Popular Science Myths Debunked!

Ever wondered whether a penny dropped from a skyscraper would kill someone, or whether a chicken could live without its head? Here are the top ten myths debunked right here on Associated Content.

1) Chickens can live without a head
As gross as it sounds, some chickens have been documented to live up to 18 months without their head! The science behind this finding reveals that the brain stem which controls the chickens reflexes are usually left intact after a gruesome beheading.

2) Water drains backwards in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation
Earth's rotation is too weak to affect the direction of water flow. A few simple tests conducted in the bathroom will debunk this myth, as the direction of the flow depends on the sink's structure.

3) There is no gravity in space
Contrary to popular belief, there IS gravity in space at all times, and everywhere, albeit the force depends on distance. Space is also not a vacuum, there are atoms everywhere, just spaced further apart.

4) A penny dropped from the top of a skyscraper could kill a pedestrian
With factors such as shape, wind, and wind friction, a penny dropped from the top of the Empire State building would merely sting a pedestrian walking by.

5) Yawning is contagious
Surprisingly, this is true. People and animals alike tend to mimic each other's yawns.

6) Chicken soup can cure the Common Cold
Thank your parents as chicken soup can help reduce congestion through anti-inflammatory properties.

7) It takes years to digest gum
Though gum is hardly an easy food to digest, contrary to everyone's belief, gum receives no special treatment in the digestive system.

8) The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space
Sorry to burst your bubble Great Wall of China but other structures are visible from space, including the Pyramids of Giza, and even airport runways.

9) Animals can predict natural disasters
Unfortunately, it is a common myth that many like to believe is true. Animals do not have a sixth sense in which they can predict natural disasters, though their keen senses may help them in situations during hurricanes and tsunamis.

10) Men think about sex every seven seconds
There is no evidence to support this though it may seem that given the circumstances, men are evolutionary wired to reproduce. But there is always a chance that it may true, as the only reason why this myth was debunked was that there was no way to scientifically measure whether men think about sex every seven seconds.