Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.
True: According to the Mayo Clinic, repellents work by blocking the receptors on mosquitoes' antenna, which normally hone in on attractants such as moisture, warmth, carbon dioxide and odor produced by humans.
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. I keep my toothbrush in the living room now.
Sorta: There's plenty of evidence that a toilet flush will propel germs into the air.
But who exactly are these dentists, and why six feet? No sources on toothbrush hygiene, including the American Dental Association, go on record with a specific distance
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
Amazingly, yes. According to multiple sites, including what appears to be the official web site on coconuts, in an emergency, the liquid inside a young coconut can be used as a substitute for blood plasma. It was done during World War II when blood supplies were low.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
Undetermined: The claim is based on the mathematical concept of geometrical progression. On the seventh fold, there are 128 sheets (two on the first, four on the second, eight on the third, 16 on the fourth, 32 on the fifth, 64 on the sixth, 128 on the seventh). That would certainly be difficult to fold, but not impossible.
One source claims to have folded a thin piece of plastic more than seven times. Another source says it's mathematically impossible to fold more than nine times.
Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.
Probably not: There is no organization that keeps track of deaths per year by donkeys. Even the World Heath Organization, with its sophisticated mortality tables, does not quantify death by donkey. To make such a claim you would have to know how many people are killed each year by donkeys, and that figure is not available.
According to The National Transportation Safety Board, there were 62 fatalities in 1999 in airline accidents (including commuter airlines and air taxis) and 628 general aviation fatalities. Not even counting aviation fatalities worldwide that the NTSB does not investigate, you would have to document more than 690 donkey-related deaths to prove they are more dangerous.
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
False: Both the American Heart Association and Johns Hopkins University state that a 150-pound person burns 71 calories watching tv for an hour, and 64 calories sleeping for an hour. Even at eight hours, sleeping burns fewer calories.
Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.
Not always: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the White Oak generally starts producing acorns at age 50. However, on good sites, it may produce seed as early as 20 years of age. The Northern Red Oak first bears fruit at age 25 or as early as 10 years on favorable sites. Seed production on the Chestnut Oak begins when the tree is about 20 years old. The Canyon Live Oak first flowers between 15 and 20 years of age. The California Black Oak, beginning at age 30.
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
Not quite: It was the first product to be scanned, but not the first product to have a bar code.
According to various sources, the first product ever scanned in a retail setting was a 10-pack of Wrigley's gum. It was moved across an NCR scanner in the checkout lane at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
The pack of gum, now on display at the Smithsonian Institution, just happened to be the first item lifted from the cart of the shopper. The Uniform Code Council assigns bar codes, also known as UPC symbols.
The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
True: According to The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, the King of Hearts did originally have a moustache but it was lost by poor copying of the original design between 1567 and 1750.
A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight. The wingspan of the B-36, a retired USAF bomber, was twice as long.
True
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first class.
True: American Airlines spokesperson Al Becker confirms this claim.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Not necessarily: The rotation of Venus is retrograde, or clockwise when viewed from above its north pole. This, of course, is opposite of the earth's rotation and almost every other planet in our solar system. There is some debate among astronomers over Uranus, which would give it a retrograde rotation as well. According to an astronomy site sponsored by The University of Arizona, the battle is over which of Uranus' poles is its north pole.
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
Yes. The Michigan Department of Agriculture says, Apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the morning. The sugar in apples, and the act of chewing, works better than a cup of coffee for keeping people alert.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
Close enough: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines aglet as a tag or metal sheath on the end of a lace, cord, or ribbon to facilitate its passing through eyelet holes or a metal sheath over the end of a shoelace or ribbon.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
False: An article on airborne allergens by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, quoted by WebMD, itemizes the contents of house dust as: fibers from different types of fabrics, cotton lint, feathers, other stuffing materials, animal dander, bacteria, mold and fungus spores, food particles, bits of plants and insects, and microscopic mites.
The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
Unknown. First of all, there is no Marlboro company. If you mean Philip Morris Companies Inc., maker of Marlboro cigarettes, that company was founded by, oddly enough, Philip Morris, Esq., a tobacconist and importer of fine cigars, according to the company's web site. Beyond that, very little is known about Philip Morris, Esq. He died in 1873 but the cause of death is not mentioned in biographies available online. Lung cancer was known about as early as the mid-1800's, so it is possible the claim is true.
So did the first 'Marlboro Man'.
This one is true. See:
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marlboro.htm
Barbie's full first name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Close: According to Barbie Collectibles, a web site run by Mattel Inc., not only is Barbie's full name Barbie Millicent Roberts, but the name is a registered trademark.
Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
True, 'nuff said.
Marilyn Monroe had six toes.
What happened to her other 4 toes???? Actually this one is false:
http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/mmtoes.htm
All U.S. presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like to be seen wearing them in public.
Probably not: Web Presidents USA is a web site by Michael A. Day that dispenses facts on 43 presidents, quoting from more than 130 reference materials. Day says most presidents wore eyeglasses at some point in their lives, from Washington who wore glasses in his later years to George Bush (Sr.), who wore glasses for reading. But there's no evidence they all wore glasses.
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
True: In his book The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life, Steven Watts says Disney was afraid of mice but found them sympathetic.
Pearls melt in vinegar.
Close enough: Technically, they dissolve.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
Probably true. Depends on the heighth of the steps.
The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days when engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
No. A more likely explanation is offered by fellow hoax-buster David E. Ross:
A horse stabled in a firehouse was indeed stabled. It was not free to wander around and reach the stairs. Actually, horses were generally kept harnessed to the fire truck, which would have severely interfered with stair climbing. The reason for circular stairways is to conserve space. A circular stairway has a much smaller 'footprint' than a straight flight and thus conserves floor space, making more available in a firehouse for stabling the horses.
And the best for last...
Turtles can breathe through their butts.
Turtles have nostrils, and they know how to use them. The Fitzroy River turtle can indeed breathe through the cloaca
However, it is misleading to say all turtles can do so--not true. A few "side-necked" turtles (like the Fitzroy River guy) can, but the vast majority of turtles either don't have cloacal bursae, or have them but can't use them for breathing.
Margerine is one molecule away from plastic
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp
Water is just one atom away from being rocket fuel.
Yes, I have way too much time on my hands.
