Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
Leaps in scientific progress are made practically every day. We’re constantly learning things about the way the world works, refining what we already know, debunking myths, and making new inventions. However, it takes some time before this new information reaches the general public. And even then, some people still won’t accept it, even if it’s been confirmed.
Trying to get to grips with this very question, user u/Ordinary_Piece_4374 asked their fellow redditors about the things that have been scientifically (dis)proven but are still denied or disliked by some people. Scroll down to see what facts the internet thinks everyone should definitely be up to date with.
Bored Panda wanted to learn more about the best way to present scientific information to the public and how to tackle people's concerns about how science 'always keeps changing,' so we reached out to Steven Wooding. He is a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK, part of the Omni Calculator project team, and the creator of the Weird Units Converter.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
That the earth is round. If it was flat, cats would have knocked everything off of it by now.
Doctor Strange 1 year ago
Fun fact, ancient cultures were able to prove the Earth was round with two sticks and the sun. In fact, no one thought Christopher Columbus would sail over the edge. They didn't want to fund his voyage because they thought he had grossly UNDER estimated the circumference.
RELATED:
#2
Cats can understand an average of 50 words, and they don’t give a s**t about 49 of them
#3
Jesus wasn't a Caucasian fellow
According to Wooding, from the Omni Calculator team, one of the main things to consider when communicating anything—whether science-related or not—is tailoring the message to the audience receiving it.
"The primary consideration is their scientific knowledge, but also their interests and concerns. So, refrain from using jargon or technical terms they might not understand. Try to explain concepts in a way that's easy to follow—creating a story around the research is a great idea," Wooding shared with Bored Panda.
"You also want to tell them what it might mean for them and why they should care about what could be relatively dry scientific facts. Images and infographics are also good tools for communicating complex information clearly and concisely."
#4
Yelling at your kids can have long-term effect on the child's mental health. Abuse isn't just physical, and just cuz it's not physical doesn't mean it cant scar someone for life.
Donna Peluda 1 year ago
Especially when, you don´t know why you are being yelled at or know you are right and till get a slap. It´s taken me 40+ years
#5
Evolution. No theory has EVER been proven more correct with so much freaking evidence but yet here we are
#6
That Andrew Wakefield falsely linked the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine to autism in young children.
Cassie 1 year ago
He was also essentially run out of Britain, which is how he ended up in the US working with anti-vax celebrities and speaking to state legislatures as an "expert" in regards to trying to end vaccine mandates for school.
Load More Replies...
Joshua Seaman 1 year ago
And the reason why he did this smear campaign on the MMR vaccine is because he actually had patents for selling the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines separately, as opposed to in one shot. It was entirely about making money for himself.
Elio 1 year ago
Yep, he didn't start off as anti-vax, but instead "pro buy my vaccine instead so I can have money."
Load More Replies...
Shark Lady 1 year ago
Not just autism. He also linked the mmr vaccine to being the cause of Crohn's disease, he was a gastroenterologist, it put research into the causes back by quite a few years.
Batwench 1 year ago (edited)
This BS was long before this dude. I was born mid 1970’s and my mam refused to have me vaccinated with the triple as this myth was around in the UK then. So as a child I had all of them and many more (the illnesses). Thankfully the primary school did the polio vaccine, on lumps of sugar. As a person who understands science and went through these illnesses, I am very much PRO vaccine. Edit: to add that Whooping cough is the only one I remember as a young child. It was that bad.
Cassie 1 year ago
The rumor is what he largely based his research falsification on. A group was suing over the MMR and his alleged study occurred directly following him colluding with them. He also held a patent for a measles vaccine that couldn't compete with the MMR and the primary premise of his falsified findings was not anti-vax, but specifically anti-MMR, presumably so he could discredit the competition and profit from his measles vaccine.
Load More Replies...
