30
votes
3answers
2k views
Should a healthy adult take a daily multi-vitamin?
Is there any reason for a healthy adult to take a daily multi-vitamin?
My intuition tells me that an adult eating a healthy and balanced diet will get all of the nutrients she needs and that taking a ...
29
votes
2answers
2k views
Is diet soda less healthy than regular soda?
The top 10 worst foods listed at planetgreen.com elects diet soda as the number one worst food/beverage, even worse than regular soda. However, I find it a little hard to believe, since the number of ...
32
votes
1answer
4k views
Can standing in front of a microwave oven give you cancer?
I was heating up some lunch in the microwave oven at work a few weeks ago, and peered into the window to see if my soup was bubbling yet. At that point a coworker walked into the lunch room and ...
23
votes
1answer
1k views
Is refilling water bottles bad for you?
On a lot of bottles of so called mineral water, it is advised not to refill the bottle (with ordinary tap water, or any other drink e.g. cola) as doing so may present a health hazard. Is there any ...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
Does drinking milk lead to osteoporosis?
The China Study authors state that:
osteoporosis is linked to the consumption of animal protein because animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acidity of blood and tissues. They add ...
45
votes
5answers
1k views
Do violent video games cause violent behavior?
I have been following this question casually over the past couple of years, and it seemed to me that there was no strong consensus either way on the subject. However, I recently read an editorial from ...
41
votes
4answers
2k views
Is gun control effective?
I have seen numerous arguments about gun control, in the sense of laws restricting gun ownership or possession, and whether widespread gun possession affects crime rates, and each side is happy to ...
41
votes
6answers
3k views
Is homosexuality innate?
There is a widespread belief that one chooses to be a homosexual, and that people can successfully overcome such feelings.
On the other hand, some scientific studies have shown that prenatal ...
33
votes
4answers
10k views
Is it unsafe to swim during a lightning storm?
I was cautioned by mom that I mustn't go swimming when there is lightning; the theory is that it is more likely for lightning to hit you when you are in the water.
Is this fear justified?
13
votes
2answers
488 views
What is Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)?
Promoted by Jim Humble, Miracle Mineral Solution is claimed to cure a wide range of ailments. But what exactly is it, chemically speaking?
21
votes
2answers
1k views
Does gender affect driving skill?
Are there any differences in either sex which are provably beneficial and/or detrimental to their driving abilities?
Also, is it possible that stereotypical gender roles make any difference in ...
19
votes
3answers
3k views
Is fluoride in water an industry waste product?
There are many claims made about the source of fluoride in our water, some examples are:
Intentional dosing of municipal water supplies with fluoride waste products from industry
Increased cancer ...
19
votes
3answers
940 views
Does electromagnetic radiation from high energy power installations have negative effects on health?
Note that I'm not asking about high energy RADAR and telecommunications installations or similar systems which can cook small animals alive.
I've heard lots of stories about negative health effects ...
15
votes
3answers
986 views
Do you feel pain in a life-threatening situation?
Let's say you are in a war-situation, and both you and your opponent are out of bullets. When I was in the army, I learned that the most efficient way to kill your opponent would be to kick him in the ...
38
votes
1answer
3k views
Does water have a memory as claimed in homeopathy?
In homeopathic remedies the original substance is often diluted to a point where statistically there should be not a single molecule left of the original substance. The most common explanation by ...
31
votes
7answers
2k views
Is it possible to “boost your immune system”?
I often hear claims that some activities, nutrients, ... "boost" your immune system. My understanding of the immune system is that it is a finely tuned machine with enormous destructive power. If ...
25
votes
3answers
779 views
Is secondhand smoke dangerous?
There seems to be little doubt in public opinion that second hand smoke is dangerous, and I can see why. But many smokers have claimed to me that it is not dangerous at all and it is all media hype. ...
24
votes
3answers
2k views
Can bathing after having eaten make you drown?
Some people, including my mom, believe that it's very dangerous to bathe after having eaten without waiting approximately 1 hour (the amount of time depends on what you have eaten).
I have two ...
22
votes
2answers
1k views
Is a coin toss fair?
I've just seen a referee use a coin toss to decide who will start a match which got me thinking, coins aren't perfectly symmetric. Our euro coins have the value on one side, a country specific image ...
17
votes
1answer
1k views
Can we end poverty for $US175 billion per year?
A recent question brought up the claim that poverty can be eliminated for 175 billion a year. I found this claim
To end extreme poverty worldwide in 20 years, Sachs calculated that
the total ...
20
votes
1answer
1k views
Does using a laptop on your lap lower your sperm count?
It is sometimes claimed that using a laptop on or in proximity of testicles can result in a lower sperm count. This Health.com article claims:
Can a laptop computer really affect a man’s ability ...
17
votes
2answers
1k views
Are diet sodas as healthy as drinking water?
Looking at the side of any diet soda, you can see 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 sugar, and tons more zeros.
Does this mean that diet sodas are actually somewhat HEALTHY? Or at least not at all bad for you?
11
votes
1answer
805 views
Do Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) create dirty electricity which can impact health?
According to this CBC Be Green report:
'CFLs [Compact Fluorescent Lamps] produce what is called "dirty electricity".'
In an environment with dirty electricity, diabetics blood sugar will climb. It ...
8
votes
3answers
3k views
Is global IQ dropping over time?
http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/IQ/1950-2050/
Essentially the idea is that while smart people are getting wealthier, their birth-rate tends to drop. On the other hand poor countries, which are ...
12
votes
1answer
6k views
Is drinking hot water more beneficial during hot weather?
I heard from various sources since I was growing up that during hot weather one should drink warm or hot drinks and during cold weather one should rather drink cold drinks, but a quick google found no ...
