Lets debunk some urban legends

[ahnuld]

I hear alot of facts every day that someone "read somewhere", things that make no sense but are somewhat concerning. Lets get to the bottom of it here. Post these urban legends that you've heard and if someone reads one that they know is true or false, please debunk it for everyone's benefit.

Ill start with one I heard yesterday. Keeping your cellphone in your front pocket causes sterility in men.

[Howard Treesong]

I am dating myself with these, but:

1) oil companies drove tanker trucks out into the desert east of LA and dumped gasoline into the desert in order to raise prices;

2) Richard Gere was taken to the hospital with a hamster inserted in his anus.

I'm not sure that the second fits the OP's requirement of "somewhat concerning," but what the hell.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]
Keeping your cellphone in your front pocket causes sterility in men.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is sort of a half-truth that has been exaggerated extremely. Radiation is not healthy, and may in some cases lead to sterilisation.

[tsearcher]

1. Celebrity deaths come in threes.

2. Being cold causes the common cold. (More of an old wives tale than urban legend)

[mmbt0ne]

[ QUOTE ]
1) oil companies drove tanker trucks out into the desert east of LA and dumped gasoline into the desert in order to raise prices;

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, I hadn't heard this one. Can you imagine how many tankers they would need for this to actually make a difference?

[Arnfinn Madsen]

Also, related to the oil tankers in the desert:
-Oil prices manipulate the price of oil
They are almost without influence, very few of them have any influence on how much oil is produced at all, it is decided by various governments.

[punkass]

Entering your PIN in reverse will contact the authorities from the ATM.

Pouring coke on a pork chop will bring out worms.

[josh_x]

i have a friend who specialises in these kind of out of context, exaggarated, controvertial, f-in annoying, 'i'm so smart' facts. Some ones i remember:

"did you know if you sneeze 5 times in a row it's equivalent to an epileptic fit" (wtf?)
"isn't it funny that bill gates grew up poor but now he's really rich?"
"kiss kiss bang bang was a remake you know?"
"you get really bad diseases from cats, like you know they are super diseasy"
"you only use 10% of your brain you know. What do you mean you idiot, it's a scientific proven fact"
"cheers is why seinfeld was popular"
"quentin tarrintino wrote [some movie, i forget] because he liked this girl and wanted to make her a movie"
"you know the beatles were like completely gonna make a lord of the rings movie?"
"arrested development went off air because it was too expensive [obviously, why the [censored] else do shows go off]. What, you didn't know that (scoff scoff)"

this dude pisses me off he's got many more

"when i was in fiji i breathed through this thing where you could breathe through water [not possible]. I'm sorry, have you been to fiji? didnt think so."

[guids]

"when i was in fiji i breathed through this thing where you could breathe through water [not possible]. I'm sorry, have you been to fiji? didnt think so."


A snorkel?

[josh_x]

[ QUOTE ]
"when i was in fiji i breathed through this thing where you could breathe through water [not possible]. I'm sorry, have you been to fiji? didnt think so."


A snorkel?

[/ QUOTE ]

lol sorry that was unclear, he meant some sort of snorkel styled apparatus that lets you breath while completely supmerged (including the 'snorkel')