
      @133774c05 4 роки тому +33

      @@dianputra7336 The money you pay for papers go to the journals, which are just media outlets like the NY Times or Washington Post, not a single penny of the money you pay for an article goes to the author, and if you want to publish a paper is because you want it to be read. If you want people (as in private investors) to pay for your research you'd rather get a patent.

    • @QoraxAudio
      @QoraxAudio 4 роки тому +3

      @@133774c05 The news paper is not the same as a scientific paper haha

    • @133774c05
      @133774c05 4 роки тому +11

      @@QoraxAudio how's the PhD going? With that reading comprehension not very well I'd guess

  • @Lucy-qj8ui
    @Lucy-qj8ui 5 років тому +266

    Oh man that's why my water wasn't freezing i was putting it in the cupboard😐

    • @jmaniak1
      @jmaniak1 5 років тому +6

      Lucy142004 - They can’t have parties at Texas A&M anymore. The guy with the secret formula for ice graduated.

    • @Secret_Moon
      @Secret_Moon 5 років тому +8

      if you live in Canada, it can freeze

    • @KlausJepps
      @KlausJepps 5 років тому +1

      Who said that 0dg makes water freeze? I am sure that is when it melts! Where do I fact check this? What is the source?

    • @kieranbracken2578
      @kieranbracken2578 5 років тому

      Klaus Jeppsen water freezes and melts at 0 degrees

    • @kieranbracken2578
      @kieranbracken2578 5 років тому +1

      It begins the process at 0 dg if it goes above 0 it melts if it goes below it freezes

  • @jeremywade6986
    @jeremywade6986 2 роки тому +1

    I don't know how or why this popped into my recommended but I'm glad it did. This guys cadence and delivery are absolutely golden! I found myself wanting to listen even though none of the topics are in my wheelhouse.

  • @WeissM89
    @WeissM89 5 років тому +55

    While I'm not a huge Wikipedia reader anymore (and I do know for a fact there are many unreliable claims), it's an excellent place to start learning about a topic. Many times your knowledge about a topic is so low you don't know where to start, or even what questions you should be asking to learn. Wikipedia can help you with that.

    • @Mustang7120
      @Mustang7120 5 років тому +6

      Check out the cited sources at the bottom of the articles for more in depth and/or more accurate information.
      This helps to determine whether the sources are accurate to begin with and gives a chance to find more sources of information on topics you're interested in.

    • @marlonmoncrieffe0728
      @marlonmoncrieffe0728 5 років тому

      @@ericolens3
      Dude, send Jimmy Wales this great idea ASAP!

    • @walkinmn
      @walkinmn 5 років тому

      @@ericolens3 sooo an Encyclopedia

    • @geritoxnm
      @geritoxnm 5 років тому

      @@ericolens3 right, because servers are free!

  • @jeremyquentin42
    @jeremyquentin42 3 роки тому +62

    Fun fact about the sugar-kids one. Growing up as a French kid, I had never heard that sugar made kids excited, I discovered that idea as an adult in American TV shows. I took it for granted and was surprised we didn't learn it here...

    • @jonnnnniej
      @jonnnnniej 3 роки тому +1

      Hmmm, I'm from the Netherlands and definitely know some people who grew up believing this (not being allowed sugar, or only a little by their parents). But when my 60 year old was a young kid it was believed it was healthy to give kids a cube of sugar. I guess a lot has to do with your close surroundings and if you were a busy kid or not

    • @LuisSierra42
      @LuisSierra42 2 роки тому +1

      I also learned that in Cartoon Network

  • @OscarHanzely
    @OscarHanzely 4 роки тому +12

    Honestly one of the most captivating video I saw recently. Debunking common misconception and correcting them with true sources, its just mind blowing knowledge that needs to happen to replace the inaccurate knowledge. I wish there would be more of these on channel once in a while. I just found the channel and subscribed.

    • @sbyrstall
      @sbyrstall 2 роки тому

      I think he only scratched the surface of urban myths. He could probably do 5 more videos and still have more to debunk. That is as long as he doesn't redo anything Mythbusters already did.