Riley Quinn 1 year ago
Just this morning I read the Washington Post article, "Scientists discover how dozens of genes may contribute to autism". Wonder if Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg read it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/10/05/autism-genes-brain-development/
Tiny Dancer 1 year ago
As the mother of an autistic son (36), this man's on the top of my personal hit list. The whole thing was a sham from day one. Please educate yourself before spreading more bull-muffins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_MMR_autism_fraud
Tams21 1 year ago
Given he worked years towards a doctorate, I imagine he isn't stupid and at some point had at least a little interest in helping people. He must realise that countless people have needlessly died because of him, I wonder how he sleeps at night.
Chris Jones 1 year ago
For some people it's purely academic and they see the body as a mechanism to fix. They're not exactly interested in helping people - and that's not necessarily a bad thing as long as they have ethics and a very good at what they do. Wakefield did not have ethics, no matter how smart, sadly.
Load More Replies...
Gin 1 year ago
Depends on how you look at the term 'falsified'. There were parents who expressed concern that changes in their children occured at the same time as the MMR. Wakefield falsified data, he misrepresented and altered data. He took samples from children without consent. He subjected those children to unecessary tests. He also had a vested interest in discrediting the MMR jab.
Load More Replies...
seana lammers 1 year ago
What a nut job! Did he plan to be ‘an opposite from scientific facts’ person or just decide to be ridiculous?
Jeremy Bolanos 1 year ago
His paper was instantly disproven but it's the bible for a bunch of wackos
Deppressedboo (gender fluid) 1 year ago
Bastard I have autism ots some your born with and most of us happen to be smarter then normals there are different levels on the scale and I am completely verbal I have sensitivity issues and temper issues because of changes usually.
Kathryn Baylis 1 year ago
Read up on his “research”. Didn’t follow Scientific Method at all. Extremely tiny test group (like maybe 10 or 12 patients total, and only used results from like 6 or 8 of them). Threw out any results that didn’t back up his theory. Altered results that were neutral or inconclusive. Skewed everything. Results could never be duplicated to test their validity. Why The Lancet published his research without any rigorous checking is beyond me, as anything in a professional publication is supposed to be peer-reviewed and proven to be duplicative BEFORE it’s allowed to be published.
Lex <3 (they/them) 1 year ago
I facepalmed so hard that my brain got smooshed to the back of my head. Do people really believe that vaccines cause autism????
Evelien Stijger Martens 1 year ago
Any trauma can make the existing autisme come out more outspocen, not create it
Kimberly Herbert 1 year ago
because he wanted to sell his own vaccine. He did it for money and he should be charged with voluntary manslaughter for every child who has died of these horrible diseases because of his long con. (The parents should also be charged with killing their own kids and anyone who died because of exposure to their children).
Celtic Pirate Queen 1 year ago
And Jenny McCarthy (who has no medical background of any kind) went on national TV endorsing it, claiming vaccines caused her son's Autism, despite no actual scientific proof of any kind. But hey, doesn't everyone get their medical information from former Playboy Bunnies?
Chris Maddock 1 year ago
And he did so maliciously and deliberately to make money from his own "cure".
Mónica Elisabeth Sacco 1 year ago
And still there are jerks that believe this is true. They're are known as "antivaxxers" and don`t learn even from hardest experience.
Kyllein MacKellerann 1 year ago
Hey, stupid unshared is stupid unappreciated, and he wanted to be "Famous" for a while. So he came up with this, since it used big words and can scare people.
Chris Sprucefield 1 year ago
and unfortunately, he has a HUUUUGE following out there, who is impervious to facts, even if their own life depended on it...
Joshua Selbitschka 1 year ago
He did even worse. In the course of trying to get evidence, he tortured the children in his study. Putting them through procedures that were entirely unnecessary and in some cases, extremely dangerous(one child had permanent damage as a result) all for this supposed disease he found. Oh, and he knew it was not even there. He got paid off to try and link the MMR vaccine to Autism by a vaccine developer who was trying to launch their own separate vaccines.
