Is It Against The Law To Send Money In The Mail?

No, it is not illegal to send money in the mail, nor is it illegal to send any other type of currency. It isn't a good idea to do it though. The money could get lost in the mail, stolen, or accidentally sent to the wrong address. If this myth was true, every time you send a check to charity it would be a crime. This myth probably started when someone was told that it is a bad idea to send money in the mail, and that person mistook  it as illegal, or told his or her friends that it was illegal. - John Baskin

Information from:

Is it illegal to send cash in the mail?

Answerbag

Are coffee beans actually a type of bean?

No, coffee beans are not beans they are actually seeds. The coffee bean comes from the coffee plant. It is the seed of the plant. A bean is a kind of seed in the fabaceae family. The coffee plant doesn't belong to the fabaceae family because the coffee plant is in the rubiaceae family, so the coffee bean is not a bean.  All in all this paragraph has taught you that the next time you want to annoy someone at a coffee shop say can I have a coffee with coffee beans? - John Baskin


Information from:
 Coffee Beans Aren't Beans
A Coffee Bean is not Actually a Bean
International Coffee Organization

Is The Dark Side of The Moon Dark?

No, the "Dark Side" of the moon is dark sometimes, and the side that we can see is also dark sometimes. If the moon is facing the sun it is bright, and if it is facing away from the sun it is dark. To make it easier to understand imagine that you are facing the direction of the sun. At the same time you are also looking at another person and facing someone who's face is opposite the sun. you are the moon, and the other person is the Earth. The person looking at you sees light on your face, because you are looking at the sun. When you aren't looking at the sun the other person doesn't see light on your face. This myth was created when people started calling the side of the moon that isn't facing Earth the dark side of the moon.- John Baskin


Information from:

Far side of the moon

There is no dark side of the moon

Do Dogs Get 7 Years Older Every Human Year?

No, in the first few years of a dog's life it ages much faster than the rest of its life. Also it depends on the bread of dog. Small dogs live longer than large dogs, so it is hard to tell. Also every dog lives for a certain amount of time, so you could only accurately measure dog years after the dog is deceased. So all in all you can't measure a dog's age by using the old dog years trick.  -John Baskin

Information from:

MJ Dog Years

Difference Between: Dog years

Does Sitting Too Close To The T.V Damage Your Eyes?

No, sitting too close to the t.v doesn't damage your eye sight. This myth was started in 1967 when GE came out with a new model of a television, that gave off X-rays. GE fixed the problem by adding a lead glass shield to the t.v. It still can be harmful to the eyes, but it will only strain your eyes. However moms everywhere thought that t.vs were still harmful to sit too close to. - John Baskin

Information from The truth behind old wives tales and Safe T.V. viewing distance

Do Red Cars Get More Tickets Than Other Cars?

No, red cars do not get more speeding tickets than other cars. This myth probably was started because back in the day sports cars were usually colored red. People may ask if this myth is true because the human eye may see the color red move faster. Police use radar guns, not their eyes, so it doesn't matter how fast it looks like it's going- John Baskin

 
Information From: http://www.kcautv.com/story/13077503/myth-or-fact-do-red-cars-get-more-speeding-tickets?redirected=true

Are Peanuts Really Nuts?

No, although it says it in the name, peanuts are not nuts. They are actually legumes. Legumes are plants that grow inside of another pod, or shell. This myth was probably started because of the name peanuts were given. Peanuts do not grow on trees like nuts, they grow underground.- John Baskin


Information from: http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2011/06/peanuts-are-not-nuts/ http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2006/10/30/
are_peanuts_really_nuts_i_say_theyre_not/

Did Vikings Wear Horned Helmets?

No, there is no evidence ever found of vikings wearing horned helmets. This myth was started in the 1600's, and the 1700's when romantic writers depicted vikings as violent men, with horned helmets inspired by Roman and Greek texts. These works were made popular in the 1800's. Some priests wore winged, and horned helmets. Not vikings, who were adventurers not priests. The Greeks and Romans saw this and probably used that in their literature. They never had any contact with vikings though. They were making this up long before vikings.- John Baskin


Information from http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2010/10/vik
ing-warriors-didnt-wear-horned-or-winged-helmets/

Do Ostriches Bury Their Heads In The Sand?

No, lots of people think that ostriches bury their heads in the sand for safety. They do not though. People may think this because when a predator is around ostriches lie on the ground so they look like a bush to predators, and their heads blend in with the sand. Someone probably saw this and thought that the ostrich was sticking its head into the ground.
- John Baskin

Information from http://www.wisegeek.com/do-ostriches-really-bury-their-heads-in-the-sand.htm

Does Sugar Make Kids Hyper?

