Myths, old wives’ tales, things your parents told you to make you stop doing something – there’s all sorts of information floating around out there that’s pure fiction.

Some of us might even repeat these things to our kids, even if we can’t back them up with evidence.

From bubble gum to brains, here are 20 things we were told at some point as kids that just aren’t true:

1. If you swallow watermelon seeds they start to grow in your stomach

This is simply made up to scare kids (and probably keep them from gobbling down watermelon with such abandon that they choke on the seeds).

So, no, a plant will not sprout in your stomach. In fact, there’s some nutritional value to those seeds!

2. If you swallow gum, it’ll stay in your stomach for 7 years and might clog your intestines

Gum is made from some pretty gross stuff that your body can’t always digest, but it does pass through your system.

You certainly should avoid swallowing large amounts of gum, but the only problems with obstructions that have come up were in young children who were either eating a lot or putting other things in their mouth (such as coins) to help cause their issues.

3. You’ll get a cold if you go outdoors with wet hair

Colds are caused by viruses and there’s nothing about wet hair that makes you more susceptible to a virus.

Cold air might make your nose run, but that’s temporary and it’s not a cold.

So just go wash your hands.

4. Sneezing with your eyes open will cause them to fall out

It’s not impossible to sneeze with your eyes open, but many of us don’t.

Even if we did, there’s simply not enough pressure to cause our eyeballs to pop out.

If a sneeze is really aggressive, you may cause some veins to hemorrhage, but that’ll just leave you red in the face until they heal.

Your eyeballs are safe.

5. If you don’t stop frowning or making that face, it’s going to stay that way

Well, that’s just your mom trying to get you to stop making that face.

Worry about frowning when you get into your 40s – that’s when lines start to appear based on common facial movements (but more often than not even those are due to sun exposure and other bad habits like smoking).

6. It’s illegal to have a light on in the car while driving

It depends on the state, but in most of the U.S., there’s absolutely no reason you can’t have your car lights on while out on the road.

It does, however, make seeing the road more difficult at night and if your light is on so you can look for something while you drive, a cop can easily pull you over for distracted driving.

That said, the interior lights are there to make it easier to get in and out of the vehicle at night – they aren’t made to be used while driving.

7. Touching a toad can cause warts

Frogs and toads have wart-like bumps on their bodies, some that excrete toxins to keep away predators.

But there’s nothing contagious about those warts.

Still, you should leave the animals alone unless you’re trying to help them.

8. You can’t get into the pool for X amount of time after you eat

Dive right in!

It might not be the most comfortable feeling to start swimming before your food begins to digest, but there’s no harm in it.

It’s not going to cause cramps and make you drown.

Cramps can result from dehydration (yes, even though you’re IN water), so make sure you take it easy on the alcohol if you’re at the beach or pool.

9. We lose most of our body heat through our heads

The amount of heat you lose depends on surface area. The larger the surface area exposed to the cold, the more heat a part of your body can lose.

Babies not wearing hats tend to lose heat through their heads because, for their body size, their heads are very large.

But you’re more likely to lose heat through an exposed arm or leg.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should skip the hat – any part of you exposed to the elements will let your body heat escape.

10. Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis

It’s annoying and it’s not a great habit, but there’s no correlation between knuckle cracking and arthritis.

Researchers at Harvard have conducted multiple studies and found there to be no connection at all.

11. We only have 5 senses

Just because Aristotle could only name 5 senses doesn’t mean that’s it.

Sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste are just a few of the up to 22 senses that researchers have identified. Those include a sense of time, pain, hunger, balance…the list goes on.

12. Humans only use 10% of their brain

If you spend a lot of time on social media you might not have a hard time believing that people aren’t using their whole brain.

But, in fact, we use all parts of our brain – and nearly every part is active while we are navigating the world.

13. If you cross your eyes too long – or someone hits you on the back while you’re doing it – they’ll stay that way

It’s just not true. Once we learn how to do it, it can be fun to practice and freak people out, but it does no permanent damage.

It just tends to annoy adults, so they discourage it by trying to scare kids.

14. Bulls dislike the color red

We can see how someone decided to claim this since the flag that matadors wave during (increasingly illegal) bullfights is red.

However, as far as we know, bulls are color blind. They’re simply attacking the flag because it’s moving and that’s what agitates them (in addition to the screaming crowds).

15. Feed a cold, starve a fever

Don’t starve yourself or force yourself to wolf down food while you’re sick.

Stick to healthy meals and snacks that keep you hydrated. Once you’re sick, there’s very little that food can do to bolster your immune system – but a lack of food or liquids can make things worse.

16. Chocolate (or potato chips, etc) cause acne

There’s nothing special about chocolate – or any other food – that causes acne (unless you are sensitive to it). Instead, it’s more about the amount of sugar you introduce into your diet.

If your body gets too much sugar (or is sensitive to dairy) that might trigger an acne flare-up.

17. Dogs sweat through their tongues

Nope. There are no sweat glands in a dog’s tongue.

They pant because breathing in that air over their moist mouths and noses helps cool them down.

But they actually sweat – for the most part – through the pads on their paws.

18. Einstein failed math

Sorry, there’s no excuse for your bad math grades and it doesn’t mean you’re secretly a genius.

Like many factoids and quotes related to Einstein, this one is also just flat-out wrong.

He was very gifted in mathematics.

19. Humans evolved from monkeys or apes

Even most adults still believe this, despite having learned it’s not true in high school biology (provided your school taught evolution).

We’re genetically related to monkeys and apes (and most closely to the latter), but that’s because both species evolved from a common ancestor about 5-8 million years ago.

20. Shaving body hair makes it grow back thicker and darker

Another myth that even adults believe.

When hair grows (or grows back after being plucked), it has a tapered end and simply feels softer. It’s also been exposed to sunlight longer than any stubble has and can be lighter in color.

When hair grows back after shaving, it simply feels rough because it has a blunt end.

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How many of these myths did you still believe?

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Source: Information Is Beautiful