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From Santa (sorry…) to Bigfoot, there are hoaxes, lies, and old stories that don’t seem to die off, despite most people not believing them. Maybe they are comforting, interesting or so ingrained that a small portion of the population still clings on to these beliefs. 

Someone asked, “What is the biggest hoax that people still believe?” and people shared all the delusions they had encountered. So get ready to possibly have your worldview shattered, make sure you are comfortable as you read through and upvote your favorite examples. Comment your thoughts and arguments below. 

#1

30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In All that detox health science bs. Your body already has a detox system. It's called your liver. 

EnvironmentLow9075 , Angela Roma Report

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    #2

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In The privatized American “healthcare” system.

    It takes billions of American taxpayer money to “operate” while *also* charging Americans billions on insurance premiums and fees.

    Americans should either pay taxes that cover universal healthcare *or* pay insurance premiums and/or fees, NOT BOTH.

    racoon-fountain , Pixabay Report

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    Joe Publique
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol. How do you make 50% of Americans lose their minds? Prefix any word with 'social'.

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    #3

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In The Wakefield Paper. A deliberate hoax commissioned by a crooked law firm seeing to profit from legal judgments based upon the entirely falsified “results” of the “study”. This single act of entirely knowing and intentional fraud precipitated the greatest public health catastrophe of the antibiotic era: the modern antivaxx movement.

    OHRunAndFun , Ivan Radic Report

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    Joe Publique
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Personally, I love anti-vaxxers because they remind me that no matter how bad my day gets I’ll never be that selfish, stupid, or misinformed.

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    #4

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In "Be loyal to your company and they'll reward you"

    Bull f*****g s**t... Only thing they'll do is exploit you more.

    RaptureRising , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

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    John
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Company loyalty is to itself first and last. You'll be cut as soon as they don't need you

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    #5

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In That wealth trickles down

    frenziedkoalabuddy , WoodysMedia Report

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    Joe Publique
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yup. Let's try 'trickle-up' economics. Poor people spend their money. Wealthy people hoard it.

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    #6

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In That cutting taxes for the rich is good for workers.


    Pfffft.

    Lutiskilea Report

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    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cutting taxes on the rich gives them cash to buy out their competition, merge the companies, and then lay workers off. We've only seen that happen a couple of thousand times.

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    #7

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In “You can lose 25 pounds in three weeks and never feel hungry while eating all the delicious foods you want. Just call this 800 number…”

    Gorf_the_Magnificent , Andres Ayrton Report

    #8

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Homeopathy
    >
    Germany, the birthplace of this movement, still allows people to study ‘MD Homeopathy’ despite the EU largely being opposed to it. In India one can get certified as a “Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery”. Most countries, while not recognising homeopathy doctors as legitimate, still allow sale of their “remedies” because they don’t see the harm in what are essentially sugar tablets and diluted alcohol.

    dscchn , Nataliya Vaitkevich Report

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    Zaach
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Recently, homeopathic eye drops have caused blindness so not so harmless

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    #9

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In I've met more than one person who turned down a raise because they thought they'd end up making less money because of taxes.

    Nahhhh, son. Nah.

    freestyle43 , Monstera Production Report

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    Beth H
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My brain refuses to believe this but my heart knows people are this stupid

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    #11

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In that blood is blue when inside your body. I remember getting into it with a gym teacher he insisted “blood is blue inside your body but turns red when it’s exposed to the oxygen in the air like when you get a cut” but bloods whole purpose is to carry oxygen INSIDE the body, therefore it’s always red, and not turned red because the oxygen in the air.

    apparently i’m still heated about that lmao

    Stupid-ForYou , Karolina Grabowska Report

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    Louise B
    Community Member
    12 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair, gym teachers aren't exactly on the A squad when it comes to academics. (That wasn't fair, I'm still bitter about my experiences at school my PE teacher was a vicious cow - and she took waaaay to much interest in the red-heads showering 🤔)

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    #12

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Healing Crystals.

