Urban myths...

Just wanted to see what kind of urban myths you all believed when you were younger... Like if you eat pop-rocks and drink pepsi, your stomach will explode. Or, if you swallow your gum, it'll stay in your stomach for 7 years. stuff like that...

Oh yeah, and if you go to www.snopes.com, they research these kinds of myths/legends and tell you wether they are true or false...

I believed the one about going blind...when I found out that I needed glasses,I would only risk one eye on the lingerie catalogues for a loooooooooong time.....;)

I used to believe that if you swallowed a seed it would grow inside your stomach (a bit like the bubblegum one I guess :p )

I also try to avoid breaking mirrors, spilling salt, walking under ladders, etc (even though these are just superstitions :p )

Yeah, gum does take, 7 years I think, to digest so......yeah.

I never believe in that stuff.

Originally posted by Damien
Yeah, gum does take, 7 years I think, to digest so......yeah.

I never believe in that stuff.

I remember watching a show (I think it was the "Daily Show" back when Craig Kilborn was the host), and they sent one of their "reporters" out to talk to some executives at Wrigley's (or some other gum company) about this, and none of them would answer any of the questions. It was hillarious...

According to Snopes.com:
Origins: It's hard to find anyone who hasn't heard this specious claim about swallowed gum, usually when they were children. No, there's nothing to support this rumor; as sticky as chewing gum might appear to be outside the body, once it's sent down the alimentary canal it's no more remarkable in that respect than most anything else we swallow.

This oft-repeated claim may stem from genuine confusion over a term commonly applied to chewing gum: indigestible. Although gum resists the body's efforts to break it down (hence the 'indigestible' designation), it does not linger in the stomach. Gum is eliminated as human waste in the same way -- and at the same rate -- as any other swallowed matter. Granted, it comes out the far end relatively unchanged by the trip, but it does come out on schedule...

Originally posted by ci5ic


I remember watching a show (I think it was the "Daily Show" back when Craig Kilborn was the host), and they sent one of their "reporters" out to talk to some executives at Wrigley's (or some other gum company) about this, and none of them would answer any of the questions. It was hillarious...

According to Snopes.com:
Origins: It's hard to find anyone who hasn't heard this specious claim about swallowed gum, usually when they were children. No, there's nothing to support this rumor; as sticky as chewing gum might appear to be outside the body, once it's sent down the alimentary canal it's no more remarkable in that respect than most anything else we swallow.

This oft-repeated claim may stem from genuine confusion over a term commonly applied to chewing gum: indigestible. Although gum resists the body's efforts to break it down (hence the 'indigestible' designation), it does not linger in the stomach. Gum is eliminated as human waste in the same way -- and at the same rate -- as any other swallowed matter. Granted, it comes out the far end relatively unchanged by the trip, but it does come out on schedule...

If true, then a lot of teachers need to be fired since I heard this in school! :confused:

That Coke used to contain cocaine (actually true)
Coke was originally green (actually true)
Coke invented Santa Claus (well it could be argued yes...)
Coke was invented as a hangover cure (yes actually that's true as well)

Not so true...
Red Bull contains an extract from Bull's testicles (it actually contains a synthesized amino, that was originally isolated from bulls, called Taurine)

I used to believe the gum one...