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Nanara
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 Myth Busters
What scientific urban myths have been busted?
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If you know of an urban myth to do with science that people keep using even though it's been busted... how's about we post them here with links to articles about the busting.
Bumble bee myth.
A common scientific anecdote is stating that at one point science said that according to physics a bumble bee can not fly. But this is actually a myth that was misinterpreted over the many years of it's use. This from Wiki:
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According to 20th century folklore, the laws of aerodynamics prove that the bumblebee should be incapable of flight, as it does not have the capacity (in terms of wing size or beats per second) to achieve flight with the degree of wing loading necessary. Not being aware of scientists 'proving' it cannot fly, the bumblebee succeeds under "the power of its own ignorance".[25] The origin of this myth has been difficult to pin down with any certainty. John McMasters recounted an anecdote about an unnamed Swiss aerodynamicist at a dinner party who performed some rough calculations and concluded, presumably in jest, that according to the equations, bumblebees cannot fly.[26] In later years McMasters has backed away from this origin, suggesting that there could be multiple sources, and that the earliest he has found was a reference in the 1934 French book Le vol des insectes; they had applied the equations of air resistance to insects and found that their flight was impossible, but that "One shouldn't be surprised that the results of the calculations don't square with reality".[27]
Some credit physicist Ludwig Prandtl (1875–1953) of the University of Göttingen in Germany with popularizing the myth. Others say it was Swiss gas dynamicist Jacob Ackeret (1898–1981) who did the calculations.
In 1934, French entomologist Antoine Magnan included the following passage in the introduction to his book Le Vol des Insectes:
Tout d'abord poussé par ce qui fait en aviation, j'ai appliqué aux insectes les lois de la résistance de l'air, et je suis arrivé avec M. SAINTE-LAGUE a cette conclusion que leur vol est impossible.
This means:
First prompted by the fact of aviation, I have applied the laws of the resistance of air to insects, and I arrived, with Mister Sainte-Lague, at the conclusion that their flight is impossible.
Magnan refers to his assistant André Sainte-Laguë who was, apparently, an engineer.
It is believed that the calculations which purported to show that bumblebees cannot fly are based upon a simplified linear treatment of oscillating aerofoils. The method assumes small amplitude oscillations without flow separation. This ignores the effect of dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight. More sophisticated aerodynamic analysis shows that the bumblebee can fly because its wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle.[28]
Another description of a bee's wing function is that the wings work similarly to helicopter blades, "reverse-pitch semirotary helicopter blades".
Bees beat their wings approximately 200 times a second, which is 10–20 times as fast as nerve impulses can fire. They achieve this because their thorax muscles do not expand and contract on each nerve firing, but rather vibrate like a plucked rubber band. |
So, what this says is that in fact the anecdote was likely to have been used to illustrate how obviously incomplete the theory of aerodynamics and flight is/was, because according to pre-vortex theories of aerodynamics bumble bees couldn't fly when it was obvious that in fact they could.
Link for the more scientific minded about how a bumblebee flies.
Anyone have any others?
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 Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:23 am
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Loh
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Myth: Geisha are highly skilled, refined concubines
This cultural misconception has been a persistent myth which has wound it's way through western generations since America's involvement in Japan during WWII. This misinterpretation is even still with us today, enforced by inaccurate media portrayals such as within the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha".
It is believed that the rise of this myth came about due to the very culturally unique and somewhat secretive lives led by the Geisha, and to the unwitting western mind, their role in society seemed almost similar to that of a dignified concubine. This misunderstanding was mixed with the history of the Oiran, who worked as courtesans during the Edo period in Japan. Like the Geisha, they were usually well educated in the arts, and entertained clients with their charm and companionship during ceremonies and dinners. But unlike the Geisha, they partook in sexual acts with their clients.
These combined cultural misinterpretations of Japanese society gave birth to the myth of the "Elegant Oriental Concubine".
Geisha (or "Geiko") literally translates to "artist", and their craft is generally considered a life-long career. Acquired as young girls, generally "scouted" by a Geisha house for their beauty, intelligence, and grace, the young Geisha, or Maiko, train in the beautiful traditional dances of Japan. They often learn to play an instrument, sing, and become well versed in history and politics. For as long as they remain Geisha (often until about the age of 40), they live within a Geisha House, which is passed down through generations of Geisha. After that time, a Geisha may retire and live a comfortable life as a "regular citizen".
In truth, all this only begins to scratch surface of the deeply complex system surrounding this art form.
Sadly, however, the world of the Geisha is slowly fading away due to the modernization of the nation of Japan. Modern Geisha are often no longer brought up from a young age, and instead only begin their rigorous training from teenager-hood, which has caused many of the refined talents of the Geisha to be lost.
One of my favorite books of all time is entitled Geisha, a Life, which is a fascinating autobiography by an actual Geisha, who desperately desired to shed light on her secretive past, in hopes of enlightening others about the truth of her beautiful, though deeply challenging life. Her detailed story is absolutely incredible, and the true nature behind the Geisha is far more phenomenal than any myth. It's full of color and humor, perseverance, strength, and honor. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who has an interest in Japanese culture, or the disappearing art of the Geisha.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:53 am
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Seraphyna
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Mythbusters is an awesome show by the way.
Myth: We only use about 10-20% of our brains and using more of the brain results in psychic powers.
The truth is that we utilize basically all of our brains so alleged psychic powers are not based in using more neurons than the next person.
An article on the subject can be found here: http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percent.asp (some of which I'd copy and paste here if not for the fact that my computer refuses to hilight any of it).
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:14 am
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*Everything I post comes with a built-in "I believe." It's annoying having to restate that fact over and over again. What I post is a reflection of personal belief. Nothing more.*
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Miniar
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Nanara
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Miniar
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Nanara
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*Chuckles* Yes! I have to admit my first thought when she showed that was the same as the presenter's, that it could be used to impair morality for nefarious purposes.. XD hehe.. the scientist in me wants to know what else it would affect in other areas of the brain.. I mean... could it for example, turn off the pain receptors in the brain in folks who live with chronic pain? Or be a safe form of anaesthetic for people who are allergic to the drug variety for operations... or... help to treat mental health conditions without seriously scary drugs? Or help treat stuff like epilepsy... *shrugs* I don't know enough about the biological sides of many of these conditions.. but it'd be fascinating to learn about.. damn.. there goes my geeky squee again XD hehe
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:58 pm
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