Mental Floss: Misconceptions

Did early human ancestors hunt dinosaurs? Are we actually related to apes?

Do Florida Man stories really happen all that often in Florida? In this episode of Misconceptions, Justin Dodd, a born and raised Floridian, debunks several myths about the Sunshine State, from the Fountain of Youth to the Florida Man.

The 1970s were an iconic decade that some of us lived through, and some of us have absorbed through TV and movies. Let's see what society remembers correctly, from the rise of hair metal to the sexual revolution. Host Justin Dodd breaks down some common myths and misconceptions about the '70s.

Pop culture has shaped the way a lot of us think about college and higher education. If movies and University courses will be so demanding that you’ll constantly be pulling all-nighters, pounding coffee and energy drinks in order to stay awake to cram for your next big test, right? On this episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd breaks down these higher-level myths. If your professor is 15 minutes late, are you really allowed to leave? How important is picking the right major in college? Does everyone join a fraternity or sorority? And what about the whole “freshman 15” thing? Grab your books, and let's dive in.

Blue balls, STIs, and popping your cherry. We're covering all of the topics you've always wondered about but were too embarrassed to ask in our latest episode of misconceptions.

With so much emotion surrounding funerals, it’s easy to see why people simply avoid thinking about them and continue to believe in certain misunderstandings about the process. What have we gotten wrong?

Is print media dead? Is all media biased? Are journalists rolling in dough?? Today on Misconceptions, we're covering the wide world of journalism. The world of media has changed so much in just a few decades, so it makes sense that we're all a little unclear on the current state of it all. Join host Justin Dodd (@juddtoday) as we debunk some common misconceptions about journalism.

Can lightning hurt you while you’re inside? What’s the true shape of a rainbow? And is there a chance that snow isn’t actually white? Join host Justin Dodd as he unpacks some myths and misconceptions about weather.

From diving to gymnastics to the strange world of curling, there are a lot of Olympic sports that we don't fully understand. Seriously, why do curlers yell so much??

When some of us picture Africa, we imagine a vast land where safari animals roam freely and in tandem with the village people. Where food and water are perpetually sparse, winding dirt paths are your only method of travel, and technology doesn’t exist. But, of course, none of that is accurate. On this episode of Misconceptions, host Bethel Afful breaks down some myths about African culture, from what makes up African cuisine, to folklore you may not have heard of.

Is the nickname The Windy City simply a reference to Chicago’s weather? What’s the difference between the London Eye and your average ferris wheel? Is Beijing’s Forbidden City actually forbidden? In this episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd debunks some myths about famous major cities.

When you think of the most famous ancient Greek sculptures in the world–The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, Hermes of Olympia—you immediately think of smooth, white stone. But ancient Greek statues were originally colorful. REALLY colorful.

Like pretty much every generation once it reaches its teen years, Gen Z has attracted lots of negative stereotypes. But as these children of the digital age enter their adult years, so come the misconceptions.