19 Ridiculous Movie Myths We Believed as Kids

As kids, we believe everything we see in movies. But, that's the power of Hollywood magic. Here are myths that we all believed as kids.

1. Deadly velociraptors

-The people behind the Jurassic Park films will have you believe that velociraptors are deadly carnivores who are lightning fast and incredibly smart. According to the paleontologists who studied them, actual velociraptors are only half the size they are shown as in the films. They were also harmless to humans

2. Air conditioning ducts

-Everyone who has seen Die Hard knows the famous scene where New York police officer John McClane is in the air conditioning duct of Nakatomi Plaza. it might seem cool, but don't try it. Air conditioning ducts are dusty, cramped spaces not meant to hold humans

3. Explosions

-The helicopter explosion in X-Men Origins: Wolverine might seem cool as Wolverine is walking away, but it's anything but cool. It's actually deadly. Depending on the accelerant used, there's extreme heat. There can also be shrapnel that can cause serious harm, if not death. There's also shockwaves that can disorient or even harm those in the vicinity

4. Silencers

-They might look cool when an assassin rolls one onto a gun to commit a silent murder, but it actually doesn't work like that. Silencers do reduce the noise, but they don't eliminate it. They can affect a gun's accuracy and aim

5. Chloroform-soaked cloth

-In movies, when someone is knocked out, they are seen as having a rag or cloth soaked in something, usually chloroform, to knock them out. Reality tells us that chloroform does not work that quickly or effectively

6. Shooting two guns at once

-Clearly, Hollywood and foreign movie directors think this is possible. Ask John Woo, the veteran Hong Kong director who is best known for his "gun fu" movies. This type of movie genre combines creative gunplay with martial arts. And usually stars Chinese-born actor Chow Yun-fat. Watching Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi hold guns in both hands looks cool. But in the land of reality, shooting two guns simultaneously is going to result in disaster. It takes incredible training and coordination to do this. Even if you were fully trained, accuracy is at risk

Chow Yun-fat as the Monk with No Name in Bulletproof Monk

7. Forensics

-TV shows like the CSI franchise make it seem like solving a crime using forensic technology can be solved almost instantly. Forensic science does not work like that. Actual crime scene technology takes a lot longer. It rarely leads to immediate discoveries

8. Tracing calls

-On the show 24, Jack Bauer will race time to trace a call before the one minute mark hits. In the land of real life, tracing calls can actually happen in seconds, not minutes. Police and FBI have technology that can trace calls and ping the caller's exact location and show it on a map, even if the caller hangs up. The authorities will have your location before you have a chance to run. Technology has also updated to the point where people can be traced by using gunshot tracking. GPS systems will trace a person's exact location using gunshot trackers

9. Drowning people

-Despite people being shown in movies as screaming for mercy if they are drowning, it doesn't work like that in real life. Drowning is a silent killer if the victim doesn't know how to swim. It's a struggle as the victim fights to keep their head above water. The only noise from drowning victims are the gasps of breath they take, which might be their last. That's why it is of the utmost importance to train people how to swim at a young age

10. Car explosions

-Sure, car explosions look cool, especially if the baddie in the film shoots an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) at at car. Or shoots a bazooka at a car. When cars do blow up, they are messy, shrapnel everywhere, glass everywhere. It can take time to fully clean up the scene of the explosion

11. Grenades

-There are three types of grenades: the lemon, pineapple and baseball. They are only named that way because of the shape. The baseball grenade is a perfectly round one. The pineapple grenade is rough and bumpy, like an actual pineapple. The lemon grenade is oval shaped, like an actual lemon. All three have pins that activate the fuse inside. Which means the second that pin is pulled, it needs to be thrown quickly to avoid disaster. Movies show us that grenades can have their pins removed with human teeth. It doesn't work like that. The pins need careful removal. And unlike movies, you can't stick the pin back in to deactivate the grenade. Once that pin is pulled, the deed is done. Throw it and run to avoid injury

12. Hollywood

-This city in California is sometimes known as movie central. Hollywood films will have us believe that anything is possible. For example, making it look like hackers can break into secure systems with a few strokes of the keyboard. Hacking is a slow, methodical process that takes time and effort. Not only that, there are two types of hackers- black hat and white hat. Black hat hackers are bad hackers. They will hack for crime-related and monetary reasons. White hat hackers are good hackers. They are the ones who usually do hacking professionally. They are often hired by companies to test security systems for any areas that need improvement. They help improve the cybersecurity for big, medium and small businesses, no matter the type. And sometimes, even law enforcement will hire black hat hackers to employ them for law enforcement because of their high knowledge of computer systems and put their hacking skills to good use