Carrie Laughs 1 year ago
Did he? I can find no evidence that he admitted he lied about his research. The lie he admits: “Two children fainted, one threw up over his mother,” “People said to me, you can’t do that—children won’t come back to your birthday parties. I said we live in a market economy; next year they’ll want £10.” But Dr Wakefield told the GMC panel that he had made up these details to amuse his listeners. “It was the end of a long and rather exacting talk for the parents, and it was an attempt to introduce a little bit of levity,” he said. “It was a quip, just a story. The way these stories are told, if the audience responds you tend to respond back. So the story was told. But it had no bearing on the truth at all.” “Clearly, if it has caused any distress then I am extremely sorry for that,” said Dr Wakefield. “That wasn’t my intention.” He added that he had been “naive” to think he could take the samples without the permission of an ethics committee.
Load More Replies...
Meanwhile, Bored Panda wanted to get Wooding's thoughts on how researchers might tackle people who are always skeptical of any scientific developments because the facts seem to always be changing.
"One way is to explain the differences between scientific facts and theories; what might be reported as facts are actually theories," the Omni Calculator team member explained.
"A scientific fact has well-substantiated evidence and is widely accepted by the scientific community (e.g., the Earth is round). On the other hand, a scientific theory is an explanation of a phenomenon that includes facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses. A scientific theory can change as new facts are discovered and experiments are carried out," he said.
#7
We found out that the cholesterol in egg yolk is indeed very healthy and useful yet some people still demonize it
#9
Dominance theory in dog training.
Your dog is not trying to take over the world. They know that you're in charge because you control what they eat, when they eat, where they eat, when they get to toilet, when they go out, where they go, and every other facet of their lives. You do not need to pin them to the ground or use collars that cause pain. You just need to reward the behaviour you want to see more of. Trainers who use aversive methods just don't have the skills to actually train dogs properly.
Don't tell me that your malinois or amstaff need you to be tougher because alligators and crocodiles can be trained to sit for blood draws without force or coercion. Your dog is not harder to train than one of the closest things we have to dinosaurs.
"A good example is gravity. First, we had Newton's theory of gravity, which tried to incorporate the observations scientists could carry out at the time. As experiments improved, inaccuracies became apparent, which were then resolved by Einstein's theory of gravity, general relativity," Wooding told us.
"We can still use Newton's approach most of the time, but we use Einstein's where extreme accuracy is required."
Refusing to accept new information doesn’t just have to do with an individual’s stubbornness or narrowmindedness. Broadly speaking, people tend to cling to information that supports whatever worldview they have at the moment. Having to monumentally shift your understanding of how life and society function on Planet Earth is a huge task. As The New Yorker put it, impressions are very perseverent once they're formed.
#10
Science is evolving, what's proven one day can be shown to be a mistake the next.
That's disliked by many people, because the brain structure that makes religion useful is also used by people who want science to go only one (their) way usually.
#11
The carbon footprint was invented by BP. You know, they guys that inundated the Gulf of Mexico with crude oil a couple times.
It's among the first and best disinformation campaigns to this day. It pushed the responsibility of carbon emissions cleanly from corporations to the people.
Phoebe Bean 1 year ago
First thing that came to mind after reading "BP" was that Bored Panda invented carbon footprint...
#12
That homosexuality is not a disease and you born with it
Flying Panda 1 year ago
The anecdotal and experiential evidence points to a strong genetic link. And yet, for many different people and cultures worldwide, sexual orientation is a spectrum rather an either/or over their lifetimes. Is there a genetic predisposition to Bi-Pan-A sexualities as well?
However, that’s why striving to be open-minded is such an important thing. No matter how much we think we know, there’s always something new to learn as technology advances and new research is conducted.
One study, published in 2023, found that attempts to debunk science-relevant misinformation were, on average, not successful. However, there is a silver lining. When misinformation has to do with negative topics other than health, and the corrections to the information are detailed, then people are more likely to change their beliefs.
What also helps make these corrections is when the misinformed have familiarized themselves with both sides of the issue and when the topic in question isn’t politically polarized.
#13
Electric cars are not as green as Elon says. They still create pollution from mining & creating the electricity to charge unless from green sources
#14
That your diet can indeed affect your hormones and mood.
