Five Popular Myths and Misconceptions

ABSTRACT: We live in the Information Age. Despite this fact (or perhaps because of it), many of us still subscribe to common myths and hold fast to outdated concepts. Here are five of these popular myths and misconceptions.

St. Patrick stepping on a snake-Courtesy of Microsoft Word

We live in the Information Age. We are creating new data at a dizzying pace. Unlike in previous generations, we often do not have to wait for this knowledge to appear in a book, a newspaper, or a magazine before we can gain access to it. Instead, we can obtain this information almost instantly via a simple Google search.
Despite this fact (or perhaps because of it), many of us still subscribe to common myths and hold fast to outdated concepts.

Here are five of these popular myths and misconceptions.

Blinded by the Television?

When you were a child, did your parents warn you that you would go blind if you sat too close to the television? If your mom and dad gave you this advice, they were only following conventional wisdom. However, it turns out that your parents were wrong on this one. Researchers have studied the issue and have conclusively proven that people will not suffer any ill effects from sitting close to the TV set.

Abner Doubleday Strikes Out

Many of us, at least those of us who are Americans, would be surprised to learn that Doubleday did not invent the game of baseball. It appears that this popular myth goes all the way back to 1907. In that year a special baseball commission, convened by a businessman named A.G. Spalding, anointed Doubleday as baseball's founder. Unfortunately, the commission was wrong. Scholars now believe that another man, Alexander Cartwright, should claim this title. Researchers might be convinced of this fact; however many Americans continue to cling to the Doubleday myth.

The Brontosaurus Never Walked the Earth

In the 1880s paleontologist, O.C. Marsh, announced to the world that he had found a new plant eating dinosaur. He called it a brontosaurus. However, Marsh's brontosaurus was actually an apatosaurus-a previously known dinosaur type. Scientists realized the mistake as early as 1903; however, many of us (laypeople) still believe that the brontosaurus existed. Merriam-Webster admitted as much in a recent edition of its popular dictionary, when it listed "brontosaurus" as a synonym for "apatosaurus."

Is Reading in the Dark Harmful?

When I was young, my parents scolded me for reading a book in near darkness. They told me that I would harm my vision if I did not turn on some lights. It appears that I was not the only child who received this rebuke. Luckily for me and for millions of other individuals, this is one parental lesson that we can ignore. Experts assert that reading in the dark is not hazardous to our health.

Benjamin Franklin and Bifocals

Like many other children, I grew up believing that Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals. Even PBS credits Franklin for coming up with the idea. However, a number of historians doubt the veracity of this statement. Instead, they assert that someone living in London created the first bifocal lenses. The jury is still out on this one; however the circumstantial evidence points to someone other than Franklin as the inventor of this eye accessory.

The author is a freelance writer and has a B.A. in History from Roanoke College.

-- Anthony Hopper

#myths #history #baseball #MLB #dinosaurs #reading #TV

An Innovative Plan to Help Offset Budget Cuts at NASA and at the NIH - 2012

ABSTRACT: The Obama administration recently released its proposed, federal budget for 2013, which calls for funding cuts at NASA and at the NIH. The article discusses a possible, bi-partisan method for staving off these spending cuts.

President Obama's administration recently released its proposed federal budget for 2013, and the news is not encouraging for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which will realize a 0.3 percent decrease in year over year funding per USA Today. Employees at the National Institutes of Health are not cheering either. According to California Healthline, the NIH's budget will be frozen at current year levels (effectively a funding cut, since the inflation rate is greater than 0 percent). Congress may decide to cut spending for these two agencies even further when it sends the final budget to the President for his approval later this year. Regardless of who wins in November, the federal government will find it difficult if not impossible to boost funding for either NASA or the NIH anytime soon. The next Congress will have to deal with a debt load that, according to the Wall Street Journal, was approximately $15.194 trillion dollars in January 2012 and is growing larger with every passing day.

NIH Building 10 (1)

Some people might not worry about the cuts to NASA and to the NIH. However, it is important to remember that these agencies perform vital functions. NASA funded research not only expands our nation's knowledge of the universe, it also (per the agency's website) helps to foster the development of new, consumer technologies like the computer mouse. The NIH plays an even more vital role in our society. It oversees basic research on diseases and other healthcare issues that private companies will not perform for cost-benefit reasons. Any cuts to the NIH budget will imperil these studies.

With one change to IRS tax forms, the federal government might be able to increase funding to both of these agencies without having to raise new taxes or cut budgets for other programs. If nothing else, it would let the American people decide whether or not the work of NASA and the NIH is of value to them. Simply put, Congress and the President could authorize the IRS to include two donation boxes on its tax forms allowing people to contribute to one or both of the agencies. The opt-in process would not force anyone to give money; however, it would offer them an easy opportunity to donate if they so choose. In short, this legislation would provide Americans with a democratic method for voicing their support for (or disapproval of) NASA and the NIH.

Legislation authorizing the use of a donation box on an IRS form would break new ground, but the idea of voluntarily contributing money to the federal government is not new. In fact, a Wall Street Journal article notes that " Americans made gifts totaling $10 million over the past five years to the U.S. Treasury." Per their websites, both NASA and the NIH accept donations from private citizens. Further, the government could take precautions to make sure that neither the IRS nor any other government agency actively solicited the public for donations, thereby limiting any commingling of private and public interests.

While it is true that Congress and the President would have to overcome a number of potential obstacles to pass this legislation; they should nonetheless give the idea some thought. It is a bipartisan funding strategy that might appeal to constituents of both parties as well as to independents; a rare accomplishment in this age of divided politics.