    "Oh, if I put this inert rock next to my wrist, it'll help with my arthritis?"

    sloopieone , Alina Vilchenko Report

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    Nonna_SoF
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Crystals are however an essential part of lasers, and lasers are cool.

    Karma Black
    Community Member
    12 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Crystals can definitely repel negative people. You just have to throw them hard enough.

    axisgaymtf
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    sometimes its nice to belive in it tho,like how it helps with beliving in yourself,or having strength to do something

    Joe Publique
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yup, but like any belief it can become harmful when taken to extremes. Nah, forget chemotherapy, I'm just going to pray, rub myself with essential oils, and buy some crystals...

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    Firefly1617
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Have crystal for fancy medical reasons : nnnnno Having crystals because shiny rock : akxksajfjsospvjdbba yes

    Tysha DivinationDragon
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Holding a pretty crystal makes me feel good and helps my mental health (but I still take my citalopram too) ^^

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    Becky Samuel
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the crystal industry would shut down in a hurry if people were shown the consequences and the human cost of their lovely shiny bits of rock. Most Lapis lazuli comes from Afghanistan, where it has been an essential source of income for the Taliban for decades. Other stones are painstakingly mined by hand in blazing heat or searing cold by slaves.

    Jared Robinson
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A cat purring while laying on you can help heal you and that is scientific fact. so yeah this isn't all that crazy. ever heard of piezon electricity? crystals can do some amazing s**t.

    John Harrison
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh, Jared. Piezoelectricity is the electrical potential that develops in a material when it is struck or squeezed. It has absolutely nothing to do with healing.

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    Me.
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some things might get some placebo verified though maybe?

    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    exactly! i try to placebo myself into believing that this rock or crystal will make you more confident/focused/happy/whatever, but i mostly just like that they're shiny rocks that have different colors and textures. they should NEVER be used in place of actual medicine!

    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nothing is inert. The atoms in a stone or mineral are moving, just as those in your table, wall, shoe, etc. are moving.

    Rostit. .
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    no one really believes this do they? I thought those crystal people were just kind of in on the joke.

    John Harrison
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know a lady who runs a gift shop. She keeps a crystal in the cash drawer of the register, to help bring in money. She's dead serious.

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    Ken Beattie
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I could imagine something like that working but not for the reasons the "crystal people" think. If for example the crystal was composed of something that was skin penetrating and by coincidence that chemical worked to alleviate pain. That said I'm pretty sure quartz (which seems to be the most common "healing" crystal) isn't going to do that. And I'm not aware of any crystals that would.

    John Harrison
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But that says nothing about crystals. That sort of thinking applies to absolutely anything. You could replace the word "crystal" with any other physical material, and your comment would be valid.

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    Erick L.
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm afraid the rock, no matter how beautiful, won't do shite. There's medication though.

    Foxglove🇮🇪
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Having said that, I thought the same about amber for babies teething. Tried all the powders and potions to no avail, once my daughter was wearing her amber beads everything was much easier! The beads were the only thing I used for my son. I have no idea how or why, but if it helps, don't knock it!

    AnkleByter
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or your daughter just started having a less difficult time with teething (the same way one of mine did). Your son might not have had a difficult time with teething (I had one of those too, he had no pain, just the drool). Amber is absolutely not proven to be safe or effective in helping with teething-the opposite actually. People believe it's the succinic acid present in baltic amber. There is literally no evidence suggesting any teething beads contain this (they're treated , any acid is stripped), most aren't real baltic amber anyway. But, children will have varying amounts of pain and difficulty with teething. Most children's hospitals have put out warnings about teething necklaces because despite what people think, they are ALWAYS a safety hazard (doesn't matter the type). They can break, they can be put in mouths easier than people think, they can literally strangle your child. It's a bad idea all around. Please don't do this.

