We are blessed that we are living in the age of knowledge. Modern convergence of technologies, easy access to internet and advanced mobile applications are the sources through which knowledge can reach from one corner of the world to the other in just a few seconds.

Despite the fact that the world now is on our fingertips, there are a lot of misconceptions which we encounter almost every day. But, fortunately, if we dig a little bit deeper we can actually find the reality behind the thick smoke of illusion. I have hereby tried to discuss some myths briefly which are considered facts nowadays.

Bermuda triangle is a weird place where aircrafts and ships disappear

It is the most common myth about the area which is stretches from Florida to Puerto Rico and the mid-Atlantic islands of Bermuda.

Most people think that this place is cursed and due to this very reason the triangle is also called a ‘Devil’s Triangle’. The story starts with the records of Columbus. He observed that his compass halted and gave some strange signals when he came across this particular region. The legend continued and was further sensationalised in 1955 when the book The Bermuda Triangle was published.

In 1975 Lary Kusche wrote the book named Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved. This book is sufficient to debunk the myth of the Bermuda Triangle. In his book, Kusche argued that all the previous researches on the said topic were inadequately done and provided misleading facts. He also argued that there were many other islands which were also known for missing individuals and aircrafts.

American research associations sent many scientists and experts to discover the reality about this area and the findings scientifically proved that this area is as natural as any other area in the world.

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world

Everyone thinks (though mistakenly) that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. It is a myth. Mount Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain when measured from its base to summit – but most of it is under the sea!

This mountain is a dormant volcano and situated in the Islands of Hawaii, wearing its famous snow cap. Certainly, the highest point of Mauna Kea is definitely not higher than Everest’s from sea level, as Mauna Kea is only 4,205 metres above sea level, which is less than half as high as Everest.

Deciphering the myths that many believe as facts

If you discard the water that surrounds Mauna Kea and measure the mountain from its base — a measurement called the ‘dry prominence’— Mauna Kea is taller than Everest by almost 500 metres. Starting at the point where Mauna Kea begins to rise out of the surrounding crust, the mountain has a total height of over 10,000 metres. If they could be placed side-by-side on a flat plane, Mauna Kea would indisputably be the taller of the two.

Tomato is a vegetable

Many people think tomato is a vegetable because it tastes savoury rather sweet. But scientifically speaking, tomato is not a vegetable but a fruit. Fruits are developed in the ovary, which is located in the base of a flower, and contain plant’s seeds. Examples are raspberries and blueberries and so forth.

So, technically what we eat is the fruit of the tomato plant, but it’s used as a vegetable in cooking.

Chameleons change their colour to match their environment

It is widely believed that chameleons change their colour to match their environment, but in reality it changes its colour to convey a particular mood and feeling and by doing so they send social signals to other chameleons. For instance, darker colours tend to mean a chameleon is angry, etc.

NEWS stands for North, East, West and South

It is a very common misconception about this word. But, etymologically, this word news is a rare instance of the convergence of an adjective in to a noun — from new to news.

Word new is derived from old French word ‘nouveau’, which means new thing. Thus, this word does not have anything to do with the four cardinal directions.

Microwave rays can cause cancer

People are afraid of microwave ovens because they think the microwave rays cause cancer. On the contrary, experts have confirmed that since the microwave rays cannot change the structure of the human DNA, they cannot cause cancer.

The type of radiation emitted by microwave ovens is non-ionising. This means that it doesn’t contribute to your chance of getting cancer like x-rays, ultraviolet light, etc. do.

The Great Wall of China is visible from space

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who spent five months in the international space station, stated: “The Great Wall of China is not visible from the orbit with the naked eyes.”

Neil Armstrong added about the view from Apollo 11: “I do not believe that, at least with my eyes, there would be any man-made object that I could see. I have not yet found somebody who has told me they’ve seen the Wall of China from the Earth’s orbit.”

Swimming after eating can cause drowning

Swimming after a full stomach meal can disturb digestive system and blood circulation as with any other exercise, but it does not cause drowning.

So kids, do you see how we easily start believing in wrong notions that are widely accepted as true in our society? It is always advisable to read and research before believing anything.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 3rd, 2016