Debunking the Myth of Debunking Myths

from Ross Pomeroy, Real Clear Science:

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Sugar doesn't make you hyper. A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building won't kill you. We don't just have five senses. Napoleon wasn't short. Caffeine doesn't dehydrate you. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space.

Everything you know isn't wrong. But a lot of it is.

Myths are everywhere: on the Internet, at your work, in your head. Even worse, they're difficult to dislodge. Psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky at the University of Bristol has made a career out of trying to loosen their extensive hold. After decades of effort, he's learned a lot. His biggest discovery, perhaps, is that attempting to debunk a myth can backfire, resulting in the myth being strengthened instead of removed.

He also disproved a huge myth about debunking myths: "that removing [a myth's] influence is as simple as packing more information into people's heads."

It's simply not that easy.
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The entire post can be read here.