# Debunk these debunkings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2003, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928 "2003-04-02T09:03:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/21 "2003-04-02T17:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Despite their reputation, there have been no deaths attributed to tarantula bites recorded in history. I’m suspicious of this one. You hear the same thing about wolves and pirannah, but if it’s true, where did the reputation come from? (Slight hijack: it’s generally thought that wolves used to be much more agressive toward humans in the past, but when firearms became widespread they learned to stay away from us.) ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/22 "2003-04-02T17:20:15Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not the lions. It’s not the polar bears. It’s not the snakes. Rather, zookeepers say the most dangerous animal in the zoo is the panda. I would have thought the [Hippopotamus](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhippo.html). ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/23 "2003-04-02T17:21:27Z")
(I posted that last one too soon). Can anyone enlighten me on the “dangerous panda” bit? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/24 "2003-04-02T17:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > People in the time of Columbus did not believe the world was flat. Not since the days of Greece had anyone thought that. They got this right. They can’t be all bad. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/25 "2003-04-02T17:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earl Snake-Hips Tucker \* > **Lawd knows, I’m not bird expert, but from what I found, this is akin to saying that "A tiger isn’t a cat. It’s a member of the feline family."** I agree. This is just splitting hairs (or feathers, as the case may be). On the whole Alaska-as-easternmost-state thing, I say nonsense. North and South have absolute limits (the poles), but East are West are relative. If I approach the 180th Meridian heading west, I am still heading west after I cross it. The Aleutian Islands are the westernmost point in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/26 "2003-04-02T17:46:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Running with Scissors \* > (I posted that last one too soon). Can anyone enlighten me on the “dangerous panda” bit? I assume that means giant pandas. They could be dangerous dispite their cute appearance, because they are a relative of the bear. However, they aren’t, for the most part, like 99% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/27 "2003-04-02T17:48:21Z")
“Robin” appears to be a very common name for certain members of different species (and genera) within the “thrush” family. True, but the American Robin is a different family to the British Robin… what I can’t work out is how they come to the conclusion that an English sparrow isn’t a sparrow. I wonder if they are talking about the hedge sparrow, or Dunnock… ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/28 "2003-04-02T17:48:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diceman \* > I’m suspicious of this one. You hear the same thing about wolves and pirannah, but if it’s true, where did the reputation come from? AFAIK tarantulas are far less poisionous than many other spiders, such as the black widow or the funnel spider. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/29 "2003-04-02T18:00:17Z")
Cooking with Gas: > [@](#): > > The only reasonable meaning of easternmost is “the point intersected by a longitudinal line when moving the line east from a point within the U.S., past which the line no longer has any point within the U.S.” That’s really the _only_ reasonable interpretation? I’d say that’s pretty narrow-minded of you. I think that “situated at the most extreme eastern longitude line” is, if not equally reasonable, at least somewhat reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/30 "2003-04-02T18:03:02Z")
“People” did so believe the “world was flat”. However, most EDUCATED dudes did not. Few “people” were educated back then, however. So “flat earth” was a commonly held belief. Cleopatra was too Egyptian- she was born there. So were her parents, and their parents, and I think some thing like a dozen generations back (I could look this up, but…). Sure, Cleo’s “great X many” Grandpappy was Ptolomy, who founded the Dynasty, and was one of Alexanders Generals. Based upon this, we have never had an “American” President, either, as none have been of pure Indian descent. :rolleyes: Pandas are not very dangerous at all, but I wouldn’t want to be next to a riled one. Koala’s are also rather grumpy little critters, too, but I wouldn’t call them “dangerous”. I’d buy “deceptively harmless looking”, but that’s about all. Discounting venomous animals, the Hippo (like Running said) or the Croc are probably the source of the most human deaths in the last few decades. Of course, the Mosquito wins hands down. At least “Alaska is eastermost” is debateable. Asimov covered this arguement in one of his articles. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/31 "2003-04-02T18:25:07Z")
I remember reading that Asimov article years ago. It was one of the few times I thought him off base. I like the thought experiment of two Alaskans on a couple of Aleutian Islands that straddle the 180 degree longitude. If I ask the guy on the eastern island (max W long.) what direction the other guy is I doubt that he would reply by facing East and saying, “Oh, he’s about 359 degrees to the East of me,” when he is in fact a mile or two to the West of him. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/32 "2003-04-02T18:29:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Ladybirds aren’t birds—they’re beetles. Good lord. How is this a misconception? I’ve never heard anyone who thought that–in fact, I’ve only ever heard anyone refer to them as “ladybird beetles” (or ladybugs, natch.). “Misconception: Ladybugs aren’t actually ladies. They’re insects.” ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/33 "2003-04-02T18:40:23Z")
