10 Well-Known Facts That Aren’t Actually True

Half of all marriages don't end in divorce, and men don't think about sex every seven seconds. Sometimes, what we think we know is dead wrong.

Half of all marriages end in divorce.

Half of all marriages end in divorce.

Often cited and too rarely scrutinized, this figure is a simple comparison of the number of divorces in a given year with the number of marriages. But since those two figures represent two very different groups of people, the 50% number doesn't say much about the chance your uncle's wedding next week will eventually go sour. It doesn't even make mathematical sense — it's conceivable, if unlikely, that there could be more divorces in a year than marriages, resulting in a divorce "rate" that's greater than 100%.

The true number is far fuzzier. Researchers sometimes look at the proportion of people who were ever married and then later divorced for a more meaningful stat, and this figure is below 50% for all age groups.

Via: youare-never-toooldfordisney.tumblr.com

Men think about sex every seven seconds.

Men think about sex every seven seconds.

In 2011, researchers at Ohio State University found that college-age men thought about sex about 19 times a day, or once every 4,547 seconds.

The study corrected the damaging stereotype that men are far more sex-obsessed than women. While women recorded about half as many sex thoughts as men, they also thought less about other basic biological needs like eating and sleeping. Overall, gender was a poor predictor of how often a person thinks about sex; emotional attitude and comfort level with sex were both more indicative.

Source: pichaus.com

People only use 10% of their brains.

People only use 10% of their brains.

Mayo Clinic neurologists, Princeton neuroscientists, and the distinguished staff of MythBusters have all debunked — and ridiculed — the idea that 90% of our brains are sitting inert inside our heads. The brain is a complex organ with different areas that serve different functions, and virtually every part sees activity over the course of a single day.

Source: weheartit.com

Gun ownership has been increasing.

Gun ownership has been increasing.

Though gun sales are going up, the portion of the population that owns guns is declining.

Source: themonkeycage.org  /  via: motherjones.com


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10 Well-Known Facts That Aren’t Actually True

Half of all marriages don't end in divorce, and men don't think about sex every seven seconds. Sometimes, what we think we know is dead wrong.

Half of all marriages end in divorce.

Half of all marriages end in divorce.

Often cited and too rarely scrutinized, this figure is a simple comparison of the number of divorces in a given year with the number of marriages. But since those two figures represent two very different groups of people, the 50% number doesn't say much about the chance your uncle's wedding next week will eventually go sour. It doesn't even make mathematical sense — it's conceivable, if unlikely, that there could be more divorces in a year than marriages, resulting in a divorce "rate" that's greater than 100%.

The true number is far fuzzier. Researchers sometimes look at the proportion of people who were ever married and then later divorced for a more meaningful stat, and this figure is below 50% for all age groups.

Via: youare-never-toooldfordisney.tumblr.com

Men think about sex every seven seconds.

Men think about sex every seven seconds.

In 2011, researchers at Ohio State University found that college-age men thought about sex about 19 times a day, or once every 4,547 seconds.

The study corrected the damaging stereotype that men are far more sex-obsessed than women. While women recorded about half as many sex thoughts as men, they also thought less about other basic biological needs like eating and sleeping. Overall, gender was a poor predictor of how often a person thinks about sex; emotional attitude and comfort level with sex were both more indicative.

Source: pichaus.com

People only use 10% of their brains.

People only use 10% of their brains.

Mayo Clinic neurologists, Princeton neuroscientists, and the distinguished staff of MythBusters have all debunked — and ridiculed — the idea that 90% of our brains are sitting inert inside our heads. The brain is a complex organ with different areas that serve different functions, and virtually every part sees activity over the course of a single day.

Source: weheartit.com

Gun ownership has been increasing.

Gun ownership has been increasing.

Though gun sales are going up, the portion of the population that owns guns is declining.

Source: themonkeycage.org  /  via: motherjones.com


View Entire List ›

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