  • @struckfire3337
    @struckfire3337 3 роки тому +7

    The algorithm finally hook me up with this channel. I'm surprised it took this long I watch 10 hours a day of UA-cam for at least 5 years

    • @Lorelaiv9
      @Lorelaiv9 3 роки тому +1

      Same thing here, I literally found this channel TODAY.

    • @struckfire3337
      @struckfire3337 3 роки тому +1

      @@Lorelaiv9 yeah it's kind of ridiculous because a lot of the videos I watch line up perfectly with the channel Joe Scott,sci show,, astrum, ect... I should have been hooked up with this channel a long time ago

    • @struckfire3337
      @struckfire3337 3 роки тому

      @@Lorelaiv9 you're not related to David sapp from Florida who's currently or was in Louisville Kentucky for a long time you're not related to that David sapp are you? I was his like best friend for many years and I haven't talked to him if you are related to him

    • @Lorelaiv9
      @Lorelaiv9 3 роки тому +1

      @@struckfire3337 I really don't think so, BUT I am from Cincinnati, and I know in that area there's a whole separate family of Sapp's that aren't related to us. I actually went to school with a Ryan Sapp who was in my same grade, but no relationship (class of 2008). So it's possible you might have luck with a different Sapp family. 👍🏼

    • @struckfire3337
      @struckfire3337 3 роки тому

      @@Lorelaiv9 okay thank you

  • @theartificer3456
    @theartificer3456 3 роки тому +138

    I had a teacher in High School who was still actively perpetuating the "Blood is blue when not exposed to oxygen" bullshit. They were a PE teacher who also taught a "Health" class. That was only the tip of the iceberg in that class though. It was a wild place.

    • @Ratigan2
      @Ratigan2 3 роки тому +34

      why are PE teachers always the thickest of the bunch. mine once told us that soft drinks made kids gay. that was a straight insult to my face.

    • @liverpool0690
      @liverpool0690 3 роки тому +5

      That’s a myth too? Man idk what to believe anymore 😂

    • @tommyeleanor
      @tommyeleanor 3 роки тому +24

      @@liverpool0690 yep! red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin. the hemoglobin then has heme, a red-pigmented compound. these are what allow RBCs to transport oxygen, and also what gives them the red color!
      also, veins appearing blue is kind of like a visual illusion. blue light can't penetrate our skin very well, so it'll reflect off the veins close to the surface. which makes them *look* blue, but they aren't *actually* blue.

    • @beactivebehappy9894
      @beactivebehappy9894 3 роки тому +5

      @@Ratigan2 I see what you did there😏😏

    • @paperfoxka
      @paperfoxka 3 роки тому +1

      @Murph the Martian Mustelid what's wrong with that?

  • @max20252
    @max20252 5 років тому +34

    3:25 'a good reminder that a good story is not necessarily a true story', I liked that.

  • @YN0T
    @YN0T 5 років тому +132

    joe: the cake is a lie.
    ah i see you're a man of culture

  • @msaligned
    @msaligned 6 місяців тому +1

    Thanks for posting this! I'm sorry it took me so long to find your channel, and I look forward to watching your other videos.

  • @GetGoodGuitarTutorials
    @GetGoodGuitarTutorials 5 років тому +74

    Dude! Please make yourself an "I'm on par with microbes" shirt to set the record straight. It would be so meta.

  • @anteeru8110
    @anteeru8110 3 роки тому +43

    Rocky coming out of the Port-A-Potty caught me off guard. Damn that was funnier than it should be.

  • @nhansen197
    @nhansen197 4 роки тому +54

    I can recall when I was in high school one of my teachers wanted me to do a report on the health benefits of positive ions. I could not find one single publication that flat out said that exposure to positive ions was good for us. I found plenty of information saying that exposure to any form of free ions was in fact really bad for us. And those ion generators that used to be so popular, they produce O-zone which is even worse for us.

    • @Rivergirl2878
      @Rivergirl2878 3 роки тому +3

      Your cellular respiration handles its own regulation of ions so unless you have an access from say, static cling, there is no benefit to adding radicals.

    • @spookym123
      @spookym123 3 роки тому +3

      I've never heard of positive ions being good for us, but there's a widespread belief that negative ions are good for us.

    • @abelhapedras
      @abelhapedras 3 роки тому +6

      there's a veritasium video about this, i think it's called "do salt lamps work?"