No, sugar does not affect how hyperactive the child is. Most children believe it does though, so if you ask if they feel different after eating sugar they will say yes even if they haven't had any sugar. Or if they believe that they have had a lot of sugar, and haven't they will probably say that they are more hyper even though they aren't. So parents, give your kids all the sugar they want ( If you don't care about their teeth).- John Baskin

(This post's information has been checked four times, and is entirely true.)


Information from
Truth behind old wives tales

Does sugar make kids hyper?

Raw facts on sugar

Does sugar make children hyper?

Giving sweets to kids

Dr. Oz

Do Gold Fish Have A 3 Second Memory Span?

No, goldfish actually have a 5 month memory span. Scientists trained gold fish respond to a certain sound. After being in the wild for months they still responded. Goldfish are known to recognize their owners, and even have favoritism over one owner or the other. They can be tamed ,too. Sometimes they even stop thinking the owner is a threat. While they are calm around their masters, they are scared around strangers.
- John Baskin

Information from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1106884/Three-second-memory-myth-Fish-remember-months.html  and http://www.misconceptionjunction.com/index.php/2010/10/goldfish-do-not-have-a-three-second-memory/

Is This Picture of A Cubical Watermelon Real?

Yes, a farmer from Zentsuji, Japan grew square watermelons. He came up with the idea, when he noticed that it was hard to store watermelon, so he made them square to fit into a refrigerator. The farmers grew them in a glass box, so the fruit would grow into a square shape. Since it started this business has gotten big. The farmers export the melons all over Japan. The downside of these watermelons is that they are so expensive. They cost 3 times as much as normal watermelons which is 10,000 yen (around $82).- John Baskin

Information from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1390088.stm and
http://articles.cnn.com/2001-06-15/world/square.watermelon_
1_seedless-melons-watermelon-lovers-round-watermelon?_s=
PM:asiapcf

Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?

No, but cracking your knuckles is still bad for you. It can injure your hands in other ways, it can stretch your ligaments, give you swollen hands, or not let you have strong hand strength. In 1990 a researcher tested 200 people over the age of 45 who did and didn't crack their knuckles and there was no difference in arthritis rates. Osteoarthritis is the main cause of arthritis, not cracking your knuckles. So even if cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis do not crack your knuckles, it will damage your hands.- John Baskin


Information from http://oregon.providence.org/patients/programs/medical-group-arthritis-center/Pages/askanexpertlanding.aspx?TemplateName=Ask+an+Expert%3A+Knuckle+cracking+and+arthritis&TemplateType=AskAnExpert

Did Kobe Bryant Really Jump Over An Aston Martian Car?

No, this video was made for a commercial, so it isn't just Kobe Bryant making a video with his friends. In the video you can see that the shadow of Kobe, and the car are about 1 foot away from each other. Also NBA wouldn't let someone like Kobe Bryant do something that dangerous. People in the NBA aren't even allowed to ride motorcycles. Also on live TV Kobe admitted that the video was fake. This still is a cool video because they didn't even use a green screen, they just shot it at an angle. - John Baskin

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPNrxI--CLY


information from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7shHyZZCcls&NR=1 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/17283-kobe-bryant-jumping-over-car-fake-but-cool
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24071921/

Does The Color Red Agitate Bulls?

No, in bull fights when bulls try to attack the red capes it is not because the cape is red it is because the cape is a big fast moving object. Bulls are color blind, they can't even see that the cape is red. This myth was started, in the 1700's when bullfights where very popular in spain. The matadors ( bull fighters ) always used red capes to attract the bulls, so it was from then on believed that the color red makes bulls angry. - John Baskin



 Information from  http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/animals/color-red-makes-bulls-go-ballistic.html and http://uk.ask.com/question/are-bulls-colour-blind

Is This Picture of A Hybrid Half Human Half Pig Real?

No, This is a picture of a sculpture made by Patricia Piccinini. This sculpture is called "The Young Family" made in 2003 for an exhibit called "We Are Family". This myth probably started when this photo was released online, and many people saw it, and tried to make an accurate description of what they saw. This description was then posted online with the photo, and a lot of people saw it, and believed the description. - John Baskin

Does Standing In Front of a Microwave Give You Radiation?

