Myth: Goldfish have three-second memories
Fish are smarter than you thought. One study found the freshwater fish African Cichlids could remember the feeding zone of an aquarium after moving to a different tank for 12 days. Lest you think goldfish are any different, another study looked specifically at goldfish and whether they could tell the difference between two different classical songs. They weren’t quick learners, but after more than 100 sessions, the fish would bite a bead associated with the correct song 75 percent of the time. If their memories were really three seconds, that kind of training wouldn’t be possible.
Myth: A coin dropped from the Empire State building could kill
The story goes that even an innocent coin dropped from the 381-metre-tall Empire State Building would build up enough speed on the way down to kill a bystander below. In reality, though, it wouldn’t do much damage – if any. First of all, air resistance called “drag force” would mean the coin would stop accelerating at some point, and reach its max speed about 15 metres from its drop point, according to Scientific American. By the time it reached the ground, it would be moving just 40 kilometres per hour. That might sting, but it wouldn’t be enough force to break your skull. MythBusters took the theory to an extreme and shot a coin at 914 metres per second, but even that wasn’t strong enough to break bones.
Myth: Ostriches bury their heads in the sand
The birds would die of suffocation if they actually stuck their heads underground when scared. Instead, they actually lie with their head and neck flat against the ground if a predator is approaching. Their light-coloured head and neck blend in with the ground, which could explain why people assumed their heads were underground from faraway, according to the San Diego Zoo.
Don’t miss 45 more interesting facts about your favourite animals.