    • @AVI-lh6rm
      @AVI-lh6rm 3 роки тому +11

      @@abelhapedras to be honest, i own a salt lamp. it doesnt do any health things, i just use it because its a cool rock that glows orange lol

    • @murdeoc
      @murdeoc 2 роки тому +1

      @@abelhapedras I think there's a sequal to that one now, more specefically about these ion bracelets.

  • @martypoll
    @martypoll 3 роки тому +18

    Actually, I think the human cells:bacteria cells being 1:1 is pretty amazing. Also, interesting is the ubiquity of microbes living on the outside.

  • @naseerahvj
    @naseerahvj 5 років тому +98

    Not only is scientific knowladge difficult to obtain, but it's difficult to understand without learning how to digest it. On top of that a lot of people release "scientific articles" that sound scientific, are easy to read, easily accessible, and very unscientific and not factual

    • @llearch
      @llearch 5 років тому +7

      Actually, all those things behind paywalls, it's actually perfectly acceptable to email the author directly. And the author is legally allowed to send you a copy of their research, free of charge, or so I hear. If nothing else, it's worth asking, right?

    • @TheSuperBugsBunny
      @TheSuperBugsBunny 5 років тому +1

      How can we "fight" this?

    • @lelrond
      @lelrond 5 років тому

      @@llearch yeah, true. But usually, you'll have to have a reason for him to actually send it to you.

    • @munirahbakar4123
      @munirahbakar4123 5 років тому +1

      @@TheSuperBugsBunny If it's open to the public, try joining a university library. Members can access a plethora of research paper sites. Or you can ask your local public library if their members can access those sites.

    • @VIctorAbicalil
      @VIctorAbicalil 5 років тому +1

      ​@@llearch just use sci-hub

  • @eatenbyjezebel5604
    @eatenbyjezebel5604 3 роки тому +33

    This helped me figure out what to say to my mum about losing her faith, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, now we just replace the false information we spent years consuming and building as though it was a real knowledge base. Replace bad info with better info one day at a time. Thankyou

    • @Convoy00X
      @Convoy00X 6 місяців тому +5

      This is the saddest thing i've ever read. Spiritual faith is not about knowledge it's about morality and wisdom. If you're looking at the Bible, for example, for scientific knowledge, you're doing it wrong.

    • @JohnKoenig-db8lk
      @JohnKoenig-db8lk 6 місяців тому +5

      ​@Convoy00X Faith is the reason you give for believing something when you don't have a good reason.

    • @blaster-zy7xx
      @blaster-zy7xx 6 місяців тому +6

      I don’t think it is sad at all, religion is filled with belief and fear of nonsense. We can still be kind to each other without fear of an imaginary hell threat.

    • @KasumiRINA
      @KasumiRINA 6 місяців тому +1

      ​@@JohnKoenig-db8lk "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 1:11.
      Not having any faith is insane. You cannot exist in the world without believing into things you cannot check yourself, you have faith the food in store won't kill you,.for starters, people have faith in their spouses not cheating or end up calling them 40 times each day, you have to have faith in things you aren't checking yourself like government regulating traffic else you'd be a paranoid maniac.

    • @JohnKoenig-db8lk
      @JohnKoenig-db8lk 6 місяців тому +1

      @KasumiRINA There is a big difference between "faith" and reasonable expectations. "Faith" is the reason you give for believing something when you don't have a good reason. The ravings and fantasies of ignorant, bloodthirsty Bronze Age goat herders is not a good reason.

  • @VENUSDSOUZA
    @VENUSDSOUZA 4 роки тому +8

    "If you want common knowledge to be True, you have to let true knowledge be common."
    You got my like there!
    Hope you don't mind if I quote you!

  • @DavittFinol
    @DavittFinol 3 роки тому +4

    "If you think something is common knowledge, try to learn where it came from."

  • @unclecreepy7025
    @unclecreepy7025 5 років тому +13

    One of the biggest problems are people quoting non-peer reviews science journals. One guy did a study to see how fake information could be passed on as true scientific information. One step was to publish his fake information in a non-peer reviewed journal, then it got picked up by “reporters” that don’t bother checking sources and it got passed along social media as true so much so that some tv stations picked up the story.

