Mythbusters: College Edition
The semester-long mission of 4 college students to debunk "myths" other teenagers do not have the time (or the interest) to put to the test.
NOTE: Everything is done in the spirit of fun! Our discoveries are not meant to be taken seriously. :D
So it’s been a sem’s worth of MIS101 and various chats with each other and teaching Dorian Philippine cuss words (THAT HE SHOULDN’T USE).
MYTH STATUS: MAYBE
This may be the end of a project, but throughout this experience, friendships have been forged and that would never end.
….
^Brave otters eat while they swim!
Myth: Swimming within half an hour after eating will cause you to drown.
This one seemed almost universally accepted when I was a child and is still believed today. The myth involves the possibility of suffering severe muscle cramping and drowning from swimming on a full stomach. While it’s true that the digestive process does divert the circulation of the blood toward the gut and to a certain extent, away from the muscles, the fact is that an episode of drowning caused by swimming on a full stomach has never been documented. Neither the American Academy of Pediatrics nor the American Red Cross makes any specific recommendations about waiting any amount of time after eating before taking a swim. There’s a theoretical possibility that one could develop a cramp while swimming with a full stomach, but a person swimming in a pool or controlled swimming area could easily exit the water if this happens. As with any exercise after eating, swimming right after a big meal might be uncomfortable, but it won’t cause you to drown.
MYTH STATUS: BUSTED
It is true that swallowing the seeds of commonly consumed fruits or vegetables can cause problems, but fortunately, these problems rarely occur and are rarely serious. They include diseases within the intestinal tract, lungs and the body as a whole.
Intestinal Problems
- Direct injury, such as a tear or even perforation
- Infection and/or inflammation — appendicitis, diverticulitis or abscess
- Blockage of the intestine (obstruction)
Any poorly digestible, thin, sharp objects, including seeds, may rarely cause these problems in the intestine. The vast majority of people with appendicitis develop it for no apparent reason and no food or other ingested material can be identified, even in the removed appendix. Similarly, intestinal obstruction is more common because of tumors or scar tissue (a common problem related to past surgery) than to anything ingested.
When obstruction occurs as a result of something eaten, it is usually due to ingestion of a large amount of undigestible material; if it blocks the digestive tract, it is called a “bezoar.” Although common among cats, it is rare in humans. When it does occur, it is most common among young children or adults with major psychiatric illness, particularly an obsessive/compulsive disorder manifested by hair pulling and eating the hair.
MYTH STATUS: Plausible
Adolf Hitler: The son of Jose P. Rizal?
That myth sounds crazy but isn’t actually that impossible.
Facts:
* Hitler was born April 20, 1889 in Linz (Dorian’s Hometown)
*He was therefore conceived sometime in 1888.
*Rizal was on a Europe tour at that time and was said to have sex with a maid in Vienna in 1888, during that time Hitler’s mother was a maid working in Vienna.
* Rizal was still in Europe when Hitler was born and had a German friend named Dr. Adolf Meyer, maybe Hitler was named after him
* Hitler was smaller than a typical German and had dark-brown hair.
*There was a film that showed a picture of Rizal’s portrait inside Hitler’s bunker. (Collegebusters could not locate this film or picture online)
* KLARA Pölz Hitler is Hitler’s mother. Maria CLARA is Rizal’s main female character in Noli Me Tangere.
The research team couldn’t actually find out if it is myth or true, but for most people and researchers the evidence is the flimsiest of the circumstances, but we, the MYTHBUSTERS don’t judge and leave you the decision to believe it or not.
(Note: Dorian did this. DUN DUN DUNNN)
UPDATE:
MYTH STATUS: BUSTED Apparently, our favorite historian Dr. Ocampo has written a piece to disprove this theory: http://www.joserizal.ph/fa02.html
Can cellphone use near a gasoline pump cause an explosion? (After all, they tell us to turn off the phone while refueling)
THE MYTHBUSTERS risked life and limb in bringing you this myth, do not try this at home. Or at any gas station.
However, based on our research, we could just have had a lucky break. According to lovetoknow.com,
Neither cell phones or full-function pagers are designed to be used in any type of ignitable environment. Certainly any area where fuel is being pumped is one where risk of ignition is high. There are situations in which cell phone usage can create sparks capable of igniting a fire or causing an explosion in such an environment.
Check the owner’s manual that came with your cell phone, and you will likely see a warning against using the device while refueling a vehicle or in any other situation where you are exposed to gasoline or fumes.
(Source: http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Gas_Station_Environment_Hazards)
MYTH STATUS: BUSTED (but your cellphone manual and the internet tells you NOT to do it)
You’ve probably seen this one if you were a tumblr staple:
And you’ve probably tried it.
It’s a Microwave Mug Cake! Once upon a time an amazing discovery, today a popular thing to do.
It’s not exactly a myth, but it’s something not everyone has the time to make (admit it…we are lazy bums after all).
MYTHBUSTER COMMENT: “It tastes more like flour than anything else.”
