Science Myths: Synthetic Chemicals Are Bad
Source: Free HD Photos
No matter how badly you want to pin everything horrible that happens on man-made chemicals, the truth is that synthetic chemicals—like those found in nature—are neither inherently good or bad, and these associations have more to do with packaging than they do science.
There are actually many more natural substances that will bring you harm than synthetic ones; botulinum and cyanide are natural and are fatal in relatively small doses. Synthetic chemicals found in pharmaceuticals have advanced medicine and prolonged our overall life expectancy. There are favorable substances and there are unfavorable ones, but don’t assume that natural unequivocally means good, and synthetic equals bad.
Myth: Evolution Is Synonymous With “Always Getting Better”
Source: Nature
Many species evolve to become more fit to their environment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are becoming “better”… just more apt to survive and reproduce in their current situation. Natural selection is the most important facet of evolution, as it works to ensure favorable traits get passed on – but lots of creatures have remained virtually unchanged over long periods of time because the need for large changes haven’t existed in quite some time. Evolution is the process of adapting to a changing environment, and that’s all.
Myth: Gravity Is Absent In Space.
Source: Shalom Life
On the contrary; there is quite a lot of gravity in space. It’s what causes satellites to orbit the earth, stars to orbit the center of their galaxy, and the Earth to orbit the sun. Astronauts look and feel weightless in space because they are always falling and never landing. They are being influenced by gravitational pull towards the earth – but moving enough sideways simultaneously to always be missing it. Even 250 miles above the Earth at normal orbit height, the gravitational pull is only 10% less than on its surface.
Myth: The Big Bang Theory Explains How The Universe Was Created
Source: Wikipedia
The difference here is all in the wording. The theory of the big bang uses our observations and pulls from them the theory of how the early universe expanded from a tiny, condensed state into what it is today, not how (or when) time, matter and energy physically came into existence. It doesn’t purport to have anything to do with what came before this rapid expansion, or anything outside of our known universe.
Enjoy this look at fascinatingly pervasive science myths? Then be sure to check out our other posts on space facts and interesting animals you won’t believe are real!