    • @alveolate
      @alveolate 5 років тому +3

      this reminds me of the "you swallow 8 spiders a year in your sleep" factoid that was purely a troll meme back from before the internet existed.

  • @MM3Soapgoblin
    @MM3Soapgoblin 5 років тому +80

    "Sometimes a good story isn't necessarily a true story" Politics in 2019...

    • @g0i2023
      @g0i2023 4 роки тому +5

      Elizabeth Warren explained in one concise statement.

    • @gicap4667
      @gicap4667 4 роки тому +4

      Wait till 2020

    • @hansverkler966
      @hansverkler966 4 роки тому

      there is no widespread voter fraud..

  • @unclecreepy7025
    @unclecreepy7025 5 років тому +113

    Wait, some clickbait video on UA-cam is NOT where I should be getting my knowledge? Next you’re going to tell me not to listen to Buzzfeed news.

    • @Pedro-tm6ue
      @Pedro-tm6ue 5 років тому +11

      And not using Facebook for news...

    • @alandgomez5905
      @alandgomez5905 5 років тому +4

      Lol, buzzfeed.

    • @heddevh
      @heddevh 4 роки тому +4

      @@Pedro-tm6ue Are you saying random people on Facebook aren't a reliable source? How else can we possibly know anything 😩

  • @robertkelliher6050
    @robertkelliher6050 2 роки тому

    This is the first video I've personally seen by this narrator. I find him to be a well spoken individual. Keep up the good work.

  • @mayateola4732
    @mayateola4732 4 роки тому +18

    This script was so well made. Very consistent and accessible language, very inspiring call for fact checking in scientific sources.
    Thank you for not speeding up your voice and overloading the video with gifs or random pictures of random things.
    Thank you for professionalism!

  • @wasabi42
    @wasabi42 5 років тому +33

    it’s more important now than ever to try to verify sources

  • @joescoggins5937
    @joescoggins5937 4 роки тому +75

    "We're doing mor science today than ever before." Sounds like an urban ledgend to me. Do you have any current studies that back that up?

    • @wolfafterdark
      @wolfafterdark 4 роки тому +4

      XD

    • @alisoncircus
      @alisoncircus 4 роки тому +8

      We may be doing less science than in the oughts thanks to reactionary right-wing governments cutting funding and/or actively destroying results (looking at you, Harpercons and trumpers), but the general trend of ALL human activity is upwards. Comes with having a general trend of increasing population, increasing population density, and increasing industrial capacity with increased population and density. That's why it's so essential for governments to take action to mitigate climate change - and has been for decades already while they've sat on their hands. Natural tendencies of constant increase kills every species that has no external regulation, and ours is no exception to that rule. Our only "exceptionalism" is the POSSIBILITY of imposing regulation internally, but we have not yet done so.

    • @amtep
      @amtep 4 роки тому +2

      We haven't had any breakthroughs on par with quantum theory, genetics, or the periodic table in a while. Did science get harder, or are we just bad at it now?

    • @alisoncircus
      @alisoncircus 4 роки тому +11

      @@amtep It got harder. Everything is incremental now. Keep in mind, however, that those breakthroughs didn't exactly happen in the same week, and for each there was a lot of incremental work preceding it. If they get a unified field theory, that'll be a breakthrough even if incremental work leads up to it. If they positively identify dark matter, that'll be a breakthrough even though incremental work is definitely making progress on it.
      But yes, science has definitely gotten harder, too.

    • @foolishgruntigluana7041
      @foolishgruntigluana7041 4 роки тому +2

      @@amtep They do have breakthroughs, it's just that we are too dumb to understand it.

  • @Orionrobots
    @Orionrobots 2 роки тому +3

    Science paper paywalls are one of the greatest IP trolling scams ever played. Scientists and researchers don't even get paid for these things.

  • @alex940127
    @alex940127 4 роки тому +6

    I really appreciate the fact that you assume your misconceptions, something really rare but totally necessary for scientific method.
    *Rocky coming out of the bathroom was hilarious

  • @fantasticmio
    @fantasticmio 3 роки тому +21

    "The not-me cells are outnumbering my me cells" is now a euphemism for needing to poop.

