MYTH BUSTER! Creating Peace of Mind

Courtesy of http://www.clker.com

With all this crazy weather, I am really getting confused. There’s no snow, then there’s a three-hour storm, then it’s all gone by the next day. It’s sunny, it rains, then that night it snows so much that no one can go anywhere. Don’t get me wrong; I love the snow (I mean, who doesn’t want a day off from school?), but I’m still annoyed at all this bipolar activity around me.

With that being said, I wanted to find some snow myths, but came across some other interesting myths and facts about the weather in general (since we can never predict it anyway).

Myth: Animals can sense a storm first.

Reality: According to www.care2.com, although some animals are more “sensitive to changes in pressure,” they can’t sense weather changes significantly more than humans can. They may be able to sense earthquakes or tsunamis more, but only by a few seconds.

So stop staring at your dog and asking him to bark twice if snow is about to come; you look dumb and are wasting your time. Stick to the weather man. He may be wrong but he probably knows more than your guinea pig.

Fact: You can listen to crickets to check the temperature.

Reason: Turns out if you’re trying to calculate the current temperature in Fahrenheit and you’re around some crickets, all you have to do is count how many chirps they do in 14 seconds, then add 14. Although this won’t be exact, it will actually be pretty close.

Care2.com explains the reason being is because a “cricket’s metabolism varies based on the weather,” which affects how often they chirp. So if you’re ever curious about how hot or cold it is outside but can’t find a thermometer, try finding a cricket instead.

Myth: You can get sick from going out in the cold with wet hair.

Reality: Despite what you’ve been told since you were little, this isn’t true. Www.beaumontenterprise.com explains how there are really only three things that make people sick around this time. One is the exposure to the people around us, especially if you are near people that have children or little siblings because children carry a lot of viruses and spread them easily.

Another thing is that during this season, “there usually is no fresh air circulating through the house” and since many people stay inside to keep warm more than in warmer seasons, “they are unknowingly exchanging germs.” Lastly, the “lack of humidity in the house makes a person’s mucus membrane dry” which leads to a more virus prone immune system.

I hope you found these little facts entertaining and have a great day at school or at home, whichever one the weather permits.