Myths that Everyone Just Seems to Believe

Think you know fact from fiction? Dive into four popular myths everyone believes, from brain usage to forensics. Discover the truth behind these misconceptions in our latest video!

[ignitionfrn]

0:45 - Chapter 1 - People only use 10% of their brain
5:00 - Chapter 2 - Forensic evidence is always definitive
8:00 - Chapter 3 - A penny thrown from a skyscraper can kill you
11:05 - Chapter 4 - It's always good to reduce a fever

[seandelap]

I've never had any problem finding Simon Whistler on YT even when I'm not trying to find him

[jonragnarsson]

Can confirm, I only use 10% of my brain. The rest is filled with Monty Python quotes and internet memes.

[AJ-etzp]

I like how he says throwing coins off sky scrappers is "rude". Classic British understatement.

[brianedwards]

"One of the Mythbusters even had the penny fired into their hand..." We know that was Adam because... Adam.

[philiphumphrey]

I remember when CSI first came out it was quite accurate to life. I was working in a lab at the time and they showed all the right instruments etc. and got most of the technical jargon right. After a few series it got more and more sloppy and fanciful. I suspect they either fired their science advisors or simply stopped listening to them.

[woodsie]

The one that annoys me the most is the polygraph. Over and over, tv shows (fiction and non-fiction) treat them as though they are actually accurate, when they are no better than guessing

[patriciaposthumus]

In regards to the fever thing. A low-grade fever is good for you, say between 99 F to 102 F. This is what your body uses to activate the immune response. I have always just let my fevers ride. If I hit 103 F, it's time to take something to bring it back down so the body can do its job. That and a good nap. The body does its best work when you're asleep.

[davesartbook]

It's a common myth that only 10% of YouTube videos contain Simon Whistler

[AvB.]

To be fair, a lot of people only use 10% of their common sense...

[Nicksonian]

Eyewitness testimony too can essentially be circumstantial. Our memories are nothing like computer hard drives and is highly fallible and changable. Each time we think of a memory, it is being changed. Police and prosecutors know this and commonly manipulate witnesses, telling them what they want the witnesses to have seen and not what they actually saw.

[jeffreybenjamin]

Artistic people are "right brained" and logical people are "left brained." Has been disproven for quite a while, but I still hear or read about it from time to time.

[sporadicavenues]

Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy the speed at which you talk. I usually have my playback speed at a minimum of 1.25 until one of your videos come on and I put it back at 1x lol

[ukmediawarrior]

Luc Besson, the director and writer of Lucy, stated in an interview that he knew the whole 10% brain thing was a myth, but it made for a great opening for a sci-fi movie :)

[bannankev]

I think Simon telling us not to throw Pennie’s off the Empire State Building or Eiffel Tower because it’s rude was by far the most sounding British accent I’ve heard from him 🤣 like I was his kid and he’s telling me no 😂 💜

[dearthditch]

“Scanners” was an awesome movie when I was a kid. Made psychic powers seem realistic

[kim_o_the_concrete_jungle]

The one time I was on a jury, the forensic evidence was actually pretty good. It just didn't add up to any coherent idea of what actually happened. Not guilty.

[derickrae]

The fever facts are similar to why doctors will no longer give children cough medicine. Coughing is your body fighting off the virus. There are fewer hospitalizations when children cough. The act of coughing helps prevent pneumonia.

[Sweet_Pup_g]

Myths that Everyone Just Seems to Believe: Simon taking time off of work.

[renee_]

13:53 this isn't entirely true. In cases of severe systemic inflammation, or some tropical illnesses like malaria, temperatures above 41C can happen. Hyperthermia can also be the result of certain intoxications. Above 41C, it's still medical protocol to actively cool the patient down to somewhere below that line. The idea that it'll give you braindamage immediately is a myth, but it WILL disturb all sorts of metabolic processes in your body, leading to electrolyte disturbances and even protein denaturation. As a result, those problems can cause seizures, which is where the "braindamage-myth" is rooted in reality.
In short: you don't have anything to worry about when you have a mild fever at home, and don't need to take antipyretics to lower your fever. There are, however, medical emergencies in which active cooling is necessary to save a patients life.