1. Author: Chris Spielmann
    Date: July 2002
    Title/Description: A side view of Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center (Building 10) at the National 
                               Institutes of Health (NIH).
     Location/Permission: Wikimedia Commons - Author's note on the site (see the title/link for more info.).

-- Anthony Hopper

#NASA #space #NIH #health #healthcare #space #astronomy #stars #politics #taxes #donations

Sports Media Help Reinforce Negative Stereotypes of Older Americans

Abstract: American sportswriters and commentators often help perpetuate ageist stereotypes by using words that glorify youth while at the same time demean older athletes. This is a significant issue because sports media reaches millions of American homes.

Ageism is a serious problem in the United States. Many of our cultural motifs tout the virtues of youth while at the same time portray middle-aged and elderly people as slow-witted, outmoded and unable to adapt to change. These societal attitudes toward aging have real-world consequences; they encourage businesses, government agencies and individuals to provide unequal treatment. In an excellent article from 2004, which is still relevant, the Associated Press describes how these views negatively impact middle-aged Americans, who face discrimination at work and in public. It notes that society often treats seniors even worse by failing to provide them with adequate caregiver attention or via consigning them to nursing homes that offer substandard care. An actor's remark in a CBS article about Hollywood is indicative of American society as a whole, "Ageism is prevalent in our industry and it's like a silent killer, like cancer, and it gets worse every year."

Nowhere is the focus on youth more prevalent than in professional sports. The athletes are the stars of this industry, commanding seven or eight figure salaries and large endorsement deals. They have millions of fans who follow them on the field and on social media sites like Twitter. Just as important, the vast majority of these players are in their twenties and thirties. The physical deterioration that occurs as people age, if only slight, is enough to ensure that even the best athletes are no longer competitive at the highest levels by the time they reach 40. As an ESPN article notes, even 30 is considered old for some sports such as tennis.

Given these conditions, it is inevitable that professional sports, to some extent, will help foster our nation's youth obsessed culture. However, the sports media does not have any excuse for perpetuating views that demean older Americans. When sportscasters and writers use words like youthful energy, kid, and carefree to describe young athletes and contrast it to older veterans who are ancient, rickety, and over the hill, they help to perpetuate stereotypes that glorify youth while demeaning middle and old age. Their word choices matter, as indicated by the furor that recently erupted around prejudiced comments regarding NBA player, Jeremy Lin.

Even articles that compliment older players often use phrases that reinforce ageist notions. As an example, a July 18, 2009 story by the Associated Press commends Tom Watson for his play at the British Open but nonetheless uses phrases like, "laughing all week, just waiting for the old geezer to collapse." By contrast, according to an article in Fox Sports, a young star like Cam Newton shows "youthful exuberance,…and the self-confidence that emanates from the pours of his soul." The authors of these articles are not intentionally trying to spread ageist memes. Nonetheless, those remarks and ones like them, however well meaning, do more than simply denote whether or not a veteran player can still compete professionally or discuss a young athlete's abilities; they reinforce negative stereotypes of older people.

Every day, sportswriters and commentators reach millions of American homes through their articles and broadcasts. Their voices not only help shape the public discourse on sports, they influence Americans' opinions on a range of issues, including their views on aging. As such, the sports media should work hard to ensure that they do not unwittingly support ageist views that strip older people of their dignity.

-- Anthony Hopper

#sports #media #sportsmedia #golf #football #NFL #age #elderly #65 #retirement

December 21, 2012 and Other Rare Calendar Dates

Abstract

Mayan calendar (1)

: Fans of rare calendar dates may not have the chance to experience another 12/12/12 (the next occurrence is on Dec. 12, 2112). However, they can look forward to these upcoming calendar rarities.

Fans of rare calendar dates may not have the chance to experience another 12/12/12 (the next occurrence is on Dec. 12, 2112). However, they can look forward to these upcoming calendar rarities.

12/21/12

Some people have circled Dec. 21, 2012 on their calendars because they think the world will come to an end on that day. However, believers in the Mayan Apocalypse should not be the only ones excited about the upcoming date. Dec. 21, 2012 is a rare case in which the month, day, and last two digits of the year are transpositions of each other. This pattern only occurs five times every hundred years (11/11/11 does not count). Calendar lovers will not get another chance to experience this phenomenon again until Jan. 10, 2101.

11/12/13

A date containing consecutive numbers does not appear on the calendar very often. In fact, it will only occur twice more in this century. Take a moment now and mark Nov. 12, 2013 and Dec. 13, 2014 on your smartphone calendars.

07/07/14

Assuming they survive the Mayan Apocalypse, most people will not plan any special parties on July 7, 2014. However, the coming date should be a cause for celebration. Only 12 times in a century will the calendar date represent the sum of a number counted twice (7 + 7 = 14). Luckily for most calendar followers, several of these quirks will occur over the next few years (08/08/16, 09/09/18, 10/10/20, 11/11/22, and 12/12/24).

04/04/16

For calendar aficionados, April 4, 2016 is another big day. That is when a number (the month) multiplied by itself yields the year. Thanks to Oct. 10, November 11, and Dec. 12 (which result in numbers larger than 99), this is one of the rarest calendar anomalies of them all. It only occurs twelve times per millennia.

11/11/2111

If you are still alive on Nov. 11, 2111, you will want to jump for joy. You will likely not live long enough to witness another date with so many ones in it. The only other date to include more ones was Nov. 11, 1111. The calendar quirk will not come again until Nov. 11, 3111.

1. Photographer: Truthanado
    Title/Description: Mayan calendar created by a modern craftsman
    Date: August 4, 2008
    Location/Permission: Wikimedia - Author's note (click on the title/link for photo/credits/permission).

#calendar #dates #Maya #beliefs #rarities #rare

-- Anthony Hopper