• LAVA Moderator: Shinji Ikari

Everyday Popular Myths

vibr8tor said:
that doesn't make sense. do you actually mean recognize themselves, or see themselves? because my cats would hiss if they thought they were looking at another cat, and my dog would bark and get excited if she thought there was another dog in the room. I'm pretty sure my birds realize it's their own reflection as well. EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!!!!
Hahahaha!!!! No most (all?) animals see something on the other side - I was actually pondering what the hell is going through my cat's mind last night w/ my fiance, as my cat laid on the ground directly facing a huuuge wall that's 100% mirror.

What I meant was, my cat, or your dog, just see something moving in the mirror. When I walk in front of a mirror, I know it's actually a reflection of myself - not something arbitrarily moving around. Dolphins and primates are the only species that realize it's actually them in the mirror, and not just some odd thing that only moves when they move =D
 
^ The mirror test is fun but you're wrong.

Animals that have passed the mirror test are all of the non-human great apes ( chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas), Bottlenose dolphins, elephants,rats, octopuses, rhesus monkeys and humans. Initially, it was thought that gorillas do not pass the test, but there are now several well-documented reports (such as one gorilla, Koko) of gorillas passing the test. Human children tend to fail this test until they are at least 1.5 to 2 years old - mirror stage - [1]. Dogs, cats and 1 year old children, for example, usually react to a mirror in fear or curiosity, or simply ignore it, while birds often attack their own reflections.

Mirror Recognition Test for Self-Awareness wiki article
 
FUCKERS!!! If only I could remember where I was told that in a scenario where I wholeheartedly believed it!! For shame!!
It was quasi- close though :)
 
AmorRoark said:
Yeah, I'm pretty positive "elephants, rats, octopuses, rhesus monkeys" are relatively new discoveries. I know the elephant was until 2006. The others I'm not so sure of. :)
haha ok maybe I just learned too long ago then =D
 
I don't give a shit about any "scientific evidence", I will stick to the five second rule until the day I die!
 
glitterbizkit said:
I don't give a shit about any "scientific evidence", I will stick to the five second rule until the day I die!

. . . of salmonella poisoning!

=D
 
:p ;)

Really though, I think it's good to expose yourself to some good old germs now and then, strengthens your immune system! (That's my backup excuse for the 5 second rule in case I ever one day choose not to believe in it anymore)
 
Beatlebot I saw a bird attacking it's own reflection in a window the other day, hilarious stuff.

myth - if you touch a baby bird its mother will kill it, or not feed it or whatever. false.
 
**let me add on something I've learned about lil animals to your statement. I recently had to hand-rear a little baby <something> whose mother wouldn't take it and ended up learning a lot on the subject.

Just because the mother won't kill it/abandon it because it has your 'scent' on it, does NOT mean touching it is automatically okay. It's very easy to hurt little animals and, if there's any injuries, there's a far less chance the mom would take it back. /public service announcement lol
 
glitterbizkit said:
:p ;)

Really though, I think it's good to expose yourself to some good old germs now and then, strengthens your immune system! (That's my backup excuse for the 5 second rule in case I ever one day choose not to believe in it anymore)

I've thought that too. I'm not really afraid of getting a few germs in my mouth.
 
I take it everyone is aware of Snopes? Its great for checking out whether something is bullshit or not.

So much of what people say and write is pure crap. One of my most hated phrases is "They say..." as in "They say 7 sneezes is equal to an orgasm" or whatever. I'd like to know who exactly this they is.
 
vanth said:
I take it everyone is aware of Snopes? Its great for checking out whether something is bullshit or not.

So much of what people say and write is pure crap. One of my most hated phrases is "They say..." as in "They say 7 sneezes is equal to an orgasm" or whatever. I'd like to know who exactly this they is.

"They" tend to be authorities on the subject (researchers, experts, etc...) or the medical establishment.
 
Actually, no "they" don't. That's my whole point. What evidence are you basing this statement on?
 
AmorRoark said:
Monkeys can't swim. Yeah, that's not true. Not all of them can swim or swim well but a lot of the species can and do.

I heard apes cant choke by something getting caught in their throat. Something to do with there voice boxes being different then ours? I dunno.
 
Good call, vanth.

The myth that Snopes did the best job with was the one about being careful not to flash your headlights at a car driving at night with them off, lest some novice gang members jump out and attack your car. I hear this one repeatedly at ALL places I've ever worked. Turns out it's fearmongering, based on ONE INCIDENT.
 
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