Misconceptions You Learned in School - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep.1)

TL;DR

Popular school misconceptions debunked in an entertaining way.

Transcript

hi I'm Elliot and this is Mental Floss on YouTube today I'm going to talk about some misconceptions that you may have learned in school misconception number one there were thirteen original colonies column mrs. pumpernickel and demanded refund okay because Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution but it was never its own colony the a... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Delaware was not an original colony but ratified the Constitution first.
• 💡 Thomas Edison marketed the light bulb but did not invent it.
• 🚾 Coriolis effect does not affect toilet water flushing direction.
• 🫱 Few households were listening to "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938.
• 💁 Diamonds are not made from coal; they are formed from carbon deep underground.
• 🛝 Columbus knew the Earth was round despite the myth claiming otherwise.
• 🌸 The cherry tree story about George Washington is a fabrication.

Questions & Answers

Q: Did George Washington chop down his father's cherry tree?

No, the story was fabricated in a biography after Washington's death, making it an unreliable source.

Q: Are diamonds made from coal?

No, most diamonds are formed deep underground out of carbon, not from coal as commonly believed.

Q: Is it true that you're born with all the brain cells you'll ever have?

While most brain cells form before birth, studies show that we create new brain cells daily, debunking the misconception.

Q: Did Christopher Columbus believe the Earth was flat?

No, Columbus knew the Earth was round, contrary to the popular myth propagated by Washington Irving.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Delaware was never its own colony despite ratifying the Constitution first.

• Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb, but marketed it successfully.

• Toilet water doesn't flush differently in different hemispheres due to the Coriolis effect.