  • @ArsonistArborist
    @ArsonistArborist 3 роки тому +16

    Absolutely love the final lesson. Be humble enough question your own understanding and be open to new understanding. And how accurate knowledge, education, and understanding should be more readily available and accessable. I understand that a lot of effort, time, and money goes in to conducting and publishing studies, but there has to be a better way. Hopefully that will happen sooner then later

    • @jjcoola998
      @jjcoola998 2 роки тому +1

      If only people practiced this

    • @t-bonejones3576
      @t-bonejones3576 Рік тому

      Great English. Too bad about the "then" misplacement.
      "Than" is a comparative.
      "Then" is a time reference

  • @randomnobody660
    @randomnobody660 3 роки тому +4

    I've been told my whole life to never cite Wikipedia, and I only got a good reason for it in uni: basically, you should never cite secondary sources.
    If you are going to adhere to that rule thou, probably also shouldn't cite articles or talks where people try to summarize research (i.e. any "according to some study, ...").
    For every day use, I'd say wikipedia is one of the best things to cite, if only because most articles are well cited, and usually to primary sources. So if something seems weird/counter intuitive, it will be easy to check.
    Ofc don't cite a wiki article that has no citation itself. Then it might as well be a blog post.

  • @madoldbatwoman
    @madoldbatwoman 4 роки тому +19

    "Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it," Jonathan Swift (The Examiner in 1710.)

  • @RubberRivet
    @RubberRivet 4 роки тому +131

    "If it's on the internet it must be true, and you can't question it" Abraham Lincoln.

    • @kevmehl
      @kevmehl 4 роки тому +26

      Lincoln died way before the internet started, moron. That quote comes from Thomas Edison, the founder and ceo of the internet.

    • @varvaramir
      @varvaramir 4 роки тому +5

      @@kevmehl pretty sure that was a joke lol

    • @micros5004
      @micros5004 4 роки тому +21

      @@varvaramir pretty sure *that* was a joke too lol

    • @icantbelieveyouvedonethis1813
      @icantbelieveyouvedonethis1813 3 роки тому +9

      @@varvaramir Well that joke went over your head

    • @masicbemester
      @masicbemester 3 роки тому +11

      @@kevmehl nah man Edison stole it from Newton, the guy who invented gravity 😂😂

  • @ninjanerdstudent6937
    @ninjanerdstudent6937 5 років тому +111

    I get access to any research article I want thanks to SciHub.

    • @srinithiramaiah5874
      @srinithiramaiah5874 5 років тому

      Whole Food Plant-Based Man you are not human

    • @puddingball
      @puddingball 5 років тому +22

      I came to post this. Scihub is a great initiative. Only journals profit from those ridiculous paywalls, not even the writers of the articles in most cases.

    • @MsJassi13
      @MsJassi13 5 років тому +20

      Yeah I’m in total support of boundary free science

    • @zhevtone
      @zhevtone 5 років тому +2

      Too bad the lady who started it is in big trouble, as far as I know

    • @snabbott
      @snabbott 5 років тому +9

      In general, *none* of the money from the paywalls goes to the authors. It's pretty common to have to pay "page charges" in order to publish.

  • @jameskuyper
    @jameskuyper 4 місяці тому +1

    That water myth nearly killed my mother - not by itself, but in combination with other causes. She suffered from several different chronic conditions, and her doctors were kept busy monitoring the interactions between the several different medications she was taking. When a new diuretic interacted badly with her other drugs, causing her to urinate too much, it should only have resulted in a routine office visit to adjust the dose or change medications. However, she had never told any of her doctors that she habitually drank 8 16oz glasses of water each day. She ended up literally rinsing most of the salt out of her blood. She ended up collapsing and having to be hospitalized for hyponatremia.

  • @kazoo3354
    @kazoo3354 5 років тому +12

    "If you want common knowledge to be true, you must make true knowledge common."
    Heck, even common sense isn't common these days.

  • @briancrane7634
    @briancrane7634 5 років тому +6

    I AM SENTENCING MYSELF to WATCH THIS VIDEO every day for a MONTH!! So that I'll never again believe what "everyone knows"!

  • @leonardtramiel8704
    @leonardtramiel8704 4 роки тому +4

    Great video. I really like the attention you paid to accepting that no one knows everything and it's OK to be wrong and learn something new.

