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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.
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#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
Rinso the Red 1 year ago
And if you go to Asia, he's shown as Asian. If you go to Africa, he's shown as African.
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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
PANDAS! Some of us are believers in Christianity. Some of us are believers in Allah. Some of us are Wiccans. Some of us are atheists. Discuss, please. Don't be hateful and rude to each other. Calling names isn't acceptable. We are all Pandas, no matter what we do or do not believe.
Alic3 1 year ago
This is not about jesus religion, mate. but, solely about his race. jesus always depicted as caucasian male in history. the truth is -according from some newest discovery, jesus have black hair, tan skin and brown eyes. just how middle-eastern looks in that era.
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Kira Okah 1 year ago
The general consensus based on Roman records is that Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth did indeed exist.
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esko_murto 1 year ago
This is beating a dead horse and in a way that's also wrong. 1) almost no one who actually is interested about Christianity or historical Jesus thinks these days that he was a blonde, blue-eyed Anglo-American. That ship has sailed. 2) it's silly to counter by underlining how Jesus was NOT European/Caucasian. Actually, he probably looked quite a lot like your Italian or Greek person today might look. Don't emphasize his brown eyes or dark hair, that's not so shocking really.
Wednesday Addams 1 year ago
RIGHT!?!?! He’s literally from the Middle East he’s not gonna be white
Satan Laughs 1 year ago
Caucasian just means “born west of the Caucus mountains” not white. Hence, the other side, “Asian.”
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James S 1 year ago
If he existed at all, he spoke Aramaic, and being a Jewish carpenter in in his 30s when he died, was almost married (it would've been extremely unusual to be unmarried at that age).
Craig Staley 1 year ago
Jesus is well established as a rabbi when he died. He didn't have a large following because he was giving carpentry advice. But you are right that it would have been extremely unusual for him to have been unmarried. And at the Last Supper, one of the gospels mentioned that the wives and children were there serving the men, but it isn't more specific than that.
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Deborah Rubin 1 year ago
Amen, no sarcasm intended. He was Jewish, get over it. Brown eyes, brown hair, complexion, well, take your choice of any Middle Eastern person of today.
Ron Koenig 1 year ago
Jesus was Jewish, which means he was a Semite, which makes him part of the mid-eastern Arab population of that time. This explains why Jews refer to anyone who is anti-Jewish as an anti-Semite.
A Happy Doggo 1 year ago
My catholic school has a picture of a Jesus with white hair and blue eyes and every day my friends and I point out “Scandinavian Jesus”
Kevin J. Henning 1 year ago
To my knowledge Jesus never had his picture painted. I guess his appearance depended on who was winning the game at that point.
pfeils wife 1 year ago
Jesus was an unarmed black man that believed in universal healthcare and that women could make decisions about their own bodies. (it's a joke, don't come for me)
Michael None 1 year ago
It's the same with Buddha his image changes based on who made the picture/statue.
Princezz Puffypants 1 year ago
He would have been olive skinned; most people in Judea at the time were. He would have had brown eyes and brown to black hair. He probably did NOT have a beard NOR long hair
Jude Corrigan 1 year ago
Would have been a lot easier for the Roman soldiers to pick him out of the crowd. Judas wouldn't have been blamed.
ConservaDave 1 year ago
I'm a caucasian Christian but I always make fun of this silly depiction of Jesus. Especially when they give him blue eyes. Come on. Who are they trying to fool?
Pamela Christie 1 year ago
Of course not. The group that co-opted his race has completely made him over as a conduit for personal wish fulfilment. The fairy tale Jesus blesses AK-47s, condones racial injustice, promotes female repression and votes with far right extremists. This figment has little in common with the actual person, other than their shared name.
Cathy Carey 1 year ago
That is a fugly pic. I certainly wouldn't want that in my house I don't care who painted it - fugly.
8SlapsSquid 1 year ago
The fact that it is depicted as NOT being white is equally as ridiculous. It could be anything.
Mr Sardonicus 1 year ago
The bigger concern is that he wasn't real at all. Nothing whatsoever written about him in histories of the time - not a word until 100 years later when they needed him to get their little business known as the Church started.
Black nigha 1 year ago
Then why is he Caucasian in all the photos and paintings from antiquity? Checkmate atheists!
Veronica Jean 1 year ago
THIS. THIIIIISSSSSS. THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. ALSO THIS SHOULD NOT OFFEND YOU. If it does, you need to SERIOUSLY re-evaluate yourself.
Riley Quinn 1 year ago
Whoa, there OP. Them's fightin' words in the USA. He's a gorgeous, chiseled figure with flowing blonde locks, and don't you forget it.
Michael Largey 1 year ago (edited)
Depends on your definition. By one standard definition of Caucasian, everyone in the Mideast is Caucasian, as well as everyone from Israel to India is Caucasian. But He definitely did not look like Brad Pitt.
Kristy Wilson 1 year ago
Um, no they’re not! Not sure who you’ve been looking at, but that’s not true. Some are darker, some are lighter and some are in the middle. One thing you can’t confuse them with is a Caucasian.
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Moni 1 year ago
I dont believe there was a Jesus. These are stories written 400 years afterwards. Nobody was alive to write it 400 years later, just stories nothing else.
MezzoPiano 1 year ago
Paul was alive during Jesus' lifetime and wrote the earliest of his surviving letters somewhere around the year 50 AD. The earliest gospel, the Book of Mark, was written around the year 70 AD. That's twenty and forty years, respectively, after the action happened, not 400. There is very little debate among historians that Jesus existed, claimed to be the messiah, and was crucified. The debate is whether or not he was telling the truth and whether or not he rose from the dead.
Load More Replies... JCM 1 year ago
To be totally heretical, Jesus was most likely the illegitimate son a Nazarene woman and a Roman Soldier. If you meld those features together you probably have a close approximation of what Jesus actually looked like. As an icon of the Cristian faith it would be normal to portray him as whatever culture you are. God is said to have created man in his own image ergo when a person reads that they would interpret God as looking like them and hence the son of God would also look like the reader.
Bill Smith 1 year ago
Jesus was the greatest con-artist in history.Paint him any color you want,put your donation in the basket first.Bless you my chump.
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.
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.
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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.
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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
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