This one’s not correct: > [@](#): > > No modern dictionary has any connection with Noah Webster. Those which stick the name Webster in their title are doing so just because of his reputation. [http://www.m-w.com/about/noah.htm](http://www.m-w.com/about/noah.htm) > [@](#): > > While Webster was promoting his dictionary, George and Charles Merriam opened a printing and bookselling operation in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1831. G. & C. Merriam Co. (renamed Merriam-Webster Inc. in 1982) inherited the Webster legacy when the Merriam brothers bought the unsold copies of the 1841 edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language, Corrected and Enlarged from Webster’s heirs after the great man’s death in 1843. At the same time they secured the rights to create revised editions of that work. It was the beginning of a publishing tradition that has continued uninterrupted to this day at Merriam-Webster. So his business went defunct after he died and another company bought the rights (and unsold copies) from his heirs … connection enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/34 "2003-04-02T18:41:56Z")
And please: > [@](#): > > You might be surprised to learn that a Catholic priest can be married—as long as the marriage takes place before ordination. Yeah. “You might be surprised to learn that a dead man can be married—as long as the marriage takes place before his death.” ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/35 "2003-04-02T18:46:39Z")
> [@](#): > > There aren’t 50 states in the U.S. There are 46 states. There are four commonwealths, if you want to be picky. Baloney. We’ve covered this here several times. As far as the feds are concerned, there are 50 states, despite what any given state wants to call itself. [Here’s one recent thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=173391) Overall, though, I have to admit that few of the debunkings set off my B.S. meter. Many were not all that profound, but virtually all of the debunkings that I read appeared to be on the level. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/36 "2003-04-02T18:47:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Kleenex tissues were originally developed as gas mask filters during World War I, not as a way to deal with runny noses. Sort of. [http://www.kimberly-clark.com/aboutus/1906\_1920.asp](http://www.kimberly-clark.com/aboutus/1906_1920.asp) > [@](#): > > 1915 > Kimberly-Clark begins to manufacture creped cellulose wadding named Cellucotton.\_\_\_ The Globe mill in Neenah, Wisconsin, was rebuilt to produce Cellucotton as a substitute for cotton. It was first used as bandages for wounded soldiers in World War I. After the war, Cellucotton led to the development of Kotex feminine pads and Kleenex facial tissue. [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WolfFiles/wolffiles156.html](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WolfFiles/wolffiles156.html) > [@](#): > > 1916: Gas Masks Become Sanitary Napkins — Kimberly-Clark begins concentrating on a special wadding paper. With World War I brewing in Europe, this product, Cellucotton, was adapted for use as a filter in gas masks and bandages. Nurses began using it as sanitary pads. Cellucotton was renamed “Cellu-Naps,” and then “Kotex.” ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/37 "2003-04-02T18:50:25Z")
Boy, the further you go, the worse it gets. _Urine doesn’t smell—at least not when it leaves the body. The bad smell comes from bacteria that grows when urine sits stagnant._ Do you suppose they meant \*\* bacteria that _grow_\*\*? And there are a number of aromatic compounds in urine right when it leaves the body. At least mine has some in the morning. _East Chicago isn’t where you might think. It’s a town in Indiana._ Actually, it’s right where you might think, just east (well, southeast) of Chicago. The fact it is over the state line is immaterial. _Killer whales are not whales. They are dolphins._ Again with the different level of taxonomy. _Flying fish don’t fly. They glide._ And sailplanes don’t fly either, they only glide. And hang-gliders don’t… _Money isn’t made out of paper, it’s made out of cotton_ So, high quality Arches drawing paper isn’t made out of paper either, it too is made from cotton. _“Alumni” doesn’t mean the male and female former students of a college or university. Alumnus refers to a male. Alumni is plural of alumnus, and means more than one male former student. Alumna is a former female student, and alumnae is the plural._ But the male embraces the female. Ah, the joys of the Internet. Go figure ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/38 "2003-04-02T18:51:26Z")
“Boston College isn’t in Boston. It’s in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts” …which of course is simply a neighborhood on the edge of Boston. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/39 "2003-04-02T18:52:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Brides do not walk down the aisle of a church during a wedding. The center section, or passage, of a church is correctly called a “nave.” Actually, the entire main room of the church is the nave. You walk down an aisle between the rows of pews inside the nave. Sigh. I could do this all day. I get so furious. ---
**Author:** ![viking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@viking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/viking)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928/40 "2003-04-02T18:52:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by toadspittle \* > \*\*And please: > > You might be surprised to learn that a Catholic priest can be married?as long as the marriage takes place before ordination. > > Yeah. “You might be surprised to learn that a dead man can be married?as long as the marriage takes place before his death.” \*\* Well, subtle difference there, is that death of one of the spouses (spice?) terminates the marriage contract (that whole `until death do us part’ thing, remember?), whereas this is saying that ordination of a married man by the Catholic church does not invalidate the marriage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-these-debunkings/165928.md?page=3)