29
votes
0answers
2k views
Are light-on-dark colour schemes for computer screens better for programmers?
There is somewhat general scientific agreement that in general case for reading, dark text on light background is more readable than light on dark.
In case of computer screens however, the studies ...
24
votes
0answers
6k views
How long is it possible to maintain concentration?
When I study, I like to do it in blocks of a few hours, with little rests in between. I have heard from multiple (possibly unreliable) sources, however, that a human's concentration will drastically ...
24
votes
0answers
13k views
Did Albert Einstein sleep 10-11 hours daily?
I heard many times that Albert Einstein needed a lot of sleep. For example, this BBC article claims that he typically needed eleven hours of sleep:
People's sleep needs can differ significantly.
...
21
votes
0answers
383 views
Can optimism “boost” the immune system
Can your attitude (a positive outlook, optimism, "fighting spirit" etc, or the converse) influence how well your immune system works? Most research that confirm mood correlating with immune system ...
19
votes
0answers
5k views
Was there a giant red-haired race in North America?
The other day, I saw a show on the History channel about "giant skeletons" being found in North America. It also said that, for some reason, these findings have been hidden from people, maybe due to ...
18
votes
0answers
271 views
Is there a “red shift” in U.S. elections — a significant shift to republican votes between polls and voting? Does this imply fraud?
This questions on Politics SE introduced me to the concept of the red shift. In short, the claim of a red shift boils down to a statistically significant difference between outcome of final exit polls ...
18
votes
0answers
2k views
Are Elie Wiesel and Lazar Wiesel the same person?
This question is on a sensitive topic, and I would like to say up front that I am not looking for holocaust denial. My grandfather was a Nazi slave, my family on my mother's side was all but wiped ...
16
votes
0answers
3k views
Does wearing a scarf help a sore throat?
Today, my wife has shocked me by telling me that a scarf does not and cannot help a sore throat. I could swear that it works wonders for me!
Pretty much the entire knowledgable Internet seems to ...
16
votes
0answers
2k views
Did two Native Americans shipwreck in Holland in 60 B.C.?
According to the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong", by James W. Loewen, or at least the online sources (Cracked.com and some sites that I Googled) ...
15
votes
0answers
216 views
Did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle call J.B. Rhine a “monumental ass” in print?
I need help confirming or debunking what may be an urban legend in the paranormal literature regarding the rocky public relationship between spiritualism believer (and famous author) Arthur Conan ...
15
votes
0answers
2k views
Can a fan blowing on you at night make you sick?
It has been pretty hot in my neck of the woods over the last week. It has been roughly 80 degrees in my room at night. To try to stay comfortable and get to sleep I have been running two fans. One ...
15
votes
0answers
16k views
Did Einstein say “if you can't explain it simply you don't understand it well enough”?
A very popular quote attributed to Albert Einstein but did he really say it? If so, what is the original document containing the original explanation of it?
15
votes
0answers
890 views
Do hand sanitizers have a negative impact on the human immune system?
Related:
Which is more effective at removing germs, washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizers?
Does regular handwashing with antibacterial soap prevent disease?
I've run across some ...
15
votes
0answers
2k views
Is the Predictive Index® personality inventory for hiring based on scientific research?
I just heard of it (a friend has to take it) and it seems obvious that it's a product marketed directly to business people.
I'd expect that the test isn't worth much because it was made in 1955 and ...
15
votes
0answers
3k views
Does technology have a negative effect on attention span?
Is it true that today's "information age" with the internet, TV, cell phones, movies, iPhones, etc can decrease your attention span?
Society's impatience and short attention span is becoming a ...
14
votes
0answers
307 views
Is cooked protein less digestible than raw protein?
I saw the following claim in several places:
At Raw Glow
Cooking meat changes the molecular structure of some of its proteins,
rendering them unusable by the body and making cellular healing,
...
14
votes
0answers
260 views
Has copyright piracy halved in New Zealand since their “three strikes” rule?
According to the BBC article US piracy crackdown delayed until 2013, dated November 29, 2012:
New Zealand claims that piracy has halved since it introduced a "three strikes" rule.
After a little ...
14
votes
0answers
360 views
Does the human appendix have a purpose, or is it more of an evolutionary leftover?
