20 Debunked Facts

The elephant is the only animal with four knees. (false – technically, it has two knees) Tweet This

The moon is not the only natural satellite of Earth. (false – no other object has stayed in orbit long enough to be considered a satellite) Tweet This

Kangaroos never fart. (false) Tweet This

So far, nobody has succeeded in eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon for less than a minute without drinking any water. (false – but don’t try it) Tweet This

Polar bears are left-handed. (not proven) Tweet This

Only a few rivers in the world flow north. (inaccurate – plenty of rivers do) Tweet This

Sex toys are prohibited in India. (false) Tweet This

Crime in New York City dropped significantly as a result of measures such as fixing broken windows, painting over graffiti and arresting free riders in the metro. (not proven – many instead attribute it to the birth-control pill, introduced exactly 18 years prior to the observed drop in crime. It apparently removed many ‘unwanted’ children from the streets, who normally would have joined gangs.) Tweet This

The last new antibiotic was invented in the 1970s. Anything marketed since then is just an upgraded or fine-tuned version of existing antibiotics. (false) Tweet This

Nobody has ever seen a giant sepia alive. (false) Tweet This

Glass is a liquid and ‘flows’ incredibly slowly. The windows of really old buildings are thinner at the top as the glass ‘flows’ down due to gravity. (false) Tweet This

So far, nobody has witnessed a blue whale giving birth. (false) Tweet This

$1 000 000 banknotes exist. (false) Tweet This

When the moon gets bigger, plants grow faster. (not proven) Tweet This

Werdenberg, Switzerland is the smallest town in Europe. It has 70 residents. (false – Hum, Croatia had a population of 21 in 2011 and is listed as the world’s smallest town) Tweet This

In some salmon farms, a small shark is let in intentionally in order to keep the fish alert. This is believed to improve the salmon’s taste. (not proven) Tweet This

In some countries, an unmarried man can’t own female goats. (not proven) Tweet This

Except for the jelly fish, all animal bodies today have three tissue layers. (false – thousands of species have two layers) Tweet This

Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors. (false)Tweet This

There are no herbivores amongst the 10 most intelligent animal species. (wrong – elephant) Tweet This