  • @kamehousedragon9661
    @kamehousedragon9661 2 роки тому

    Great episode, a good thing to think about is that the truth never changes but our understanding of it does and always has to evolve to keep up

  • @jjt1881
    @jjt1881 3 роки тому +9

    11:05 "If you want common knowledge to be true, you have to let true knowledge be common". My new mantra.

  • @chrismccolm9341
    @chrismccolm9341 4 роки тому +6

    Love the ending 🤘 There can never be personal growth if a person isn't able to admit they might be wrong, and to pursue the correct answer.
    Great video Joe, keep em coming

  • @conlon4332
    @conlon4332 3 роки тому +14

    4:42 "A glass" is about the most imprecise measurement I've ever come across! Are we talking shot glasses, pint glasses, or any size in between? Pint glasses? Maybe 4 or 5. Shot glasses? ...A lot.

    • @bryanjackson8917
      @bryanjackson8917 3 роки тому +3

      I think the standard is an 8 ounce glass. Still not true, but that is the size glass typically referred to in this pseudo nutritional advice.

    • @faisal3398
      @faisal3398 3 роки тому +3

      Goddamn Americans trying to simplify things only to make exponentially more confusing than they were before.

    • @spinachpies
      @spinachpies 3 роки тому +1

      8 glasses of water always bothered me. Where were our ancestors getting 8 glasses of water a day from?

  • @scheenafarmer3979
    @scheenafarmer3979 2 роки тому +1

    Interesting to see that information is updated, when we know better after searching for answering the questions it is important to update yourself as well as others meaning that old news can't be share because we have better information. ❤️

  • @boudicamalatesta4956
    @boudicamalatesta4956 5 років тому +9

    YOU ARE THE BEST! I'm 8 years old and I want to be a chemist when I grow up.
    :)

  • @Stonium
    @Stonium 5 років тому +63

    Reminds me of when my friends literally laughed at me when I told them bats were not ACTUALLY blind.

    • @benshaw255
      @benshaw255 5 років тому +2

      did you laugh at all of them when you proved them right?

    • @Stonium
      @Stonium 5 років тому +8

      @@benshaw255 naturally.

    • @cameleonfleuri
      @cameleonfleuri 4 роки тому +10

      Yep! Bats can see as good as us or better (depending on the species).

    • @Stonium
      @Stonium 4 роки тому +2

      @@cameleonfleuri thank you.

    • @Greg042869
      @Greg042869 4 роки тому +7

      Anyone reading this is human, such as we.
      Duh.

  • @leonestello
    @leonestello 5 років тому +33

    Please do more of these🙏... If there is one thing I like more than knowing stuff it's have incorrect information corrected🤔... The more you know🌈

    • @MGSLurmey
      @MGSLurmey 4 роки тому +2

      @Kevin Houston Anecdotal evidence is not enough to prove something as fact. It's well-known that vitamin C plays many important roles in our bodies but it's also well-known that more does not equal better. The body needs a very specific amount of Vitamin C, like all macro and micronutrients, to function properly and be healthy. Perhaps you simply weren't getting enough Vitamin C in your diet prior to starting the supplement pills? Perhaps you changed more than just taking the pill, for instance making changes to your personal hygiene routine? Perhaps you simply got older, changed behaviour and thus came into contact with potential sources of viruses less often?
      Point is, there are *a lot* of variables involved which is why you **absolutely can not** go around telling people that Vitamin C cures or prevents colds/flu. Especially not with the recent Covid-19 outbreak, which by the way, being in the family of coronaviruses, is closely related to the common cold and influenza. It's just not proof enough to say that you saw less sickness since you started taking doses of Vitamin C. It's what's known as Anecdotal Evidence in the scientific community, and it's not trustworthy by any means.
      You could be doing actual harm to people by telling them that taking doses of Vitamin C will cure or prevent these viruses. Not only will they go out and spend real money on something they likely don't need and won't work, but they could also potentially overdose on the vitamin, causing diarrhoea, nausea and even acid reflux. 2000mg is the stated upper limit of Vitamin C intake, which means it's as easy as taking two of your pills at once to begin seeing symptoms of overdose. On top of this, they may trust you enough to let their guard down and rely on the Vitamin to protect them, ignoring other safety precautions and increasing their likelihood of catching a virus. In a time like this, with a virus around that can kill much easier than influenza, that's an extremely bad idea.

