let’s challenge myths the way those guys do it in Discovery channel.
i wouldn’t recommend anything as extreme as they do like blowing up a car (although if you PM TainanCowboy you could probably get your hands on some C4)
i’ll get the ball rolling with this age old myth:
frenchs walk around wearing a beret, holding a baguette,and adorned with a garlic necklace.
well that’s just plain bullshit :raspberry:
Yeah! And not all Irishes are drunken guitar playing drunkards!
I know at least one fella who isn’t.
Oh wait, it turns out that guy’s a Frenchie. I shoulda guessed from the beret, baguette and garlic necklace.
Almonds are the seeds of apricots.
Standing in front of a microwave oven while nuking your lunch will sterilize you.
You shouldn’t eat oranges when you have a cold.
Snacks near bedtime will fatten you more than snacks at midday.
Chocolate causes zits.
The Most Widely Believed Political Myth
…sorry to bust your balloon Spook
Oh c’mon, let’s keep politics where they belong. How are you gonna test that one using dynamite, anyway? 
All tests must involve dynamite. Or otherwise shooting something, ballistics gel and/or something dangerous or gross. And lotsa plywood.
The idea that the reason Americans aren’t talking about the theory that 9/11 was an inside job is because they haven’t heard about it yet. 
We heard about it in 2001 and were sick of conspiracy theorists by 2003, the rest of the world is late.
[quote=“trebuchet”]The idea that the reason Americans aren’t talking about the theory that 9/11 was an inside job is because they haven’t heard about it yet. We heard about it in 2001 and were sick of conspiracy theorists by 2003, the rest of the world is late.[/quote]Trebuchet -
Didja yall heer about that ‘inside job’ thingy on that theer In-Ter-Net thingamabob?
We’uns herd that a person can see wrtin’s on a 'lectrical box thing…pichurs 'n everthing.
Man o man…I caint waits 'till they get some of that 'lectricty back up in tha holler sos them’un’ll know about all them con-spire-a-see things you smart fellers all tawlk about…woo hee!
The most common Chinese medical myth:
Cold water is bad for health
“Don’t drink cold water!”
“But why?”
“…”
“Again…WHY?”
“Uh…is bad! Bad!”
[quote=“Quentin”]The most common Chinese medical myth:
Cold water is bad for health
“Don’t drink cold water!”
“But why?”
“…”
“Again…WHY?”
“Uh…is bad! Bad!”[/quote]
Oh no - there is a reason (traditional medicine) - it’s just that the reason itself is bullshit.
[quote=“Dragonbones”]Almonds are the seeds of apricots.
that’s rubbish
Standing in front of a microwave oven while nuking your lunch will sterilize you.
that’s bollocks too,and it’s kinda unfortunate,because any assholes who ever nuke kittens,puppies and even babies should end up sterilized
You shouldn’t eat oranges when you have a cold.
with oranges packed with vitamins C it’s hard to believe,but maybe a doctor would enlighten us.
Snacks near bedtime will fatten you more than snacks at midday.
didn’t take a rocket scientist to work that one out,did it?
Chocolate causes zits.
even if it’s not true I’ll submit that myth to my SO,will save us a big chunk of cash 
[/quote]
almonds, peaches, plums and apricots are all related fruits. in the almond, the outside is thin and not very interesting, and the plant has been bred to have a lush seed inside that hard shell.
in the others, the seed is small, the shell is smaller, and the outer covering is thickened and bred to be sweet and palatable. so no, almonds are not apricot seeds, but there is a clear family resemblance.
that snacks near bedtime are more fattening is an interesting hypothesis, espoused by many, but the evidence for that is weak. there is no dramatic reason why the same amount of calories simply taken at a different time will be stored any more effectively, ie be more fattening. it may have something to do with the change in the body’s metabolic rate overnight, and it may be due to differences in absorption of food while you sleep. but studies have shown that while there is a tiny energy cost difference in absorbing food at night compared to the morning, it’s not big enough to be a worry. what is more likely to be happening is that night eaters face two psychological hurdle to dieting: one is that they are more likely to add extra calories over a non-night snacker, and that’s the route to a bigger belly. the second is that people who eat more early on in the day are less likely to feel hungy later in the day, and their food choices during the day differ. the end result is that people who eat more at night tend to eat more in general: their total daily calorie intake is higher than if they ate more food earlier in the day.
so while the myth is broken, the outcome is not false.
[quote=“urodacus”]almonds, peaches, plums and apricots are all related fruits. in the almond, the outside is thin and not very interesting, and the plant has been bred to have a lush seed inside that hard shell.
in the others, the seed is small, the shell is smaller, and the outer covering is thickened and bred to be sweet and palatable. so no, almonds are not apricot seeds, but there is a clear family resemblance. [/quote]
I put this myth up because a lot of locals think they’re the same, since the Chinese is 杏 xing4 for apricot, and 杏仁 xing4ren2 (the pit or seed of the xing4) for almond, and when you eat an apricot the pit looks like an unshelled almond.
That’s my position too, which is why I put this one up as a possible myth. But I’m all ears if there’s scientific evidence (which ideally should be done as a tightly controlled experimental study).
Here’s another: Does slightly acidic rain really cause one’s hair to fall out?
acid rain? NO. wash your hair in vinegar as recommended by some folks for hair condition, and you’ll get far more acidity than the rain. heck, your natural skin pH is often lower (more acid) than the rain drops are. unless you’re a taiwanese woman, blessed with softer skin than ever seen in any commercial, and whitened to boot, then you’re talking BIG trouble!
Santa has a beard.
I did try to cut his beard off, but I missed.
Taiwan is an independent nation deserving of international recognition.
…sorry, my keyboard was temporarily possessed by the ghostly spirit of AC Dropout…
sandman’s a pretty nice guy, deep down inside.
‘Smilies’ are a funny, original, and effective way to communicate.
Please fill your posts with little animated pictures because they’re appreciated, and bear no resemblance at all to the stupid fucking high school essays written by emotionally stunted 14 year olds.
Well, let me add my NT$2 to this. The notion that Taiwan is an independent nation is widespread.
In fact, “Taiwan” is merely a geographical term. There is no country in the world today called “Republic of Taiwan,” “Taiwan Democratic Republic,” or anything similar.
As for the Republic of China on Taiwan, it is a non-sovereign entity. This is because it does not own the title to Taiwan territory.
Hence, ROC/Taiwan cannot join the United Nations at the present time because it is not sovereign.
In summary, the claim that “ROC/Taiwan is an independent nation” is a serious myth that exists in Taiwan today.