Episode 45: Misconceptions--"Factoids" That Aren't Really Facts

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In this episode, April debunks some common misconceptions and discusses why they are so "sticky" in our brains.

Episode 45 Show Notes

Definition of "factoid"--https://www.oed.com/dictionary/factoid_n?tab=meaning_and_use#4942990

Drs Carroll and Vreeman's great book debunking lots of health myths: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Cross-Your-Theyll-Stuck/dp/0312681879

AOA's article discussing strabismus (crossed eyes): https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/strabismus

Great article debunking several misconceptions your parents probably believed were true: https://www.uchealth.org/today/10-myths-you-may-have-heard-from-your-parents/

The five-second rule, explained: https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/the-origin-of-the-five-second-rule/

The Cleveland Clinic's article setting the record straight about body heat loss: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/body-heat-loss

The truth about chastity belts: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-chastity-belts-are-myth-180956341/

Why you should be more afraid of your tray table making you sick than the air on an airplane: https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/safety/avoid-airplane-germs/#:~:text=%7C%20An%20airplane%20offers%20the%20perfect,soggy%20tissues%20and%20dirty%20diapers

What "vomitorium" really means: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/purging-the-myth-of-the-vomitorium/

An in depth-discussion of the term "Xmas:" https://eu.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2023/12/06/xmas-vs-christmas-why-offensive-origins-history-greek-chi-means-christ/71810050007/

https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/xmas-origin

An extremely deep dive into the psychology behind misconceptions: https://philpapers.org/rec/DELIMA-3