#15
MSG is a delicious and perfectly healthy addition to a number of dishes
As ‘Discover’ magazine points out, facts alone aren’t always enough to correct misinformation. Nor are they enough to change people’s minds. People’s understanding of the world is closely related to their sense of personal identity. Meanwhile, human beings as a whole aren’t the most rational even at the best of times.
Our biology, as remarkable as it is, isn’t all that helpful when it comes to changing people’s minds, too. Psychology professor Lisa Fazio, from Vanderbilt University, notes that our minds tend to create new memories alongside ones that already exist, instead of ‘overwriting’ information that’s not correct. So when you try to recall information that you’ve recently learned has changed, you might come up with ideas that are a collage of these competing facts.
On top of that, repetition tends to encode information into our minds, even if those facts are false. The more often we hear something, the more likely it is to get stuck in our minds. This phenomenon is known as the illusory truth effect.
#16
Sugar is way worse than fat
#17
That our current rapidly changing climate is caused by human activity and mainly from a few corporations.
You still get people who deny it
Then you get people who accept it but refuse to go after the main causes.
#18
earth is a tiny insignificant sphere in space
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 1 year ago
No. Earth is a tiny, insignificant disc in space.
“There's an infinite universe of false things and a more narrow universe of true things, so most of the stuff that we hear multiple times is true,” Fazio told ‘Discover’ magazine. However, this can be particularly troublesome if someone is deliberately trying to spread false information.
Meanwhile, new and correct facts have to be presented in a way that’s approachable and palatable. If important discoveries are only ever publicized in ways that only other researchers would understand their significance, the general population might not understand why the new info matters so much.
On the flip side, it’s also essential not to dumb the information down too much or to over-exaggerate its significance. Otherwise, you might make people less willing to trust articles about scientific discoveries.
#19
LGBTQIA+ people. Other animals engage in same gender behaviour and some can change theirs. There's a whole female only lizard species that can reproduce. Homophobia etc is the unnatural thing, not being gay, bi or trans etc.
Aiden Brough 1 year ago
Sex IS NOT THE SAME HAS Gender... One is biological (no, you are male or female, and no op will change this fact - males are bioloigically different from females) and the other a social context (you can CALL yourself whatever you want - man, woman, butterfly, a TV screen, whatever, but you're still either male or female)... Sorry to spoil your party.
#20
Going out in the cold doesn't give you a cold. Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis.
Power puff scientist 1 year ago
but going out in the cold can lower your immune system making you more likely to get sick.
#21
Myers Briggs Test (INTJ, IFNJ) is flawed and not reliable as any decent personality assessment.
Superb Owl 1 year ago
Myers Briggs is horoscopes for those who think they are too smart for horoscopes. That said, I always get the same result when I take a Myers Briggs :D
#22
Large vehicles increase pedestrian fatalities. Any criticism of the prevalence of huge trucks and SUV's in my city these days brings the truck bros out of the woodwork like "why do you care what I do?! It doesn't affect you!!" Yes it does, and it might kill somebody.
UpQuarkDownQuark (he/hey you) 1 year ago
Don’t get between a man baby and his beloved giant twuck. Vroom vroom.
#23
That exercise actually helps you overcome a lot of s**t including mental health issues.
Jan Rosier 1 year ago
I envy the poeple who can bike, swim, walk, run their minds clean. I personally find exercising so mindnumbingly boring that instead, my mind starts treadmilling each and every problem of the past day, week or even something that happened 20 years ago.
#24
Autism is hereditary
Leolynn Cauthron 1 year ago
It CAN BE hereditary. It is not hereditary in ever instance. There are more than one ‘causes’ or catalysts to autism.
#25
GMO food is indistinguishable to your body from non-GMO food
Judes 1 year ago
But many GMO foods are designed to be more resistant to herbicides, which means more herbicides are used in farming GMO crops. Our bodies may not be able to distinguish the GMO food from non-GMO food, but can it detect the extra herbicides? And how well do other animals (such as 'good' insects like bees and ladybirds) deal with these herbicides?
#27
Climate change, unfortunately.
