Just Because The Internet Said It, Doesn't Make It True!

Today is the official day that Larry Page and Sergey Brin launched Google in 1998. Google is the most used web-based search engine in the world. The site processes over two trillion searches a year with the average person using it 3-4 times a day. Even though it was intended for good, it can turn evil quickly. Many people used the web for a sinister purpose. Using the platform to pass deadly lies and false information. Here are some terrible and lethal myths we all believe to be true.

If lost in the desert, drink water from a cactus to stay hydrated.

Never do this, as the pulp from a cactus can be highly acidic. Consuming it will like cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, making your dehydration worst. Instead, eat the fruit from it, such as the prickly pear, to get some water in your system. Just watch out for the Glochids (hair-like needles) and spines on the cactus. If you can’t find any looks for other plant life. The denser and greener it is, the more water it needs to thrive, so it’ll grow near any above-ground or underground water source.

If a tornado is coming, open all the doors and windows to save your home.

The average tornado lasts only 90 seconds. So, there’s a good chance that before you finish this task, the tornado would be long over. Doing this puts you at risk of getting injured by the glass or other injury in the event something hits the window you are opening. If you achieve this in time, you’ll create a wind tunnel resulting in your roof being ripped off. It’s best to leave them alone. There is no way to control the path of the tornado. The best way to survive one is to put as many walls between you and it.

Moss grows on the north-facing side of a tree.

Moss doesn’t understand the magnetic poles of Earth and grows where ever it wants. Moss prefers areas with high moisture levels as it thrives in such an environment. If you plan on going on a hike, stick to the pre-determined paths made for you by the forest service operating the area. Should you find yourself lost in the woods, stay in one spot to wait for the rescue to come to you. Before going on any outdoor adventure, leave an itinerary with someone not going with a set time of your return, just in case something happens to you.

Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

If this were true, then how does the Empire State Building get hit 25 times a year by lightning? Lightning is a high-powered, natural electric discharge caused when there are too many positively charged particles in the sky and too many negative particles on the ground. To balance itself, the sky discharges these positive particles into the closest object it can reach to release the energy, causing a spark. There are many ways to survive lightning, so for more information on that visit, https://vocal.media/earth/nature-s-fastest-killer.

I saw Bear do it, so it must be true!

For every nine things Bear Grylls does right, he’ll do one thing wrong. Bear Grylls is a survival instructor and a former member of the SAS British service. Bear is highly trained in wilderness survival, but you aren’t. What you are not seeing is the years of highly specialized training he had to go through to get to where he is today. He has many, many hours of field experience, so he knows the difference between baneberry and red elderberry. Just in case something goes wrong, he has a whole medical team off-camera to help. What you are seeing is a show meant to entertain, not something to take as fact.

For my article on First Aid Myths, check out https://vocal.media/longevity/don-t-buy-snake-oil