The 5 most ridiculous lies they told us in history class

The institute was already hard enough, with so many games and nonsense that we were not allowed to finish their homework. But what is annoying is there to "unlearn" many of the things they told us that it is primary and which are lies.

5: Columbus discovered that the earth was round

The story he told us:

In 1492, a Spanish named Christopher Columbus met the necessary support between the monarchy and clergy to make a trip to eastern Asia. Everyone assumed that would not succeed because they believed the earth was a flat disc and if Columbus sailed westward, would fall over the precipice of the end of the world, landing on top of the large turtle stand on the hard sphere.

Columbus, as we are told, failed to reach their destination, but not because the world was flat, but because he came across the American continent.

The truth:

In the fifteenth century, the flat earth theory had as much credibility as today is the theory of "Cubic Time", or maybe less. The shape of the land is determined at the time that the philosopher Pythagoras proposed the theory of orbits, some 2000 years before the existence of Spain.

In fact, the navigation techniques used by Columbus were based on the fact that the earth is a sphere. Trying to make the trip if the earth is flat would have annoyed the travel more than it already is annoyed.

That the Spanish government refused to pay the trip to Columbus had nothing to do with misconceptions about how in the world. Ironically, it was because Columbus discovered the earth was older than previously thought. The distance would not let him go thinking about Asia. Anyway, got sufficient funds for the trip, and since énoncés both in America and in Spain is celebrated on the discovery of America.

But where is the myth? All part of a historian named Washington Irving, who wrote a novel about Columbus in 1838. The novel was fiction, but somehow reached the texts of books, probably because some editor decided to give it some vidilla history. Who wants to read history books boring?

4: Einstein flunked math

The story he told us:

For teachers who like to motivate their students love this story, a small German boy who was like you!. Despite his efforts he was unable to take math exams, and struggled desperately while working as a physicist at the patent office.

The boy grew up and became thanks to their efforts in the fucking Albert Einstein! And if he could, you too!

The truth:

Well ... no, you can. It appears that Einstein was a mathematical prodigy, and before reaching age 12, was already better at arithmetic calculation and what you are now. Einstein was so fucking smart that he believed the school was holding him and his parents bought him books to study advanced calculus. Not only passed his exams with flying, it is possible that at the end of the quarter knew more than his teacher.

The idea that Einstein was bad at math part of a question in a game of Trivial magazine "Believe It or Not!" By Robert Ripley.

This is one of many reasons not to include Robert Ripley from the bibliography of your thesis. The famous "expert" never cited his sources trivial, and several of the facts presented is the scab of the sleeve.

When his wife told him this myth to Einstein himself, broke out laughing and probably settled a dozen mysteries of the cosmos before dinner.

Of course, this only confirms what we always suspected, deep down, the success really is decided at birth, and your life will never be better than it is now. Sorry.

3: Newton and the apple

The story he told us:

You've probably heard of Isaac Newton. It is like the Jesus of physics. In the late seventeenth century, Newton practically invented the science. Among his discoveries included the laws of motion, the visible spectrum, the speed of sound, the laws of cooling and calculation. Yes, the entire calculation. One wonders if anyone really used his head before Newton.

Probably his most famous discovery is the law of gravity. The story is that Newton, a modest mathematician and professor of physics, was sitting in the shade of an apple tree on a sunny day, when a branch fell from a manzaca and struck her head.

When most people only have thought "Oh! Bastard! "And stayed alert for 10 minutes, the Newton was the first attempt to formulate a set of universal laws governing the motions of gravitating bodies, a theory that persisted unchanged for 200 years.

The truth:

Newton never mentioned the story of the apple, in fact, were another person, a John Conduitt who was 60 years later. Even then, the explanations are very vague about whether it was really an apple or the apple was a metaphor used to illustrate the idea of gravitation for minds less privileged (ie everyone)

"While I was hanging out in a garden, the idea popped into thinking that the force of gracedad (which makes an apple fall to the ground from the tree) was not limited to a certain distance from the earth but extended beyond. "

You may have noticed that no mention that the apple to hit Newtom, this fact was added later to give an element of cartoons to life of genius.