134
votes
9answers
8k views
Is there any verifiable historical and/or scientific evidence that Jesus lived?
Regardless of whether you believe or not...
Are there any extra-biblical validations of his existence around the time he is commonly thought to have lived? That is, are there other historically ...
138
votes
3answers
11k views
Does hot water freeze faster than cold water?
Is it true that hot water freezes faster than cold water and if so, what practical applications have there been found for this phenomenon?
56
votes
3answers
24k views
Do coal plants release more radiation than nuclear power plants?
As a response to the desaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant I've heard the claim that fossil-fuel power plants using coal release more radiation than a nuclear power plant. I searched for some ...
65
votes
5answers
3k views
Is Wikipedia reliable?
I ask this question because in school, students are always told "do not quote wikipedia" or that "Do not believe everything you see on Wikipedia, we are teachers and we know when something is wrong ...
54
votes
1answer
3k views
Do we only use 10% of our brain?
I've heard claims that the average person uses only 10% of their "brain power," whatever that means. The implication, though, is that there the majority of our brain's potential is untapped. However, ...
33
votes
4answers
20k views
Claimed similarities between Jesus Christ and Horus and other Gods
The 2007 conspiracy theory film Zeitgeist: The Movie (Website, Watch online, Wikipedia Entry) states in Part I "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" that major points of the story about Jesus Christ's ...
25
votes
5answers
2k views
Can we grow enough crops to feed all people on Earth?
Vegetarianism is heavily promoted. But let's say all people on Earth stop eating animal products. Can we grow enough crops so all people on the Earth are provided with enough healthy, nutritious food? ...
23
votes
3answers
6k views
Does regularly drinking from a plastic container cause cancer?
I drink water from my plastic cup regularly and a friend commented that it could cause cancer.
He also added that I should not heat food in plastic containers or wrappings in the microwave as that ...
57
votes
3answers
5k views
Were people shorter in the middle ages?
In many castles or museums you'll find medieval armor, belonging to a knight. Those are often very small compared to the average human nowadays. I've heard this explained multiple times as being due ...
26
votes
1answer
4k views
Are IQ tests reliable?
Some of the more common types of IQ tests are:
source
There have been many IQ tests used over the years, and many different proposed scales to evaluate the results. Many tests have been revised ...
20
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there any scientific evidence regarding measurable adverse effects (if any) of child rearing by homosexual human couples?
There is a widespread belief that there are adverse effects on children reared in same-sex-parents households compared to male+female household (I can add random googled cites if necessary, but the ...
20
votes
2answers
1k views
Do tax cuts stimulate an economy?
Every election cycle, I keep hearing that tax breaks stimulate the economy.
Are there any well-known studies or scientifically-backed examples from history that shed light on whether or not this ...
49
votes
4answers
3k views
Does circumcision lead to a net increase in quality of life?
I was recently surprised to learn that many Americans have been circumcised even though their parents had no religious motivation to go through with it. This in strong contrast with my home country ...
18
votes
1answer
2k views
Are men smarter than women?
I recently stumbled across the following article:.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1274952/Men-ARE-brainy-women-says-scientist-Professor-Richard-Lynn.html, where the following claim is made:
...
15
votes
1answer
668 views
Does being a strong free market supporter correlate with rejection of scientific claims?
The following research claims that there is a link between one being a strong free market supporter and being more likely to reject scientific claims:
Paralleling previous work, we find that ...
11
votes
3answers
927 views
Is sleep training a form of neglect or harmful?
Some people claim that "crying it out" is harmful. For example, the article on PhD Parenting states that crying it out is harmful to a child. I've heard others suggest that it's neglectful. I expect ...
23
votes
3answers
979 views
Does addictive behavior exist?
There are widespread claims that you can get addicted to video games, shopping, internet, whatever, even sex. Not merely "like it very much", but addicted, as in addicted to alcohol.
According to ...
22
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there a deep, hot biosphere?
Thomas Gold claims that oil is not aging vegetal or animal matter, but rather made continously from bacteria deep in the Earth's mantle (a 'deep hot biosphere') so that we would effectively never have ...
20
votes
3answers
674 views
Are saturated fats unhealthy?
I've been taught since I was a kid that eating fat is bad for my health. Later on, I found out that unsaturated fats (especially ones containing Omega-3 and Omega-6) are actually good for your health.
...
18
votes
2answers
804 views
Ultrasound pest control devices
A couple times I've seen advertised on TV and in supermarkets electronic devices that allegedly irritate all sort of insects and rodents, such as mosquitoes, mice, and rats, forcing them away from the ...
26
votes
1answer
2k views
Does burning your food increase your risk of getting cancer?
About a year ago I heard that burning your food can lead to an increased risk of getting cancer. The explanation was that the burned portion of the food was carcinogenic. The Carbon that would be ...
24
votes
2answers
2k views
Can an average person be involuntarily hypnotised?
Often hypnotism is accomplished by convincing an audience member to play along, or by selecting out someone who is suggestible. Can an average person be involuntarily hypnotised?
Update: Let us ...
21
votes
1answer
45k views
Do ion bracelets work?
I recently came across a new kind of sports enhancement bracelet. Apparently it emits positive ions that are good for you. The bracelet is also a watch. There are credible scientific studies on ...
19
votes
3answers
2k views
Are any notable biblical characters historical figures?
Are any of the main* characters who appear in the Bible that are real historical people, their existence supported my multiple sources.
In addition do their actions in the Bible support or ...
18
votes
3answers
930 views
Do weather changes affect arthritis?
My father always claims he knows when a storm is coming by the pain in his knee. It turns out he might not be as crazy as I thought. Many people with arthritis report varying pain levels as a result ...
