12 Science and History ‘Facts’ That Changed Since You Were in School

Remember those science and history 'facts' from your school days? Prepare to have your knowledge updated. As science advances and historical perspectives shift, what we once held as truth may no longer stand. Let's explore 12 such 'facts' that have evolved over time.

In the age of misinformation and disinformation, we need to be better about fact-checking

Fundamental truths we were taught as kids were never true

We have a fifth ocean now – the Southern Ocean
It’s always been there, encircling Antartica, we were slow to acknowledge its individuality
The National Geographic’s cartographers say now is the time, and if it’s an ocean to them, that’s good enough for me
Welcome, Southern Ocean, it’s nice to have you

Is it a brontosaurus or an apatosaurus?

Brontosaurus, as we know it, was actually the Apatosaurus.

In 1903, it was apparently the same as the dinosaur that we know today, but museums were slow to adjust to the change, and some flat-out disagreed that it should be changed at all.
Luckily, in 2015, another paleontologist decided there actually were enough differences between the two groups of fossils to classify them as separate species.

Your ears and nose don’t keep growing your whole life

As you age, gravity causes cartilage in your ear and nose to break down and sag, which results in droopier, longer features.

Studies have estimated that ears lengthen at a rate of about.22 millimeters per year.

Medieval Europe looked a lot different than you think

Much of the information about medieval Europe is wrong

Many of these misconceptions come from Victorian writers and historians who reflected Victorian society into how they thought Medieval life was
When talking about Medieval Europe or seeing movies set in that era so many things are brought up that are totally incorrect

Pluto, what are you?

Many of us are confused about this because it most definitely was a planet back when we had to memorize the order of the planets, starting with Mercury, which is closest to the sun, and ending with Pluto.

Then, the rug was yanked out from under us August 2006 when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to downgrade Pluto to mere “dwarf planet” status.

Why Water in a Camel’s Hump?

A camel’s hump does not store water.

According to the Library of Congress, a camel does drink a lot of water at one time-up to 20 gallons-which is then stored in its bloodstream so it can go for long periods of time between drinks.
Fat is used as nourishment when food is scarce.

Salem Witch Trials

“Witches” were not burned at the stake in Salem-they were hanged.

Historians estimated that the witch-hunt hysteria that peaked between the 15th and 18th centuries saw some 50,000 people executed as witches in Europe
Medieval law codes such as the Holy Roman Empire’s “Constitutio Criminalis Carolina” stipulated that malevolent witchcraft should be punished by fire

Electrons don’t orbit the nucleus

Instead, scientists call these “orbitals” or “electron clouds” bizarrely shaped places where the electron is most likely to be.

This knowledge comes from Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor, Beth Skwarecki, who knows a lot about a lot.

Raindrops are not tear-shaped

They more accurately are shaped like the top of a hamburger bun, or maybe a bean

Flattened on the bottom and with a curved dome top, raindrops are anything but the classic tear shape.
Air flow at the bottom of the water drop is greater than the airflow at the top, creating less air pressure, allowing the raindrop to remain more spherical while the bottom gets more flattened

We might have a new continent, too

There are not 12 continents, but there may very well be eight

A group of geologists want to count a “continent” that has been submerged for upwards of 23 million years
EarthSky reports that the “hidden continent” is a mostly submerged land mass beneath New Zealand and New Caledonia

The Great Wall of China is not visible from space

Most astronauts have said the wall’s materials blend into its surroundings too much to be discernible with the naked eye, but some have made out roads, airport runways, irrigation ditches, and bridges that are made of materials that do make them stand out from the surroundings.