The claim that we swallow an average of 8 spiders per year in our sleep was entirely fabricated in 1993 by columnist Lisa Holst to demonstrate how easily misinformation spreads through email chains. The irony? The fake fact became one of the most widely believed urban myths of all time. This quiz tests whether you can sort genuine facts from the myths, old wives' tales, and historical misconceptions that have wormed their way into common knowledge.
Each round draws 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50 covering food myths, body misconceptions, historical fabrications, and animal folklore. For each question, decide whether the claim is truth, myth, or somewhere in between. Instant feedback after every answer reveals the real story behind each belief — including the surprising origins of myths you may have believed your whole life.
Urban myths persist because they tap into our fears, offer simple explanations for complex phenomena, or just make great stories. Many were invented for specific purposes — carrots improving eyesight was WWII propaganda to hide radar technology, Viking horned helmets were a 19th-century artistic invention, and the idea that we only use 10% of our brains has been debunked by every neuroscience study ever conducted. Once a myth achieves critical mass, even corrections struggle to dislodge it.
No, this is one of the most persistent urban myths. Brain imaging studies show that virtually all areas of the brain are active over the course of a day, and even during sleep significant portions of the brain remain active. The myth may have originated from a misquote of William James or from early neuroscience research that only mapped a small percentage of brain functions.
No. Napoleon stood about 5 feet 7 inches tall, which was average or slightly above average for a Frenchman of his era. The myth arose from confusion between French inches (which were longer than English inches) and British propaganda caricatures that depicted him as tiny. His nickname "le petit caporal" was a term of endearment from his troops, not a comment on his stature.
No. Multiple studies have found no link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. Most famously, Dr. Donald Unger cracked the knuckles on one hand for over 60 years while leaving the other hand alone, and found no difference in arthritis between them. He won an Ig Nobel Prize for his dedication. The popping sound comes from gas bubbles collapsing in the synovial fluid between joints.
Last updated: April 2026