The "classic" explanation I was always taught at school for the appendix was that it probably once had a purpose and may have assisted with the digestion of cellulose, but is now just a redundant ...
14
votes
0answers
604 views
Do performance incentives work for knowledge workers?
In this animated video of his talk, Dan Pink claims performance incentives do not work, and can actually lead to worse performance.
In summary, he quotes two studies (which he unfortunately does not ...
14
votes
0answers
494 views
Were metered taxis busy roaming Imperial Rome?
While in Rome, I heard a claim that Ancient Romans had invented the taxi meter.
"Ancient" here means the common usage of "a long time ago" instead of a specific historical period such as the Early ...
14
votes
0answers
1k views
Can Bruce Bueno de Mesquita predict the future with mathematics?
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is called the "New Nostradamus". According to his claims he is able to predict (and has predicted) big economic events such as the 2009 economic crisis. Supposedly he has a ...
14
votes
0answers
257 views
Are pediatricians immune to common communicable diseases?
This morning, our pediatrician cited "a study" where novice and seasoned pediatricians were tested for immunity to common communicable diseases (cold virus, strep bacteria, etc). He said that the ...
14
votes
0answers
730 views
Is placing a tea bag at the site of wisdom tooth extraction beneficial?
I have heard this on multiple occasions at the dentist and a quick search lists dentist after dentist telling patients to do this.
For example:
These facial surgeons recommend:
If bleeding ...
14
votes
0answers
890 views
Is it possible to obtain current indirectly from power lines?
Can one obtain a sufficient amount of energy for a household's needs by indirect means (induction or otherwise) from nearby high-voltage power lines? Are there any documented cases of such attempts ...
13
votes
0answers
221 views
Did the French Revolution cause people to give the Ace (in a deck of cards) rank above a King?
It has been said"
After the French Revolution some games started to use the ace or 1 as
the highest card which symbolized the lowest in society rising above
the King.
A discussion forum ...
13
votes
0answers
808 views
Is rape a crime about violence and power, or a crime of passion?
Adam Carolla, from the popular radio show Loveline, and in the Guiness Records for the most downloaded podcast of all time made the following claim (1 min mark):
rape is not a sexual crime, you ...
13
votes
0answers
549 views
Does immersing a wet phone in rice prevent it from dying?
There is a tale spreading around about people who have supposedly resuscitated their cell phones using bags of rice after dropping them in water or otherwise getting them soaked. The supposed science ...
13
votes
0answers
435 views
Is avoiding to rinse dishes after soaping them unhealthy?
Some people do their dishes and leave the suds on, letting it air-dry, or using a towel. Some rinse it off.
I cannot understand the British habit of washing and rinsing dishes in the same dirty ...
13
votes
0answers
302 views
Do office plants increase productivity?
Treehugger: Research has shown that a healthy office space with plants and open windows is more conducive to productivity.
Do plants in the office increase the productivity of employees?
13
votes
0answers
608 views
Are “banana traps” effective at catching monkeys?
There is a famous claim that says the way to trap monkeys is by placing a staked container with a hole cut into it just wide enough for a monkey to stick its empty hand into.
The container is baited ...
13
votes
0answers
278 views
Is there a huge gas bubble below the Gulf of Mexico floor ready to wreak havok?
I was sent the video HERE a bit back, which gave me pause. It was sent by a family member who at least grants plausibility to 9/11 conspiracies and some other, shall we say, "fringe" theories about ...
12
votes
0answers
248 views
Does donating blood boost the immune system?
I read a claim that not only is blood donation safe, it actually boosts the immune system. As the source (a Red Cross-affiliated blood donation drive) is not neutral, I'm skeptical of this. Is it ...
12
votes
0answers
552 views
Is the climber's head-lamp backstory for this long-exposure photo feasible?
I enjoyed reading the fascinating story of how a climber took an amazing long-exposure photo of his climb up, down and around a Peak District landmark.
See: "Blazing a trail! Climber takes ...
12
votes
0answers
290 views
Does laughter prolong life?
This popular claim comes in different shapes, like:
a minute of laughter adds 5 minutes of life: source
laughter is the best medicine (maybe) source
Finding studies that confirm causation wasn't ...
