Recently I came across this list of things purporting to be true. We all know that everything we read on the Internet isn’t true, but sometimes that same Internet can be so helpful when trying to answer a question. However, because we don’t know what we can trust I always look at several sources for the answer.
So now I have these statements and wonder if they are correct. My research has shown various results and offers a reminder about how we need to be discriminating when trusting the Internet.
The first purported fact deals with that heavy fruit that falls from palm trees. Seriously, I knew very little about coconuts until now. The statement says, “The liquid inside coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.”
I believe the fact refers to coconut water, which is the liquid inside the coconut and not coconut milk which is made using the grated coconut meat. I have learned that during World War II medics used coconut water for IVs as a substitute for saline and it was well tolerated. My source says while it’s good in an IV to rehydrate the body, coconut liquid can not actually replace blood plasma. However, it is usually sterile and when mixed with plasma, behaves like saline solution. While you’ll probably never need this information, if you are on a desert island and you need an IV, cut open a coconut.
Another use for coconut water has also been discovered. It is even better than milk for keeping a tooth viable that has been knocked out of your mouth, until you can get to the endodontist. But, I don’t know where you’re going to find coconut water on the playground. So, this fact that coconut water liquid could replace plasma was clearly not true, but you know some other uses for it now.
The next fact – “Apples, not coffee with caffeine are more effective in waking you up in the morning.” My sources tell me that coffee with caffeine definitely provides a better morning wakeup than the fructose in an apple. Either choice, however, offers complicated benefits. If you exercise at the start of the day, an apple supplies enough fuel for an hour-long workout Also making an apple part of your regular diet improves your breathing.
On the other hand, a cup of hot coffee provides warmth to counter all the morning chill and contains chemical compounds that boost you quickly into a full waking state. The caffeine increases your heart rate and speeds your breathing. It also raises your blood pressure and stimulates your central nervous system making you more alert. So, I just say this fact is only partially true.
Here’s an interesting fact – “Most dust particles in your house are made of dead skin.” Oh my gosh, I can hardly even think about this. Besides the skin, dust is also made up of soil or sand, pollen, hairs, bacteria, pet dander and bug and flea droppings, oh my. In addition, there are dust mites that are tiny bugs living on us, around us and on our pets. They eat, drink and make merry all around us and it’s their fecal matter that makes up a large portion of the dust we sweep up and vacuum each day. Enough said. This fact is sadly and definitely true.
A somewhat useless fact – “No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times.” Every time you fold a paper, not only is it halved, but the thickness is doubled. There’s apparently a breaking point when you do it seven times. How many times you can fold it also depends on the thickness of the paper, but after you fold it seven times it is usually really bulky. If you have longer and thinner paper and it’s wet, it might be folded one or two times more, but it’s pretty difficult to work with at this point. I’m not quite sure were this fact would come in handy, but it is about 80 percent correct.
Here we are back to something I know about, a fact that involves dentistry – “Dentists recommend you keep your toothbrush at least six feet away from the toilet because of the aerosol spray. It seems airborne particles from the flush can travel that distance. Maybe you should just move your toothbrush to the kitchen! This is not the first time I’ve heard this and every source I checked tells me that it is definitely true.
Now for a crazy fact – “It is possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs. I don’t know how many times a cow has an opportunity to go up and down stairs, but someone has decided to say that they can only go up, but not down. However, I am here to tell you that is not true. I have seen the YouTube video where a cow negotiates a very long set of stairs, not happily, but does actually walk down them. So be confident that your cow can go up and down the stairs. The statement is false.
Here’s a fact that will be obvious to card players – “The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.” Here’s how this happened. Early playing cards began in the 16th century and were printed using wood blocks. Disfiguring occurred over the centuries as unskilled block makers distorted the original designs, resulting in symbols of office and other attributes losing their meaning. These distortions are how the king of hearts not only lost his mustache, but also why the axe he was originally holding became a sword. So this fact is true and you never know when you’ll need to know this.
Now, go move your toothbrush and stop folding that crazy paper.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)