BMJ debunks medical myths

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39420.420370.25 [Published: 23-Dec-07 | Permalink | Category: Science seen]

Gives the answers, with references from the scientific literature, to the following:

People should drink at least eight glasses of water a day: No, this is from failing to read the next bit: people get 8 glasses of water a day equivalent, from the food they eat
We use only 10% of our brains: Nope, not even at any given time.
Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death: Nah, but cuticles can pull back and follicles open as flesh dries out after death
Shaving hair causes it to grow back faster, darker, or coarser: Nyet, but blunt-ended, recently-cut, as-yet-unbleached-by-sun hair can look darker
Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight: Nein, never been shown except perhaps in one association study that may be faintly concluded as suggestive
Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy: Nada, but turkey + stuffing + wine + potatoes + pudding + extra pudding can
Mobile phones create considerable electromagnetic interference in hospitals: Bah! Tested rigorously, nothing found, suspicions and paranoia remain but only some old equipment in some situations very very near (<1m) some old phones (NB: the life-saving effects of giving hospital doctors mobile phones instead of pagers, so their response times are quicker, are well-documented)

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