No, not unless your microwave has a leak, or its door won't fully close. Microwaves are protected with a layer of special layering that doesn't let any radiation out. Also there isn't enough radiation to harm you in today's microwaves. This myth was started because when they were originally testing the first microwave people stood in front of it a lot, and they all got a severe kidney problem. The public found out about this and over time it turned into this myth. So next time you are about to overcook your meal, feel free to look into the microwave. -John Baskin

If You Go Swimming Before You Wait 60 Minutes After Eating Will You Get A Cramp and Drown?

No, you probably won't get a stomach cramp, but you might get cramps in your muscles, but not your stomach. You also won't drown. You would just float. This myth is just an old wise tale, so don't make your kids sit on the side of the pool for an hour.- John Baskin

Does Chlorine Turn Hair Green?

No, it is not the chlorine in the pool that turns hair green, it is the copper in the pool. Chlorine wouldn't turn hair green, because chlorine can be used to bleach clothes. Copper is in pools, because tap water has some copper, the machines used to clean the pool contain copper, and because if people have makeup on while in the pool the copper in the makeup will fall off, and get into the pool. So next time your hair turns green don't blame the chlorine, blame the copper. - John Baskin

Can Starfish Re-grow Lost Limbs?

Yes, starfish can re-grow limbs, because starfish have totipotent cells, so their body can regenerate any cell that the body needs. Starfish can get their arms decapitated, or they can decapitate their limbs, like a lizard can with its tail, when a predator grabs them by a limb.- John Baskin


Information from http://blog.nus.edu.sg/lsm1303student2011/2011/04/04/can-starfish-really-grow-back-their-lost-limbs/

Is FaceBook Going To Start Charging A Monthly Fee?

No, this hoax was started by a group of computer hackers. They said to go to a website to protest against facebook charging monthly fees. If you go on the website there will be very disturbing pictures, and malware will try to hack into your computer. So Face Book is not going to charge money. - John Baskin

Did Betsy Ross Make The First American Flag?

No, the story that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag is a myth started by Betsy Ross' descendants.
Studies show that there is not any proof that Betsy Ross lived in the Betsy Ross House. No one knows who sewed the first American Flag, but we do know that Frances Hopkinson designed the flag. He also designed the Seal of The United States. - John Baskin



Information from http://www.hnn.us/articles/132.html

Does Hair Grow Back Darker After You Shave It Off?

No, if it did every man who shaves would have a very dark colored beard. Also the actual part of the hair that keeps the color is under the scalp. If you shaved below your scalp, your hair wouldn't grow where you shaved it. This myth probably started because short hair usually feels stronger than long hair.  - John Baskin

Put Under Pressure Does Coal Turn to Diamond?

Yes, but the diamond would be very small. The process would also be very hard to complete. Graphite is made into artificial diamonds in very hot temperatures. Graphite contains a lot of carbon which greatly helps the process. Coal does not contain much carbon, so the process would be harder. - John Baskin

Does Applying Urine to Jellyfish Stings Remove the Pain?

No, sometimes applying urine to the stings actually worsens the pain. What you should do is remove any tentacles attached to you with a towel. Then rinse it off with water. You should then rinse the sting in vinegar. Be careful, because if it is a Portuguese man of war sting the vinegar will make the pain much worse. - John Baskin

Was Coca-Cola Carbonated By Accident?

No, the original idea for the beverage was to mix the syrup with carbonated water. This Myth was started because Pemberton, the founder of Coca-Cola, was making an alcoholic beverage, but at the time Atlanta was dry, so he invented Coca-Cola instead. Pemberton was a pharmacist, and later sold Coca-Cola in his store, but it still wasn't bottled. It was sold by the fountain. Pemberton's nephew was a journalist, and mistakenly said that Coca-Cola became carbonated by accident. - John Baskin

Were Fortune Cookies Invented in China?

No, most people think that fortune cookies come from China, but they are from California. No one knows who actually invented the fortune cookie. The person who invented it may not even be Chinese.  This myth was probably started since Chinese restaurants almost always serve fortune cookies for dessert. - John Baskin


             
                                                                              Information from http://www.snopes.com/food/origins/fortune.asp

Do Carpenter Bees Sting?

Yes, but only females sting. They will only sting if agitated. As for the males they are really just alive for reproduction. They will chase anything airborne mistaking the object for a female carpenter bee. The myth that carpenter bees don't sting was probably started because there are more female than male bees, and since only females sting the chances are small that you will get stung, but the sting of a carpenter bee is usually worse than other bee stings. - John Baskin

Was the Rapture on May 21, 2011?

Apparently not!
-John Baskin

By Applying Lip Balm to The Answers on a Scranton Test Will You Get Every Question Right?

