Children of Generation X grew up learning what at the time felt solid & correct, but in the present day it is more myth than fact. It always fascinates me that education evolves over time; what was once thought to be the whole truth is now ludicrous. In this list, I will share with you 10 lessons Gen X learned long ago which have now been disproven.
The Food Pyramid
They taught X children the food pyramid; a system that advised them to consume 6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, or grains per day, with few fats & oils at the top. This made sense in those days but nutritionists later decried the pyramid for promoting carb overload that led to obesity & diabetes.
Nutrition today consists of eating healthy meals that consist less of carbs and more of healthy fats, protein and fresh vegetables.
Planets
Pluto was taught for decades as the solar system’s ninth planet, in an icy orbit well away from the sun. Children of Gen X learned it by heart along with Mercury, Venus & the rest. But in 2006, astronomers declared Pluto a “dwarf planet” because it couldn’t empty its orbit of debris. This new science transformed our perception of the solar system & Gen Xers became nostalgic about the “lost” planet.
Brain Capacity
It was presented as fact that humans only used 10% of our brains; fueling fantasies about untapped intelligence & potential. Movies and books were selling the idea that we might discover inward powers if only we employed more of our minds. Then, neuroscience revealed this to be untrue; we use almost all the brain functions in one day.
Nuclear Bomb Survival Tricks
Fears of the Cold War animated classroom drills where students were instructed to duck under their desks in case of a nuclear strike. This, the reasoning went, would keep them safe from flying debris & radiation. These exercises in fact provided little defense against the disaster of a nuclear strike. They were designed to dispel fear more than provide safety.
Quicksand Danger
Young Gen Xers learned to think that quicksand was a killer, that it could rip a person under within a split second. Survival books & films dramatized it as an irresistible danger.
However, science has shown that while quicksand can trap your legs, it’s not as dangerous as it seems. The human body can float & if you are patient enough, you can often get out.
Dinosaurs Were Cold-Blooded
It was always taught that dinosaurs were slow-paced, cold-blooded reptiles who needed warm places to survive. This was until paleontologists learned that many dinosaurs were hot-blooded & very active. Some even had feathers, making it impossible to tell the difference between dinosaurs & birds. So, this has changed how we think about their behavior & habitats.
Discovery of America
History lessons presented Columbus as a heroic “discoverer” of America in 1492. But modern historians have since clarified that Natives had been living in the Americas for millennia before he came. Besides, Columbus never did make it to North America on land; he just sailed in the Caribbean. Today, his legacy is in debate & the “discovery” story has been reinvented.
The Great Wall of China is Visible from Space
The Great Wall of China, as teachers would say, was the only structure you could see from space; a colossal wonder. But space astronauts have blasted it, saying that the wall is too thin & blends into the terrain. Great on Earth, but hard to see from space.
The Dangers of Eggs
Eggs were once stigmatized as unhealthy because of their cholesterol content. X kids were told they’d be sick with heart disease if they ate too many eggs. But eggs, as recent research has revealed, are full of nutrients & don’t raise cholesterol in most people.
Left-Handed Problems
Even in previous classrooms, lefties were sometimes forced to use their right hand to write and do other things. It was falsely thought that being left-handed was a fault that needed to be repaired. Now, of course, we know handedness is genetic & brain-based, and that trying to correct it will only cause problems such as poor coordination & frustration.
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