Common myths debunked quiz
Things 'everybody knows' that aren't true.
10 multiple-choice questions, with the answer explained after each one.
Answer each question, see why, and beat your best score.
All 10 questions and answers
Want to check an answer or run the quiz out loud? Every question is here, with the answer hidden until you open it.
- Did Vikings wear horned helmets in battle?
- Yes, always
- No. There's no evidence they did
- Only chiefs did
- Only in winter
Show answer
No. There's no evidence they did. The image comes largely from 19th-century costume designs.
- Was Napoleon unusually short?
- Yes, very short
- Nobody knows
- He was a giant
- No. He was about average height for his time
Show answer
No. He was about average height for his time. Confusion between French and English inches helped spread the myth.
- Does shaving make hair grow back thicker?
- Yes
- Only on the face
- Only for men
- No
Show answer
No. Cut hair has a blunt tip, which can feel coarser.
- Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?
- Only in children
- Only in fingers
- No good evidence it does
- Yes, definitely
Show answer
No good evidence it does. The sound comes from gas bubbles in the joint fluid.
- Do bulls get angry at the colour red?
- No. They react to movement
- Yes, red enrages them
- Only in Spain
- Only bright red
Show answer
No. They react to movement. Bulls are red-green colour-blind.
- Do ostriches bury their heads in the sand?
- Only at night
- No
- Only chicks do
- Yes, when scared
Show answer
No. They lower their heads to tend eggs in ground nests.
- Did Albert Einstein fail maths at school?
- He never studied maths
- Yes
- Only algebra
- No. He excelled at maths
Show answer
No. He excelled at maths. He'd mastered calculus by about age 15.
- Do you lose most of your body heat through your head?
- Yes, about 80%
- Only in wind
- Only children do
- No. Heat loss is roughly in proportion to exposed skin
Show answer
No. Heat loss is roughly in proportion to exposed skin. A hat helps, but so do sleeves and gloves.
- Does sugar make children hyperactive?
- Controlled studies have not found that it does
- Only chocolate
- Yes, always
- Only after 8 pm
Show answer
Controlled studies have not found that it does. Parents' expectations may shape what they notice.
- Do we swallow spiders in our sleep?
- Yes, eight a year
- There's no evidence for this
- Only in summer
- Only in Australia
Show answer
There's no evidence for this. Sleeping people are noisy and vibrating, which spiders avoid.