We like to think that discoveries occur in this complex way, with a bulb that lights up suddenly over our heads. This suggests that we could also happen to us someday, the next big idea happen while we're walking in the park. In fact, Newton spent most of his life meditating and refine their theories.

When we have children, let us tell you the truth, man!. Newton spent his life buried under piles of paper covered with small figures and formulas. Only years of tedious and lonely work, before having several nervous breakdowns and eventually die years later, crazy about mercury poisoning. Welcome to the real world, Tommy.

2: Whasington and cherry. (not known in Europe.)

[machine translation takes a while when I review]

History:

It is a parable that resonates across all elementary schools in the student account of life and times of the man who is both the first president of America, and the only president to also have been a superhero.

As a child, we were told, George Washington came into possession of an ax, and went about his days cutting the shit out of everything he saw. One day her father came to prize cherry tree, and without so much as a second thought of fools that he chopped down, presumably because he was a monarchist. When asked about his father about the event, Washington proudly admitted he had been the culprit, due to their inability to lie. The story is somewhat later adapted to film with Jim Carrey in the lead role.

The truth:

In a cynical culture, George Washington has yet been elevated to a kind of deity, thanks in part to a man named Mason Locke Weems. He authored a biography titled, unfortunately, "Life of George Washington with Curious Anecdotes commendable to himself and his Countrymen Exemplary. This was the title of his young publishers could be persuaded to agree with him.

Weems remembers many fantastic stories about Washington, with emphasis on its immense moral strength and infallibility. The cherry tree story is of particular importance because it demonstrates that Washington can easily destroy things, and just decided no.

According to Weems, "in the sight of him, even those blessed spirits seem [ed] to feel new raptures. So, when the angels learned of the existence of George Washington, began to think of a second their loyalty to their leader and much less powerful God. Curiously, Weems waited until Washington was dead before the publication of his anecdotes.

It happens, indeed, if Washington was incapable of lying, then Mason Weems was certainly true of his nemesis, seeing that his account of Washington about as historically accurate as it exploits the 1999 Civil War documentary Wild Wild West.

However, Weems' pack of lies taught as fact in the school textbooks of America for over a century, probably because they are much more fascinating than the true story of a man who, by most reliable accounts, was actually a bland, boring and other uncharismatic That has become higher than average, and pretty good at warring. The story still resonates today, delivered to their impressionable children's minds through reliable media such as Sesame Street.

Why this fucking story survive? Perhaps because the central message still resonates: "It's much easier to tell the truth when you are holding an ax."

1: Benjamin Franklin, the kite and the storm

History:

Another great American hero who almost has superpowers mutants is Ben Franklin, a scientist and statesman whose inventions include bifocal lenses, urinary catheter and freedom. He was particularly interested in electricity, and met with colleagues skeptics who doubted that the rays were an electrical phenomenon, which led him to experiment to prove them wrong.

Franklin came out in a storm and burst into a comet with a lightning rod on top and a metal key at the end. When the kite nose touched God, he threw a flash and cargo passed through the key, down the rope and reached the key. When Franklin touched the key, a spark of static electricity, which allowed electricity recoating.

The truth:

It is true that Franklin proposed the kite experiment. But no longer seems as certain to take him out, and many sources suggest you did not. What is certain is that the experiment had nothing to do with lightning. If someone holding a kite in a thunderstorm and was struck by lightning, is quite likely that the person would be seriously damaged.

A lot of people who believe in this story grew up with Disney cartoon sonbre history, in which the chapter "Ben and Me" which was mentioned in the history of the kite. There are plenty of testimonials of people based on an animated mouse, have tried to repeat the experiment. The reality of Franklin's experiment is that when you fly the kite through the roof, it contains harmless ions and proves that the atmosphere is charged with electricity. It is thought that Franklin's discoveries led him to infer, then, that the flashes were probably related to electricity.

The story of the kite in the storm is an exaggeration that is still present in U.S. textbooks suggests that American children that storms are not dangerous and that science is fun as well. Also, when igial Newton with his apple that portrays a scientist doing experiments for children, as if everyone who lived before the twentieth century had the mentality of a child.

Author: S Peter Davies
Originates Text: cracked.com
Illustrations: Netroid.com