Wrong Science and Factoids

[Michaelangelica]

I was inspired to start this thread by reading something blantanly wrong in a Science textbook. I'm sure others come across the same at times and might like to post them here.

 

Factoids are what we all think are facts but aren't.

 

EG Wrong Science

"A simple model of leaf longevity can predict why evergreen plants predominate in tropical and polar regions but are largely absent from temperate zone areas"

Hello!? What about the Continent of Australia and all those non-deciduous Eucalyptus and others?

From "Ecology" Forth Edition Charles J. Krebs

 

EG a factoid

"Busy as a bee"

Bees are only busy 20% of the time. (Source: Karl Kruszelnicki)

I think the rest of the time they sit around reading "Woman's Day":)

[Michaelangelica]

Is Phi a factoid?

Narration: A quick trawl on the internet reveals that Phi and the Fibonacci sequence seem to be developing their own cult.

Within the mathematics itself, the equations for phi, the equations for Fibonacci numbers..(audio jump cut), it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful mathematics.

Phi fanatics, or Fibonuts as they call themselves, claim there’s hundreds of examples of both appearing in the natural world. But is it just urban myth? Marty and I are going to put four of these claims to the test. Keep watching and we'll reveal whether or not all the fuss about Phi and the Fibonacci sequence adds up. My quest to find out the truth about Phi, the mysterious golden ratio, and its curious cousin the Fibonacci sequence continues. Phi fanatics claim this number, which has a value of 1.618, and the Fibonacci sequence can be found all around us in nature.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1692237.htm

[Michaelangelica]

EG of a factoid

"Alfred Nobel ( the father of Nobel Prizes) invented Nitroglycerine?

T or F?

 

False

Nitroglycerine was invented by the Italian Ascanio Sobero in 1846.

 

The Nobel family just developed safe ways of handling it.

In the process killing Emil Nobel; Alfred's brother.

By the 1870's Alfred was in full production.

With the massive building of railways at the time his product was very much in demand

 

Q-

Nitroglycerine is a heart medicine?

T or F?

 

True

Alfred Nobel found it ironic that he was prescribed it in his later years

 

SOURCE "An Irony of Fate" by John Quintner Pp 80-81 of Cosmos Issue 2 August 2005

[Tormod]

Did Edison invent the light bulb? True or false.

[ronthepon]

Gotta be false.

 

Reason/logic: If it were true, such a question would not be asked.

[CraigD]

Did Edison invent the light bulb? True or false.

Depends on what you mean by “invent” and “light bulb”.

 

The idea of making light with an electric current and a glowing filament was at least 75 years old when Edison started his work, so false.

 

No previous filament design was suitable for commercial sale – the world had largely given up on filaments in favor of electric arc lamps. Edison came up with a successful commercial filament light bulb, but was beaten by about a year by an English inventor (with whom he later partnered). So, again, false.

 

If my “invent” you mean “successfully sell in the US”, Edison invented the light bulb. Otherwise, he didn’t. He sure managed to sell a lot of them, though, in the US and all over the world. :eek_big:

[Tormod]

Right you are, Craig. In fact, in the lab in Munro Park where Edison "invented" the light bulb...hung a light bulb.

 

However, AFAIK Edison's team were the first to make a bulb shine continously for hours and hours.

 

They were also the first to industrialize the production of the light bulb.

[pgrmdave]

I believe that's 'Menlo' park, T.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Ostriches DO NOT stick their heads in the ground. This phenomena was first described in the book Naturalis Historia written by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder. An ostrich apparently stuck its head in a bush

 

The true science behind ostriches' actions: Ostriches DO lie down on the ground with their necks straight out. This makes them appear like a mound of dirt from a distance.

[Jay-qu]

Some people say daddy long legs are the most poisonous spiders but lack the fangs to pierce human skin. There has never been any evidence to prove this, there has been no experiments in harvesting venom and testing. Normally by injecting it into mice.

[Michaelangelica]

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - By Randall Munroe