Mint Sauce 1 year ago
“All our environmental problems become easier to solve with fewer people, and harder – and ultimately impossible – to solve with ever more people.” Sir David Attenborough
#28
Weed is addictive and you can get withdrawals from it
Literally just had an argument with a friend over this
Michel De Ruyck 1 year ago
That’s because people assume that all addictions are physical, ignoring potential and very real psychological addictions. But that doesn’t change the fact that “weed” has spectacular medicinal advantages, but as with everything needs to be used responsibly and with respect.
#29
The Portuguese Man-O-War, despite being called a jellyfish by many aquariums and people, is actually a siphonophore. I'm guessing this mix up comes from the Man-O-War's jellyfish-like appearance and the fact that siphonophores and jellyfish are both Hydrozoans, and the fact that siphonophores as a whole are usually lumped in with jellyfish.
What do you think ?
LinkTheHylian 1 year ago
Just because your uncle touched you when you were a kid doesn't mean you get to say whether my uncle Gertrude is my uncle or not.
Load More Replies...
John Harrison 1 year ago
BP's "Too many downvotes and you're cut off" system snuffs out any serious debate. Wish they would change it. If you express an opinion that others don't like, and you happen to be in the wrong, there is zero opportunity for your mind to be changed, because others can't share information with you.
David A Paterson 1 year ago
Agree with 1 to 7, 10, 11, 8 to 9 seems likely. I disagree with 12 because the religion you follow is not hereditary. Etc. Oh dear, I forgot that the numbers change, so cancel that.
DB 1 year ago
Wow, so no one mentioned the 2020 US Presidential election., or did it just get censored? Anyway, was the election stolen from Trump? No. Anyone who believes that is an idiot. Did the Democrats commit widespread voter fraud? Yup. They would have won without it anyway, but they were really just testing the waters for 2024.
cugel. 1 year ago
That fact that calories in, calories out governs your weight is particularly disliked by Pandas.
Christel Nellemann 1 year ago
There is much more to it. Hormones like insulin, the storage hormon is important. If you eat in a way , that avoids big bloodglucose spikes , you can litterally eat more calories and keep weight. The biochemist Jessie inshaup, or “glucosegoddess” in instagram, or many podcasts, talks about this in layman-terms, and has all the science to explain why. Check it and learn something, that blew my mind, honestly.
Load More Replies...
LinkTheHylian 1 year ago
Just because your uncle touched you when you were a kid doesn't mean you get to say whether my uncle Gertrude is my uncle or not.
Load More Replies... John Harrison 1 year ago
BP's "Too many downvotes and you're cut off" system snuffs out any serious debate. Wish they would change it. If you express an opinion that others don't like, and you happen to be in the wrong, there is zero opportunity for your mind to be changed, because others can't share information with you.
David A Paterson 1 year ago
Agree with 1 to 7, 10, 11, 8 to 9 seems likely. I disagree with 12 because the religion you follow is not hereditary. Etc. Oh dear, I forgot that the numbers change, so cancel that.
DB 1 year ago
Wow, so no one mentioned the 2020 US Presidential election., or did it just get censored? Anyway, was the election stolen from Trump? No. Anyone who believes that is an idiot. Did the Democrats commit widespread voter fraud? Yup. They would have won without it anyway, but they were really just testing the waters for 2024.
cugel. 1 year ago
That fact that calories in, calories out governs your weight is particularly disliked by Pandas.
Christel Nellemann 1 year ago
There is much more to it. Hormones like insulin, the storage hormon is important. If you eat in a way , that avoids big bloodglucose spikes , you can litterally eat more calories and keep weight. The biochemist Jessie inshaup, or “glucosegoddess” in instagram, or many podcasts, talks about this in layman-terms, and has all the science to explain why. Check it and learn something, that blew my mind, honestly.
Load More Replies... You May Like 179 Science Facts That Are Deliciously Curious 50 Interesting Solar System Facts Scientists Have Learned So Far 30 Geography Facts That Might Just Blow Your Mind
Larysa Perih
Neilas Šurkus
Neilas Šurkus
Related on Bored Panda
