Is it true? Let’s check.

The saying that lightning never strikes the same place twice is one of the most familiar bits of weather folklore.

Few claims about animals are repeated as casually as the idea that a goldfish forgets everything after three seconds.

The idea that humans use only ten percent of their brains is one of the most persistent myths in popular culture.

The idea that Napoleon Bonaparte was unusually short is one of the most persistent myths in popular history.

The image of a Viking warrior wearing a helmet with two horns is one of the most recognizable stereotypes in popular culture.

Few quotations are as famous as the one attributed to Marie Antoinette: when told that her subjects had no bread, she supposedly replied, "Let them eat cake.

The story that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb is one of the most familiar tales in popular history.

The idea that Apple computers are immune to viruses is a persistent myth that has circulated for decades.

In the world of digital photography, one claim has echoed through advertisements, store displays, and casual conversations for years: more megapixels always mean…

Few sayings about animals are as familiar as the idea that bats are blind.

The idea that ostriches bury their heads in the sand is one of the most persistent animal myths.

The image of a furious bull charging at a fluttering red cape is one of the most recognizable scenes in traditional bullfighting.

The myth that fortune cookies are Chinese is pervasive, but it is not supported by historical evidence.

The idea that French fries originated in France is a classic example of a myth based on a name.

The sandwich is one of the most familiar foods in the world, yet its origin is often shrouded in a persistent myth.

The idea that the Great Wall of China is the only human-made object visible from space is one of the most persistent geographical myths.

Few science trivia claims are repeated as confidently as the idea that water spirals down a drain one way in the Northern Hemisphere and the opposite way in the…

The idea that a penny dropped from a tall building can kill someone is a classic urban legend that has been repeated for generations.

Few statements about ancient Egypt are repeated as confidently as the idea that the pyramids were built by slaves.

The claim that Albert Einstein failed mathematics in school is one of the most persistent legends about famous historical figures.

The idea that medieval people believed the Earth was flat is one of the most persistent myths about the Middle Ages.

Many people have heard that leaving a phone plugged in overnight will ruin its battery.

Many smartphone users have heard the advice that closing background apps is a good way to save battery life.

Many people use the terms "internet" and "the web" interchangeably, as if they were two names for the same thing.

Many people grow up hearing that if you touch a baby bird, its mother will smell human scent on it and abandon or reject it.

Few animal stories are as famous, or as grim, as the idea that lemmings periodically march to a cliff and throw themselves into the sea in a mass suicide.

The idea that dogs see the world in black and white is one of the most persistent misconceptions about animal perception.

Bananas are among the most recognizable fruits in the world, and they are often pictured growing in lush, tree-like formations.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and the small dark objects that give it its flavor are almost universally called "coffee beans.

The idea that people swallow spiders in their sleep is a widely shared myth that has circulated for decades.