“Science is the practice of obscuring, then rediscovering, what we already know.” —Unattributed

Some claim drinking eight glasses of water a day leads to good health, while reading in dim light damages eyesight. Others believe we only use 10% of our brains or that shaving legs causes hair to grow back thicker.

But a review of evidence by US researchers surrounding seven commonly-hold beliefs suggests they are actually “medical myths”.

Studies suggest that adequate fluid intake is often met by drinking juice, milk, and even caffeine-rich tea and coffee.

And the belief that hair and fingernails continue to grow after death may be an optical illusion caused by retraction of the skin after death.

The belief that we only use 10% of our brains appears to be completely untrue.

The stubble resulting from shaving grows out without the finer taper seen at the ends of unshaven hair, giving the impression of thickness and coarseness.

And so on.

(Via the BBC.)