No, this myth has been around for a long time, and many students have attempted this, but all have failed. It will not work. The machine will say, "Read Error: Hand Grade", and mark it incorrect. There are many more myths about beating a Scranton Test, such as lightly shading the answers with a number 2 pencil, or by connecting all of the marks on the side of the paper with a pencil. No one has found a way to crack the system, so until someone does you will unfortunately have to use your brain. - John Baskin

This post is dedicated to Mrs. Brohm, for teaching us academics, and also how to be a better person.

Are Bats Blind?

No, bats are blind when they are born, but their vision eventually develops. People probably think that this myth is true, because bats dart around. They are actually hunting insects, but people can't see the insects through the darkness. They "see" using sonar waves. They emit a high frequency sound, that humans can't hear, and the sound waves bounce back to them, telling them where the object is, similar to the way radar works. - John Baskin

Do Camels Store Water In Their Humps?

No, their humps are actually where they store fat, not water. They can go for a few months without water, because they can take in water so fast. They can drink 50 gallons of water in only a few hours. This myth was probably started, because camels can go for a very long time without water, and have very big humps, so people thought that they stored water in their humps.
- John Baskin

Do Lemmings Commit Suicide By Jumping Off Cliffs?

No, lemmings do not commit suicide by jumping off cliffs. They are a very fast growing species, so when their colony gets too big they spread out. Each lemming likes to have 2 acres of space. This myth was started in the 50's when Disney was making a nature documentary. They wanted to add drama to the film, so they chased a herd of lemmings off of a cliff. -John Baskin

Love Roller-Coaster Scream

In the Ohio Players' song " Love Roller-Coaster" can you hear a woman's scream, when she is murdered?
No, when the Ohio Players recorded their song they put a scream in the song, because love has many screams in it. People who listened to it didn't get the meaning of it, and they thought that someone wouldn't just put a scream in a song for no reason, so they started thinking of what the scream could mean, and they thought it was a murder. The scream was sung by keyboardist, William Beck. - John Baskin

Do Dogs See in Black and White?

No, they actually see in color, but they see like a human who is  red-green colorblind. That means they see red as green, green as red, and yellow as gray. They also see in rods and cones, which helps you see in light and dark places. This myth probably started because dogs see yellow as gray.
-John Baskin

Can You Contract Poison Ivy by Touching Someone Who Has it?

No, many people think that you can, so they avoid them (personal experience). You can only get poison ivy from touching poison ivy oil, which is on the leaves and vines. People think this, because sometimes you may still have oil on your clothes, and people who touch your clothes may get it.-John Baskin

Can Porcupines Shoot Quills From Their Back?

No, many people think that this myth is true, but it is actually false. When startled a muscle that is below each quill on the porcupine allows the spines to stand up straight. Usually a porcupine runs away from danger, but when it attacks it jumps towards the predator, then it sticks its quills into its attacker. After a fight it only looses a small percent of all of its quills. After a while its quills will re-grow, so it never runs out of quills. - John Baskin

Was The Pentagon Originally Supposed to be a Hospital?

No, this myth started, because the Pentagon has wide ramps, instead of stairs, which would be used to roll stretchers, wheel chairs, and supplies to different floors. It also has many bathrooms. It is even located near the Arlington Cemetery. The reason for all of the bathrooms, was because at the time there was racial segregation, and there had to be different bathrooms for blacks, and whites. The ramps were used to save steel that it would have taken to make all of the stairs and elevators. They couldn't use too much steel, because at the time World War II was happening, and they needed steel for the war. For the Arlington Cemetery, it is located next to the Pentagon just by chance.-John Baskin

Can a Duck's Quack Not Echo?

No, this is a fact in one of the e-mails that has many annoying facts, that aren't usually real. Well first, the male and female ducks quack sounds very different from each other. Also there are many different breeds of ducks, and each breed has a different sounding quack. Tests from the University of Salford revealed the truth of this legend. The tests show that a ducks quack does echo, but not very well. A duck quacks quietly, and the sound dies out over time, so that may be how the rumor was started.-John Baskin

Can a Cockroach Survive Without its Head?

Yes, unlike humans cockroaches have a very simple circulatory system, and the blood will just clot, and not spew all over the place like humans, and not die.  They can breathe through holes in each body segment called spiracles, also unlike humans. They wouldn't starve either, because they can survive for weeks before facing starvation. So roaches can survive up to weeks without their head.- John Baskin

If You Shoot a Car's Gas Tank Will it Explode?