    • @MGSLurmey
      @MGSLurmey 4 роки тому +2

      @Kevin Houston You're literally insane. I'm not even going to bother reading *any* of those comments. No sane person writes five separate comments in response to that. Goodbye, enjoy your life in permanent isolation, wearing tinfoil hats and scaring everybody away with conspiracy theories.

    • @parmesian1039
      @parmesian1039 4 роки тому

      Yes, the coronavirus has been labelled for several years now. That’s because the coronavirus is not just one virus. It’s a group of viruses similar to the common cold. Which by the way, is called the rhinovirus.
      The coronavirus isn’t actually called the coronavirus, it’s just the more popular name. We have not seen Covid-19 or Sars-Cov-2 on Lysol bottles have we?
      Now, disinfectant can kill a Covid-19 on surfaces, but this is a new virus. For you to suggest it’s purely government hysteria is both ignorant and just plain disrespectful. You wrote this comment a month ago, but now days there are 2+ million cases and 200,000 deaths.
      Not mass hysteria mate.

    • @parmesian1039
      @parmesian1039 4 роки тому

      @Kevin Houston If someone with a strong immune system will have no problems with the coronavirus, then please explain to me why many healthy people die still?

    • @wholeNwon
      @wholeNwon 4 роки тому

      having

  • @robertholmberg6485
    @robertholmberg6485 2 роки тому +1

    I heard an old saying that the wisest people know how much they do not know, not how much they know

  • @psicologiajoseh
    @psicologiajoseh 4 роки тому +4

    I don't know if this describes well what I feel about his channel but I think that this channel has a beautiful spirit about humanity, knowledge, and progress. Thanks for creating this content.

  • @rwhe423723
    @rwhe423723 5 років тому +12

    "If you're still watching this far into the video, you must really love It's Okay To Be Smart..."
    ...well, you're not wrong
    "or you're just too lazy to click the next video."
    Still not wrong, Joe. Still not wrong.

  • @PedroMata
    @PedroMata 3 роки тому +22

    The one thing I'd like to add about microbes is: I know they are also present in your mouth and skin. There might be other places, but these are the ones I am aware of. These might also be high or low number, so it might not have any influence on the comparison.

    • @abelhapedras
      @abelhapedras 3 роки тому +1

      also the vagina.

    • @mehere8038
      @mehere8038 Рік тому

      yup, this was my thought, skin in particular is high, so that would make a big difference to totals (they might claim on the skin isn't inside the body though, so doesn't count)

  • @sarasheppard8242
    @sarasheppard8242 3 місяці тому +1

    A tip to access paywalled papers; contact the author. They're mostly not paid by the publishers and want their papers seen

  • @spirameowmeow
    @spirameowmeow 5 років тому +57

    4:49 .I drink 4 bottles worth of water everyday . 8 glasses is for the rookies

    • @MsPepperbelly
      @MsPepperbelly 5 років тому +6

      My bladder would explode. I, I have...a little bladder😞

    • @FreeER
      @FreeER 5 років тому +1

      How large is a bottle...? I mean store soda comes in sizes from ~250 mL to 3000mL I imagine water bottles aren't much different.

    • @spirameowmeow
      @spirameowmeow 5 років тому

      @@FreeER idk

    • @kittenmimi5326
      @kittenmimi5326 5 років тому +1

      What size bottle?

    • @spirameowmeow
      @spirameowmeow 5 років тому

      @@kittenmimi5326 about 6 cm in diameter and about 15cm in height(or lenght). Threw the etticket into the trashcan so cant really say how much water it can contain in litres.

  • @GeraldOSteen
    @GeraldOSteen 4 роки тому +13

    "If you want common knowledge to be true, you have to let true knowledge be common." -- Can I get this on a T-shirt, please?

  • @yvessioui2716
    @yvessioui2716 4 роки тому +14

    My best advice, in 3 parts, as a retired teacher who has practiced it his whole life to all people facing any affirmation: (1) listen to everything around and beyond, (2) put all you catch between brackets until you can check / verify it and (3) don't let uncertainty paralyze you. It all shortened in a famous-to-be quote 'Trust but verify'.