Facts Boomers Learned in School That Are Dead Wrong

We all assume that school teaches us the truth … but as time passes, some truths are debunked. Here are a few facts boomers learned in school that didn’t stand the test of time and have since been debunked.

Fats Are the Enemy

Boomers learned that all fats were evil and that they caused heart disease. While unsaturated fats still remain on the “don’t overdo it” list, we now know that saturated fats in foods like avocados are essential for good health.

Stepping on a Rusty Nail Causes Tetanus

We’ve all been warned against going barefoot where there may be rusty nails because, you know, tetanus. Turns out this is a myth. Tetanus is caused by the Clostridium tetani bacteria, not rust.

North America Is Giant

Talk about ethnocentrism. Boomers were raised looking at maps using the Mercator projection, which distorted the sizes of North America and Europe relative to their southern neighbors. 

No wonder we think the U.S. is the center of the universe!

It’s Always “I Before E, Except After C”

Sounds like a simple enough rule to follow, and 75% of the time, it’s correct. But there are still many words where this spelling rule does not apply, like “height” or “vein.” 

Imagine the confusion for people learning English as a second language!

Pluto Is the Ninth Planet

So many of us can remember learning about the nine planets, but in 2006, Pluto got kicked out of the club and was recategorized as a dwarf planet.

You Need Cursive

Until the age of computers, all students learned how to write in cursive. Now, given the prevalence of typing on computers and phones, it’s been abandoned as a subject of study.

Boys Are Better at Math

Oh, the gender wars. They taught us that boys were good at math, science, and hunting, while girls were good at art, cooking, and sewing. We’ve broken those barriers, thankfully.

Put Two Spaces After a Period

For those who learned to type on a typewriter, those two spaces were critical in a document. But now that we’re typing on computers, one space suffices.

Litter Is A-OK

No one gave a thought to throwing a hamburger wrapper out of the car on the highway decades ago, but by the 1970s, legislation was put into place in all the states banning litter.

It’s a Free Country

We’ve all heard kids sassily say this phrase, but the truth is, the U.S. ranks further down on the Human Freedom Index than you’d think, tying for #17 with the U.K.

Smoking and Drinking During Pregnancy? No Problem

While today, we’re horrified if we see a pregnant woman sipping even a drop of alcohol, it was once common practice to smoke and drink throughout pregnancy.

Marijuana Is a Gateway Drug

If you start smoking pot, before you know it, you’ll be doing crack! This was more of a scare tactic to keep kids from doing any drugs than a reality.

Don’t End a Sentence with a Preposition

Thankfully, language evolves with the times, and we’ve definitely loosened our ties a little since the whole preposition taboo. Now saying, “who are you seeing the movie with” doesn’t raise eyebrows the way it once did.

Milk Does a Body Good

We’ve all been told to drink our milk because it helps us grow strong bones … but that’s not true. Calcium, yes, helps bones, but dairy may actually cause harm.

Abe Lincoln Was Firmly Against Slavery

Like many politicians, Honest Abe waffled in his opinion about slavery, initially being open to it if it kept the Union together. He later switched teams and was forever known as The Great Emancipator.

God Created the Universe

Depending on when you went to school, you might have been taught the Creation theory, which says that a higher power created the universe and everything in it. Schools have since shifted to the Evolution theory, which says we evolved from a common ancestor 3.8 billion years ago.

Some People ‘Aren’t Right in the Head’

Mental health has certainly come a long way over the decades. Anyone who didn’t fit the societal norm was looked at sideways, if not locked up in the loony bin. With psychotherapy and pharmaceuticals, people with mental illnesses can live normal lives today.

You’re Gonna Use That Math

Every parent (some, even today) tried coaxing their kids to finish their math homework by telling them they’d need those math skills as adults. Well, some do, but with calculators and software, few of us really need that Trig we slogged over.

You’ve Got Blue Blood in Your Veins

For ages, children were taught that blood was blue until it came into contact with oxygen, when it turned red. Not so. Veins look blue through the skin because of how the light hits them.

Convenience Foods Are Just as Healthy

Convenience foods like frozen meals came on the scene in the 1960s, and many thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. We’ve since realized that stuffing food full of preservatives and chemicals may not be the healthiest choice.

Eat Some Foods from the 7 Food Groups

In the 1940s, the food guide included seven food groups, and consumers were encouraged to eat balanced amounts of each. Since then, we’ve developed the Food Pyramid, which tells us which categories to eat plenty of (fruits and veggies) and which to eat less of (fats and refined carbs).

Formula Beats Breast Milk

In the 1950s, breastfeeding babies was considered passé, and mothers were encouraged to give their babies formula, which, they were told, was just as nutritious. We’ve since discovered the health benefits of breast milk. 

Space is Gravity-Free

There’s no gravity in space, right? Isn’t that why astronauts float around? In fact, they seem like they’re floating because they’re in free fall. Gravity is everywhere, though, in space, it’s only 80% of the Earth’s surface gravity.

A Kite + a Key = Electricity

We’ve all heard the old myth about Ben Franklin and his kite discovering electricity. He didn’t. He wrote a letter to a friend with a theory about capturing an electrical charge, but others used his theory to eventually harness electricity.

There Were 13 American Colonies

We were all taught about the 13 colonies under British rule…but in fact, there were 12 when the Revolution started. Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania, and then the part of Pennsylvania that became Delaware declared independence from both Pennsylvania and Great Britain.

Cigarettes Are Recommended by Doctors

In the 1930s to 1950s, doctors were frequently featured in cigarette advertisements, which gave them a healthy allure. Obviously, we’ve since realized that cigarettes are cancer sticks.

America Is the Poster Child for Democracy

While the United States may have popularized democracy, it was actually invented by the Greeks. As far back as 507 B.C., the people ruled the country.

There Is a Dark Side of the Moon

Sorry, Pink Floyd. There is no dark side. Though this was once a common belief, we’ve since learned that we are always looking at the same side of the moon. Meanwhile, the sun shines on all of the moon.

Thomas Edison Had a Lightbulb of an Idea

Kids in school are taught that Edison invented the lightbulb. In fact, he took credit for the work of a group of scientists who developed the concept. Shame on you, Tom.

Stress Causes Ulcers

For a long time, the belief was that stress (and spicy food) caused ulcers. In fact, they are caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

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