50 Myths and Misconceptions People Still Believe to Be True

There’s a popular fable you might have heard before that serves as a cautionary tale or metaphor about people’s inability to notice or react to dangers that arise gradually. The story goes that if you put a frog very suddenly in boiling water, it will immediately jump out, but if you increase the temperature gradually, it won’t notice the water is boiling until it’s too late.

It’s a nice story, but it’s not scientifically accurate. Modern biologists were able to debunk this premise, instead saying that a frog will jump out of the water, even if it’s being heated gradually. They say never to let the truth get in the way of a good story, but we’re glad to have this matter resolved.