things the masses of people seem to believe that aren't true.

[shortroundd]

I am not talking about conspiracies here that can't be proven with a bit of digging but more false stuff that seems to stick in the minds of the general population as truths.

1. All/majority of lotto winners go broke after 5 years. I have seen this touted out a lot yet there is no known source of it as no such research exists. There is the handful of bad stories that are circulated but this is only a minority out of 1000s of big winners worldwide. Infact, I recall the tabloids doing a feature with winners to celebrate Camelot's 20th anniversary or so and many winners had said their lives were better.

1. Marriage means all assets are split 50/50. Another huge misconception.

1. Prenups will protect 1 in divorce- again I think 2 and 3 come from people watching tv shows and movies that use this as factual when it's not.

1. Elvis sings 'Lonely this Christmas.'

1. The capital of Brazil is Rio.

@Rogue1001MNer

Re your no 4, *@shortroundd*, I've just popped over to youtube to check and watched elvis singing it

Me too! Mind blown

That a defibrillator will restart a heart thats stopped beating. Every single movie and TV show shows someone flat lining and the defibrillator miraculously restarts the heart for them.

That homeless people get more benefits if they have a dog.

That any historical figure came out with some glurgy 'inspirational' quote in 21st-century self-help language.

That homeless people get more benefits if they have a dog

Not a mainstream belief

Sugar= hyperactivity

Lenient attitude to children drinking means they are less likely to have issues later

That if you eat too little your body goes into starvation mode and you don’t lose weight . Have you looked at people who are seriously ill or who have anorexia

Capital of Turkey is Istanbul.

Chomp at the bit (it's champ)

Here here, (it's hear hear)

Nothink and everythink (they go to great pains to pronounce the K as well, even on television)

The government wants us to be healthy

Demand incentive doesn't exist in the medical industry

Conspiracies happen but only among lowly civilians and are never perpetrated by the people with access to all the world's resources including the media.

That social workers can remove children from their parents.

That things can be chemical-free.

@Kazzyhoward I used to compliance check self assessment returns. You wouldn't believe how many people try to sneak in family holidays and foreign currency transactions (usually Dubai). People also don't seem to understand that if you use ANY of your mobile phone bill for personal use, NONE of it is actually claimable but if you can prove what was, it's usually given. Lots of people just put their entire £120 per month Sky subscription for tv, broadband and phone down and expect it to be allowable cos they use a bit of internet for work purposes. And don't get me started on the builders who order huge kitchen/bathroom/steel etc for themselves and family and pretend it's a proper paying job.

Illegal Immigrants gets benefits

If you’re illegal your not going to apply for benefit and get found

Even legal immigrants are not able to have public funds in many many cases

Champ really?!

I'm a but confused about some of these as they're not all clear which is the 'widely believed' piece of information and which is the corrected fact agree re sugar not causing hyperactivity.

@Lemonandadropofhoney

That a defibrillator will restart a heart thats stopped beating. Every single movie and TV show shows someone flat lining and the defibrillator miraculously restarts the heart for them.

This one really annoys me (and I don't work in a medical environment). It seems to be very widely believed - I blame American dramas.

That Clapham junction is in Clapham. I used to have this argument all the time when I lived there! It is not, it is in Battersea.

Bob Holness played saxophone on Baker Street 🎷

@thistimelastweek

Halloween is not an American import.

It's rooted in Celtic tradition

It is rooted in Celtic tradition but the current iteration if not what the Celtic tradition would recognise! Much likeSt Valentine's day it's the commercialisation that makes it unrecognisable from it's "original" form as a festival. (Bit like 21st century Christmas too...)

That Daddy Long legs have a deadly poison but it's just the fact they cannot bite that saves us.

That we don't use 80% of our brain.

Warwick university is in Warwick

It’s not even in Warwickshire but in West Midlands and near Coventry

That boris is a decent, honest human being.

That it's 'another thing coming'

That you can't drive until 6 weeks after a c-section

@Hyenaormeercat

That homeless people get more benefits if they have a dog.

They get more people giving them cash on the streets if they are begging if they have a dog they don't get more benefits