Animals can predict natural disasters

    動物能夠預知自然災害

    There is no evidence that animals possess a mysterious sixth-sense allowing them to predict natural disasters. Their keen senses of smell, hearing, and sharp instincts alone are enough to send them scattering for the hillsides during a hurricane or tsunami. And even so, animals often die during natural disasters, so if they do have some sort of sixth sense, it's not worth much.

    說動物擁有神秘的第六感，可以預知自然災害，這是沒有根據的。單是敏銳的嗅覺、聽覺以及強烈的本能就足以使它們在颶風或海嘯來襲時往山坡上四散逃逸。即便如此，動物們還是常常會在自然災害中喪生。這樣看來，即使它們真的有什么第六感的話，那也并不是什么太了不起的東西。

    The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space

    中國的長城是從太空中用肉眼能看見的唯一人工建筑

    There are several variations on this folkloric statement, and they're all false. Astronauts can spot the Great Wall from low earth orbit, along with plenty of other things like the Giza pyramids and even airport runways. But they can't see the Wall from the Moon.

    這種在民間廣為流傳的說法有好幾個不同版本，但卻都是錯的。宇航員可以在近地軌道上看見長城，同時還能看見其他很多建筑，比如吉薩的金字塔，甚至還有飛機跑道。不過，從月球上是無法看見長城的。

    A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's

    狗嘴比人嘴干凈

    Despite a habit of licking things no human would dare, Fido's mouth is often touted as scientifically more sterile. Truth is, oral bacteria are so species-specific that one can't be considered cleaner than the other, just different.

    狗有舔東西的習慣，回去舔一些無人敢舔的東西。盡管如此，還是經常有人這樣吹噓：從科學的角度來說，狗嘴里的細菌更少。事實是，口腔里的細菌種類千差萬別，你只能說它們各不相同，卻不能說誰比誰更干凈。

    Humans use only 10 percent of their brains

    人類只利用了自身大腦的十分之一

    This media darling has been around for at least a century. Fortunately, it's just not true. MRI（magnetic resonance imaging） clearly demonstrates--with fancy colors no less--that humans put most of their cerebral cortex to good use, even while dozing.

    這一論斷深受各類媒體追捧，少說也已經流傳了一個世紀。還好，這不是真的。磁共振成像清楚地顯示--這些圖像竟然還是五顏六色的呢--人類很好地利用了自身大腦皮層的大部分，即使在打瞌睡的時候也是如此。

    Adults don't grow new brain cells

    成年人不會再長新的腦細胞

    Much of a human's crucial brain development happens during childhood, but it isn't all downhill from there. Studies have shown that neurons continue to grow and change well into the adult years.

    人類大腦發育的關鍵時期主要是在兒童時期，但這并不意味著打那以后它就完全走下坡路了。研究表明，進入成年許久以后，人的神經細胞仍然在繼續生長和變化。

    Lightning never strikes the same place twice

    閃電從來不會兩次擊中同一個地方

    In fact lightning favors certain spots, particularly high locations. The Empire State Building is struck about 25 times every year. Ben Franklin grasped the concept long ago and mounted a metal rod atop the roof of his home, then ran a wire to the ground, thereby inverting the lightning rod.

    事實上，閃電特別青睞某些特定的地方，尤其是高處。帝國大廈每年會被電擊約二十五次。很久以前，本富蘭克林就已經認識到了這一點。他在自家屋頂上安了一根金屬棒，從上面接了根金屬線到地上，有此發明了避雷針。

    There is no gravity in space

    太空中沒有重力

    Blame the term "zero-gravity" for this common misconception. Gravity is everywhere, even in space. Astronauts look weightless because they are in continuous freefall towards the Earth, staying aloft because of their horizontal motion. The effect of gravity diminishes with distance, but it never truly goes away. Oh, and while we're at it, it's also untrue that space is a vacuum. There are all kinds of atoms out there, albeit sometimes far apart （and this thin gas adds to the collective gravity budget, too!）

    這一普遍誤解的產生得歸咎于"失重狀態"這個詞。重力無處不在，即便是在太空中也不例外。宇航員表明上看起來是失重的，那是因為他們在不停地往地球方向做自由落體運動，而他們在水平方向上的運動又使他們保持著漂浮的狀態。重力的作用隨著距離的增大而減小，但是不可能完全消失。對了，說到這里，太空也不是真空狀態的。太空中有各種各樣的原子，只不過有時它們彼此相距甚遠而已。（即使是這樣稀薄的氣體也會使空間的總引力增大！）

    Chichen soup can cure the common cold

    雞湯能治好感冒

    Cure is a strong word, but science suggests Moms around the world are still right in forcing spoonfuls of chicken soup down their kids' throats. Studies have found that the broth actually contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce congestion.

    說治好有點言過其實了，不過科學研究表明，世界各地的媽媽們喜歡往孩子嘴里灌幾勺雞湯還是挺對的。研究發現，雞湯里的確含有消炎成分，可以緩解（喉部的）充血癥狀。