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    David Green
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Does this mean that the goop stone I inserted to unleash the healing power of crystals doesn't work? But it was researched and sold by an A list actor.

    malleymac84_1
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have personally felt the influence of crystals. No, they can't cure your problems, but they can help you through them.

    John Harrison
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You didn't feel the influence of crystals, you felt the influence of your own beliefs. We could test this. Imagine if we put small black rocks in a bag, and crystals in another bag, and had a you hold them both and tell us which has the healing crystals. If we swapped the bags randomly and had you try to pick out the crystals a hundred times, you would select the actual crystals about 50 percent of the time.

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    Deep One
    Community Member
    11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same with the whole magnet thing. Now a STRONG alternating magnetic field has been shown to have some effect on strengthening bones but static magnetic fields do nothing.

    KingCobraKai
    Community Member
    11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It would be literally impossible for a stone to radiate energy. Like, imagine if granite were radioactive. Impossible. Plus, there are zero other kinds of energy in the world that impact humans.

    LALALand
    Community Member
    11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If there is a belief that something helps, and it does lessen symptoms, then it worked....placebo effect or not.

    FABULOUS1
    Community Member
    11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a booth at a farmers market every Saturday. Everything I sell I make, including the tufted rugs. I feel I charge a good price based on my time and materials. However, the same people who went to the booth next to mine and spent $50 or more will constantly complain about my prices. It kills me every time.

    Nimitz
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Makes me remember the magnetic bracelet craze of the 2000s and how it turned into this

    Javelina Poppers
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw a bunch of crystals glued to a woman's steering wheel, you know where the airbag is? Can you say Claymore mine?

    EarthGrowl
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Placebo. It's all what you believe. In 200 years people might be using crystals and laughing at our modern medicine as toxic.

    John Harrison
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It absolutely NOT "all what you believe". If that were the case, we could use crystals to cure a cancer patient, as long as they believed. But we can't. Saying "it's all what you believe" is an insult to the thousands of people who have dedicated their careers to medical progress and changed everyone's lives for the better.

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    L. Murphy
    Community Member
    12 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Women need to quit believing in this nonsense along with astrology. I have never met a male who believes in this nonsense, unless they are a con artist astrologer or psychic.

    Emily Kerkstra
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yeah! tell us women! we need men to lead us in the way, for we are feeble and also all the same. all women, all the time, always, the same.

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    #13

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Alkaline water is pseudoscience, any chemist or doctor will confirm this

    secularJ , unknown Report

    #14

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In All you have to do is work hard and you’ll get rich.

    WWDB , Andrea Piacquadio Report

    #15

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Humans only use 10% of their brain (well lately I guess some do)

    DrummerBob10 , RF._.studio Report

    #17

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Im a police officer, and Ive had people tell me that ALL police officers MUST by law say they are cops if/when they are asked, including cops that are undercover. I tried to explain this would defeat the purpose of being undercover because the criminals would just simply ask "Are you a cop?" to everyone they were committing crimes with and invest is over. There is no such law but i can never win the argument.

    actionjaxn411 , cottonbro studio Report

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    Fynne
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know nothing about this, but it sounds like this myth could’ve been started by police forces, so that idiot criminals will believe it

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    #18

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In The hysteria over GMO food. It is demonstrably fine. We have been genetically modifying food in an uncontrolled way since before the written word. The idea that it's *more* haphazard and dangerous when done with precision by scientists with advanced technology is completely absurd.

    Also, trees and plants can't run away from predators, they have to protect themselves with chemistry. Pesticides are naturally occuring and omnipresent. In fact, food we consider inedible is mostly that due to the presence of said pesticides, compounds in them which make them unpalatable or dangerous for us to eat.