12
votes
0answers
315 views
Have fleas caused more human deaths than wars?
Browsing around I found this question where the user asks "Were more human deaths caused by fleas than wars?" so I started searching around and I found some sources stating this.
In Amateur ...
12
votes
0answers
463 views
Do you need to “wash, rinse and repeat”?
In a way, this is related to the question: Is washing your hair too often bad?
A recent TEDxDraper talk by Kerry Bishop, "Toothpaste", repeated a statement I remember from my marketing lectures when ...
11
votes
0answers
225 views
+50
Does one acre of hemp yield as much paper as 4 acres of trees?
I saw the following photo on my Facebook news feed:
I asked my friend who posted it for a source, and he gave me a link to a hemp manufacturer. I'm pretty sure it's not a reputable source. I'm ...
11
votes
0answers
189 views
Are you more likely to suffer a head injury walking than cycling?
An Olympic cyclist, Chris Boardman, recently made the claim that people are more likely to suffer a head injury walking, rather than cycling.
[...] cycling is safe. You would have to wear a helmet ...
11
votes
0answers
392 views
Is sleepiness after a goods night's sleep a sign of dehydration?
If you still feel tired after a good night's sleep, you're probably dehydrated. Drink some water after you wake up.
— Just So You Know (@Know) April 22, 2013
Some quick searching ...
11
votes
0answers
294 views
Do North Koreans resort to cannibalism?
There have been rumors that North Korea is famine-plagued to such an extent that people even resort to cannibalism.
Reports from inside the secretive famine-hit pariah state, North Korea, claim a ...
11
votes
0answers
412 views
Might organ donors be harvested when they could have otherwise lived?
I just read a pretty shocking blog post called "Are you an organ donor?
After you read this, you will change your mind."
Do you wish to be an organ donor? I'm sure many of you have answered yes, ...
11
votes
0answers
787 views
Does the oral contraceptive pill “age” a woman's cervix prematurely?
Well, I heard an interesting one tonight. My wife passed on that on a blog discussing contraceptive use, someone posted a link to a site stating that taking Ortho Tri Cyclen, an oral contraceptive, ...
11
votes
0answers
428 views
Should I perform minor daily tasks with my “off”-hand to keep my brain active?
You find this advice all over the web: Use your non-dominant hand to do simple tasks such as brushing your teeth because it will make new brain cells grow.
On the other hand, it is suggested that it ...
11
votes
0answers
888 views
Does a windshield provide most of a car's integrity?
I've heard radio car commercials and other sources state that a vehicle's windshield provides most of a car's structural integrity.
I believe that the company that owns the commercial is Mark's ...
11
votes
0answers
326 views
Is a photo of Rick Perry's college transcript authentic?
Various major US news outlets are echoing a Huffington Post article titled "Rick Perry's College Transcript: A Lot Of Cs And Ds" including NPR, Fox, and the Des Moines Register.
Because if you ...
11
votes
0answers
560 views
Is prostitution uncommon among geishas?
Many news stories and plenty of ensuing comments about geishas have people making a strong point that geishas are not prostitutes.
However, the wikipedia article makes a meal out of the topic and ...
11
votes
0answers
752 views
Can music incite murder?
From a deleted 700 Club interview archived on the internet archive at
http://web.archive.org/web/20000122101421/http://www.cbn.org/the700club/johannamichaelsen.asp
Johanna says you can trace ...
10
votes
0answers
3k views
Does adding a dry towel to a load in the dryer make it dry faster?
Is there any truth to the claim the a dry towel can actually speed up the drying process?
There are numerous different sources that I've heard claim this, here is one on voices.yahoo
A few months ...
10
votes
0answers
286 views
Do adults sleep better when they sleep alone?
Newyorker: Research studies consistently find … that adults “sleep better when given their own bed.”
Is that an accurate assessment? Do adult sleep better when they sleep alone rather than with ...
10
votes
0answers
271 views
Does McDonald's periodic release of the McRib sandwich drive up market prices for pork trimmings?
According to an article based on an interview with University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor Roger Mandingo, the reason McDonalds' infamous McRib sandwich is only available periodically, and for ...