MYTH STATUS: THIS THING WORKS ( go search for it online for a variety of recipes nomnom )
You may have seen it a few times on different shows: put a book under your pillow when you go to sleep at night, and you retain what’s inside the book.
OKAY, ROLL YOUR EYES, but if you were a cramming college student without much time to study, YOU GET DESPERATE.
And so last sem, I took my Principles of Management book and put it under my pillow and slept, the day before a major test.
Let’s not talk about details and just post the status…
MYTH STATUS: BUSTED BUSTED BUSTEEEED (Note to everyone: srsly don’t do this. According to Dorian, we should all love learning~)
You’ve seen countless shows wherein people have to change clothes when they walk under the rain…lest they get sick and die. And now you’re afraid to walk under the rain without an umbrella.
Prior experience, however, debunks this myth:
“This old superstition is not true. Our entire PE class was forced to run in the rain for 5 kilometers. We were tired and we were drenched. Aside from being a tiny bit annoyed, we were perfectly fine.” - Mythbuster Joan (see, she ran 5km just to debunk this!)
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But if you easily get colds when exposed to direct electric fan wind, just take an umbrella with you every time you go out… Let’s not risk dying of rain.
Yes, it is creepy. Yes, it is horrific. But there are urban legends about children being sacrificed for the building of bridges.
“There is abundant archaeological evidence that many societies practiced both animal and human sacrifice to persuade the gods to protect their buildings and ensure safe passage through dangerous areas where their own gods might lack jurisdiction. Burials suggestive of sacrifice have been found in the sites of ancient bridges and buildings throughout Asia, Europe, and North Africa.”
(http://www.deathreference.com/Py-Se/Sacrifice.html#b#ixzz1pHTrjRhs)
As a little Filipino kid, some of us have been told not to wander around, especially if we don’t want to be kidnapped and used for building bridges. Yes, according to our mother’s tale, our blood would be used to strengthen the bridge’s paint and our bones for the structure. This creeped me out to no end.
But really, how true is this tale?
Collegebusters interviewed some old, wise people who requested to keep themselves anonymous for this interview (those traditionalists), so please bear with us. These interviews were translated from Filipino.
Collegebusters: What do you know about sacrificing children for bridges?
Aleng Maryln: In the village back then, when children went missing, people would usually reply with, “May tulay na ginagawa.”
Collegebusters: Why do they believe in those things?
Aleng Maryln: That’s what we’re used to.
Old wise man #1: Manong Bayani
Collegebusters: What do you know about sacrificing lives for buildings?
Manong Bayani: They believe that sacrificing blood strengthens the building’s foundations. Maybe for huge bridges, like what you’re talking about, that’s when they use children. I know of construction companies who sacrifice animals on the buildings’ foundations.
(Joan’s Note: Pigs were sacrificed when our house was built…)
Apparently, this concept of a human sacrifice isn’t only legend in the Philippines. In fact, our favorite little rhyme London Bridge Is Falling Down is actually theorized to refer to the burying of children into the foundations of the bridge (check out Wikipedia!)
We still don’t know if it is true or not… but we’re still not going to risk it and wander out alone at night. *cue twilight zone music*
The power of thinking without thinking—this is the slogan for Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink. In the blink of an eye we judge a lot of things, including names. If I say my name is Phil, what do you think I look like? Hot? Awesome? Hell yeah.
According to the article Names and Behavior by By H. Edward Deluzain, it does. They tested teachers
“The process that gives names their influence is the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy. Briefly explained, the self-fulfilling prophecy works this way. A man introduces himself to us as Percy. Immediately, our unconscious mind goes to work dredging up all the images and associations we have with that name. Without realizing it, we develop a mental picture—a set of expectations—of what a Percy is like.” (http://www.behindthename.com/articles/1.php)
But now collegebusters will put the power of names to the test!
See the results of our studies to the left.
Who is the best leader?
Mohammad 38%
Elmer 10%
David 53%
Who is the most intelligent?
Lindsey Dickson 25%
Eugene Chen 55%
Juan Garcia 20%
Who is the most evil?
Gregor 78%
Paul 13%
Molly 10%
Who is the kindest?
Ryan 38%
Daisy 50%
Olivia 13%
Who is the most beautiful girl?
Chloe 48%
Genevieve 30%
Bella 23%
Who is the best-looking guy?
Luke 85%
Elmer 8%
Jackson 8%
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David is apparently the best leader, while Eugene Cheng is the most intelligent. We believe it’s because David is a biblical name, while Cheng is a Chinese last name. If you want a mad scientist son, name him Gregor, which undoubtedly scored the most evil name, with Paul and Molly far, far behind. Half of our respondents found Daisy the kindest, with Ryan coming in second. Forty-eight percent agree that the most beautiful girl is Chloe, with Genevieve at 30% and Bella at 23%. Finally, and with a landslide, Luke is the best-looking name for a guy, garnering 85% of votes (Star Wars definitely did something). Now you all know what to name your baby boy.
**No offense to the readers named Gregor. Or to anyone named Eugene Cheng.