    DeadFyre , David Prasad Report

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    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    12 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People are mostly freaked out about TRANSGENIC food that has other genes from other species inserted. First the majority of GMO foods are simply bred that way. Gene insertion has also been rigorously tested by FDA and USDA. BTW, my degree is in FOOD SCIENCE. These modified foods allow us to grow hardier crops that need less pesticide and fungicide and keep people from STARVING TO DEATH.

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    #19

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In One big lie that some people still believe is that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. It's been debunked, but it's amazing how many still believe it!

    blandsiding , Eren Li Report

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    axisgaymtf
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    its just air that has been built up is all,it dosnt harm you or anything

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    #21

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Shaving making hair grow in thicker.

    WarpedMathematician , cottonbro studio Report

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    Fynne
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It does in a way. The hair is thicker near the base, so when you cut the thin top and it grows a little, it will feel and look a little thicker.

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    #22

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In The common cold is caused by being cold.

    BubbhaJebus , Andre Furtado Report

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    Fynne
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Being cold can, however weaken the immune system causing you to be more prone to colds

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    #23

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In I think the amount of people that continue to fall for hustle culture and the snake oil salesmen push it. There is huge emphasis in modern society on not only being rich but being rich young by the simplest/fast means necessary. Its honestly depressing how many people continue to purchase master classes/work shops that all filled with surface level near useless information.

    reddit.com , Ron Lach Report

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    Ace
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If someone's peddling their 'get rich quick' scheme through books, classes or workshops you are actually a contributing part of their scheme. If they genuinely had all the answers they'd already be rich and wouldn't need or want to pass their secrets on to anyone else.

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    #24

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Chiropractic adjustments, getting your vertabrae popped and ground on a frequent basis is good for you.

    mywifesoldestchild , Cojanu Alexandru Report

    #25

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Gluten being bad for you if you don’t have celiacs.

    Joel22222 , Maurício Mascaro Report

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    Sonja
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The problem is the lack of education on food in general and not knowing about food safety in combination with companies cutting corners left and right with cheap mass production. Humans can't properly digest raw flour. If you try it, you'll get horrible stomach pains. From badly cooked yeast you'll get bloated and gassy. But companies nowaday bake cheap bread on roll through ovens. The flour and yeast doesn't cook completely through. So if you have problems after eating wheat bread, try toasting the bread before eating. If that helps, you have neither celiac disease nor gluten intolerance. Either change the brand of bread you buy or keep toasting it if you can't afford different bread. Now, I'm sure now some people will whine: BuT iF I EaT GlUtEn FrEe I dOn'T hAvE pRoBleMs... Yes, of course, that's because most gluten free alternatives either don't have wheat or the gluten is removed and you only eat the starch which means that the wheat was processed and often has no yeast.

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    #26

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Don’t go swimming after eating

    FreshStartRetry , Dương Nhân Report

    #27

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Carrots improve your eyesight. This was English propaganda during WW2. They didn't want Germany to know that they had radar which spotted their bombers. It was those sharp eyes of Brit's pilots.

    om54 , Ron Lach Report

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    Fakeus nameus
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cheerio mate, fancy a spot of carrots so we can spot them German jets? I’ll go right ahead and fetch them old chap.

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    #28

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In That going to sleep with or going out with wet hair causes a cold.

    geordiesteve520 , Polina Kovaleva Report

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    AtMostTheFabulist
    Community Member
    Premium
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I used to walk to school with wet hair in the winter. Which would freeze. I would be brushing ice out of my hair for a half hour. Never got sick.

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    #29

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Milk for strong bones.

    Dairy industry advertising campaign that isn't supported by evidence and in fact we have a good amount of evidence to the contrary.

    Thatweasel , samer daboul Report

    #30

    30 Biggest Hoaxes That Some People Still Believe In Recycling is saving the environment

    hbsboak , Lisa Fotios Report

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    SlightlyTarnished
    Community Member
    12 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've never heard anyone say "recycling is saving the environment". Recycling makes sense, reduces some raw material requirements, and is beneficial to the environment, though "saving", nope.

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