Yes, but it would be very hard to do it. A spark is needed to make the tank explode. A bullet won't produce a spark unless it hits something like metal, or a rock. Also explosions, and fire need oxygen to ignite, and there is very little oxygen in a fuel tank. Fuel tanks of cars are made of plastic now, and it is hard to find a car that has a metal fuel tank. Thus it won't trigger an explosion. -John Baskin

Information from  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090721172255AAer2Tu

Are Poinsettia Plants Are Poisonous to Humans?

No, Poinsettias are not actually poisonous. This myth was started when a soldier returned from Hawaii where he was stationed, and his child was found dead. The child was killed from being poisoned. The soldier thought that the child had eaten a poinsettia leaf, but was actually wrong. If a child that weighed around 60 pounds at a poinsettia leaf he, or she, would have to eat about 600 leaves. So if your child eats a poinsettia leaf, don't call poison control, they are not poisonous. -John Baskin


Information from http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/poinsettia.asp

Do You Only Use Ten Percent of Your Brain?

No, this myth started in a magazine ad, that showed a picture a the human brain, and under it the caption read, " You only use 11% of your brain." Also psychics have used this myth to declare that psychics use 100% of their brain, and have psychic powers. People also say that we only use 20% of our brains, but that is also false. Humans use the full 100% of their brains.-John Baskin

Did Mama Cass From The Mamas and The Papas Choke to Death on a Ham Sandwich

No, Mama Cass did not choke to death on a ham sandwich. She actually died from a heart attack due to her obesity. A man named Anthony Greenburgh was the man who started the rumor. He saw Cass Elliot in her bed, dead, with a ham sandwich and a cola next to her. Eating at that angle is dangerous, and you could easily choke at that position. He thought she had choked on the ham sandwich, but he didn't notice that the sandwich didn't have a bite in it. She didn't die from a ham sandwich, so don't tell everyone that she did, because it is a very mean myth.- John Baskin

If You Store Batteries in a Refrigerator Will It Extend Their Battery Life?

*edit*
Yes, heat excites electrons, and most batteries discharge at room temperature.
There are downsides to storing batteries in a refrigerator though. It takes a few minutes to warm up to operating temperatures, and if you don't let it warm up it can harm electronic devices by the moisture on the battery from the refrigerator.
- John Baskin

Information from: Explaining The World's Greatest Myths." How It Works 16 June 2011. Print. http://www.wisegeek.com/do-batteries-really-last-longer-if-they-are-stored-in-the-refrigerator.htm

Was Mister Rogers a Sniper In Vietnam?

No, Fred Rogers, the man who created the children's T.V. show "Mister Roger's Neighborhood", was not a sniper. One of the myths is that he always wore a long sleeve shirt to hide his sniper tattoo. That is also false. In his biography it said that he went straight from college to television, and there was never any evidence that stated that he was a sniper between being in the show business.
- John Baskin

Is Blood Blue When it is in Your Veins?

No, blood is always a shade of red, but when in veins blood is a maroon shade. In diagrams, they veins are colored blue, so it is easier to see them. You may ask, "Then why do veins look blue when you can see them through your skin?" Well, it is just a trick of the light, but if you hold your hand under a light your hand is red, due to the blood in your veins and arteries, but you can't see any blue. -John Baskin

If you pull out a gray hair will more than one grow back?

No, more than one hair would not grow back because each hair grows out of a follicle. You only have a certain amount of follicles, so if you pull out a gray hair one will grow back.       - John Baskin

Is the daddy longlegs spider the most poisonous animal on Earth, but can't bite us, because its mouth is too small?

No one actually knows, if the daddy longlegs spider is the most poisonous animal in the world. The way we would find out is by milking it, and then injecting the poison into a human. It probably isn't the most venomous animal in the world, because the poison dart frog, and box jelly fish are very poisonous, and it would be hard to beat them.- John Baskin

Did Little Mikey from "LIFE" cereal die of eating " Pop-Rocks" and Cola?

No, Little Mikey did not die of mixing "Pop Rocks" and Cola. The myth said that his stomach exploded, which simple carbonation wouldn't do. When that rumor was born his career died. That is part of the reason that everyone thought he was dead. He also was in a "LIFE" cereal commercial in 1986 to celebrate the anniversary of the commercial, but this time he was playing Uncle Mikey, a teenage baby sitter. He actually is still alive today! The actor who played him,John Gilchrist, is now working at a New York radio station. - John Baskin

Do Cats Have 9 Lives?

No, cats do not have 9 lives. It is believed that cats have 9 lives, because they can fall from very high places, and not die or get hurt. The reason they say they have 9 lives came probably when someone saw their cat fall 8 times and be fine, but die on the 9th drop. - John Baskin