Throughout the realms of science, there are many different myths that you may encounter within your life that may puzzle you or pique your interest. Many old standbys deal with old wives tales, as well as things your mother might have told you to stay on the straight and narrow. In this article, you will learn some of the answers to questions regarding lightning, chewing gum, as well as the inside of a dog’s mouth.
Speaking of man’s best friend, have you ever heard that the inside of a dog’s mouth is cleaner than the human mouth? Even though the dog is known to lick their own butt, among other things, there is a myth regarding the cleanliness of that drooling apparatus we call a mouth. So, is it cleaner than our own mouth? Actually, the bacteria that thrives within the oral cavities is different for every species. Therefore, the germs that inhabit a dog’s mouth differ from the bacteria inside the human mouth. No one can quite pinpoint which type is more or less clean, all we can say is that they are different and cannot be compared.
The rain clouds settle in and the sky turns gray. The crackle of thunder sets in and watch the sparks fly. Lightning soon makes a guest appearance. Somewhere, somehow, the belief that lightning never strikes in the same place twice was created. Did you know that there are some places that lightning is actually attracted to more. This is often seen in locations situated within a higher altitude. For example, take the Empire State Building located in New York City. This structure has been under the attack of lightning on the average of about 50-100 times throughout the year. It is said that it was once struck 15 times in a matter of 15 minutes. Former president, Ben Franklin when he invented the lightning rod, also tested this theory.
Besides places, there have also been several people who have been struck by lighting more than once. For example, Jim Caviezal, who played the character of Jesus in the movie, The Passion of the Christ, was struck by lightning two times while filming. Roy Sullivan, a forest ranger for Shenandoah National Park, located in Virginia, survived seven lightning strikes, which caused him to suffer from various ailments, such as burns on his chest and stomach, a loss of his eyebrows and hair (on two different occasions), as well as an injured ankle. Even his wife was struck by lightning as they hung clothes together outside. You have to wonder if his electric personality had something to do with it.
Mom might have told you not to swallow your gum or a large ball of the chewy stuff would settle and gather into a lump within your stomach. It was said that it took seven years for the body to digest gum. That would be a sorry sight for habitual gum chewers. Anyhow, the digestive system is able to break down the ingredients that make gum even though it features a consistency similar to rubber.