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Misconceptions

The Latest

Nine moments in history that feel like timeline glitches, from surprising overlaps to unbelievable coincidences.

Despite decades of research, these ADHD myths still affect how people understand attention and behavior.
Logan DeLoye|
There's a whole lot of false or unverified information about detox juices, cleanses, and supplements.
Eden Gordon|
We're separating fact from fiction when it comes to these deadly diseases.
Chelsea Thatcher|
Ever follow a strategy to try to get free upgrades on a flight? Those “hacks” might not actually work after all.
Natalie Zamora|
These common myths continue to spread each winter.
Paul Anthony Jones|
How much water should you really drink a day? Well, it’s complicated.
Kat Long|
The inhabitants of the Sunshine State may not be as old or kooky as you think.
Stacy Conradt|
The details of the story—both small and big—have been interpreted in different ways, some of which have no evidence at all.
Paul Anthony Jones|
Don’t believe everything you hear while in the kitchen—even if it’s an old trick your grandma swears by.
Michele Debczak|
People get a lot wrong about this secretive government agency.
Jake Rossen|
From blue balls to broken hymens, there’s a lot people don’t understand about sex.
Ellen Gutoskey|
The stories might sound interesting, but they’re not all necessarily the truth. Here are five misconceptions about how popular phrases were invented.
Ryan Menezes|
We all remember playing ‘The Oregon Trail’ on our old computers, but how accurate was that game to real life?
Meredith Danko|
Pop culture gets a fair bit wrong about higher education.
Stacy Conradt|
Aging might seem scary, but you probably don’t have all of the facts.
Jake Rossen|
Breaking down the truth behind common Mount Everest beliefs.
Lorna Wallace|
Were the 1970s a low-tech era? And did everyone actually hate disco?
Shayna Murphy|
There are a lot of misconceptions about the Arctic, from the whole concept of the North Pole, to the number of penguins who live there.
Kat Long|
How accurate are Jane Austen novels in representing the actual Regency Era? Not very, as it turns out.
Kat Long|
Do you have to wear black to a funeral? Does a procession always end at a cemetery? We answer all of the burning questions you might have never thought to ask about funerals.
Jake Rossen|

More From the History Section

Meet seven trailblazing women who transformed medicine, from the first female doctors to Nobel Prize–winning scientists.
Nitya Rao|
From 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood to 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins, these books are frequently the subject of bans and controversy.
Eden Gordon|
History was made 150 years ago today when Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call. Learn facts about the phone’s evolution in honor of the anniversary.
Jenny Cohen|
These remarkable women broke every rule of their time, risking their lives disguising themselves as men to fight in some of history’s most violent wars.
Logan DeLoye|
Uncover the dark history of ‘hysteria,’ a once-common diagnosis that misunderstood women and shaped medical science for centuries.
Nitya Rao|
You'll find accusations of witchcraft, cave-like rooms, and plenty of "Ye Oldes" on this list of historic, lore-steeped taverns.
Sam Hindman|
From female scientists whose work was credited to men to ancient high priestesses, these women truly changed history—but were also overlooked by it.
Eden Gordon|
Those tight hotel sheets have their roots in hospitals and military traditions.
Paul Anthony Jones|
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