Hugh Jackman as Stanley Jobson in Swordfish

13. News in bars

-Almost every movie shows people getting their news from patrons at a bar, such as in Good Will Hunting. News reports usually don't cover personal issues. This means that the local watering hole is safe from journalists

14. Meteors

-Thanks to the movie Armageddon, those who seen it think meteors mean massive destruction. According to those who study space, meteors are small and will burn up in the atmosphere before causing any real damage

15. Quicksand

-Unlike in films, where quicksand is shown as a quick working threat, it doesn't work like that in real life. Real quicksand is a mixture of sand and water with the consistency of overly watery concrete mix. You can surely, and slowly, wiggle your way to freedom

16. Sharks' sense of smell

-Jaws caused a fear of sharks for everyone who has seen it. Being attacked by a real shark caused a fear of sharks for some and a respect for the creatures for others. According to marine biologists, sharks cannot smell a single drop of blood miles away. Their sense of smell is not that strong. Yes, they can sniff out potential prey, but they are not bloodthirsty animals on an eating spree. And yes, there are sharks that are considered aggressive, such as bull sharks, tiger sharks. Bull sharks are considered an especially pesky breed of shark because they can switch from fresh water to salt water, meaning they can swim up canals in Florida, which usually run along people's backyards

17. Amnesia

-Movies and TV will have most people believing that a good knock to the head will result in instant amnesia. It doesn't work like that. In the land of reality, amnesia is not a reset button for a new personality. Memory loss is less dramatic, and it's the body's way of protecting the person from severe trauma

18. Flatlining

-Flatliners is a movie that has some people believing that it is possible a single treatment from a defibrillator will bring you back from the very edge of death. In the very REAL world of medical treatment, when you flatline, it's a race against the clock to revive you. The defibrillator will do its job, but if you flatline, you flatline for good. Then it comes to the very hard decision for someone to call the time of death

19. Sucking out the poison from bites

-The movie 127 Hours will have some believing it's possible to suck the poison or venom from snake or insect bites out and you'll survive. Most survivalists and people who are accustomed to living off the nature grid will tell you that this is an ineffective and even dangerous idea to try. Venomous and poisonous bites or stings need proper medical care in a timely manner otherwise death or permanent damage will occur, depending on the creature who bit you

100 Best Books of All Time Pt. IV

In honor of World Book Day, here is what Reader's Digest thinks are the 100 Best Books of All Time. The way it's set up on that site, it actually only comes to about 99. There are ads included in the slideshow of books

76. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe (1979)

-There have been many missions to the moon and back. Many men and women have gone on missions to explore the moon, stars and more. No book can take you further into the world of space exploration than this one. This book allows you a glimpse into the Apollo missions with astronaut Tom Wolfe

77. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin (1953)

-Not only is this a popular gospel song sung at Christmastime in Baptist churches, it's also the name of  a book by author James Baldwin. He tells of growing up as a gay black man in the 20th century. Of the discriminations he faced. But in the face of it, he managed to write in a positive tone

78. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)

-A deeply haunting tale about a father and son, who take a road trip across a burned, and thoroughly destroyed America. They have next to nothing except for their names, they must save each other, scavenge food, armed with only a pistol, and they must fight off everything post-apocalyptic America can throw at them

79. The Stranger by Albert Camus (1942)

-It's a story about murder, mystery, death and destruction along with the power of human thought. It's about a man who kills a man he doesn't know and seems strangely devoid of any emotion as he is deemed a threat to society and sentenced to death

80. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926)

-This book takes a look at WWI, following the adventures of Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley as they navigate through Europe, seeking out the next adventure

81. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)

-This book takes a no holds barred, honest look at racism. It's even considered to be a sort of Bible for the Black Lives Matter movement. This book shows how black men and women have been treated differently throughout history

82. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (1990)

-Centering on the war in Vietnam, this book tells of the pain and experiences soldiers brought back with them when they came home from the Vietnam War. How each of them came home not with glory for fighting for their country's freedom, but scars, nightmares and trouble they didn't ask for. It's an open, honest look at the topic known in the world of psychology as "Vietnam Syndrome"

83. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (1994)

-Toru Okada wants nothing more than to find his lost cat. Then it becomes his life wife. He finds himself at the crossroads between a failed marriage, a dark past and secret underground world

84. The World According to Garp by John Irvin (1978)

-This book centers on T.S. Garp, the fatherless son of a feminist and female rights activist. His world is one of extremes-emotional, physical, sexual. It can be cringeworthy one moment to laugh out loud funny the next

85. Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1603)

-One of the classic stories most kids in school read, this iconic tale tells of a son out to avenge the murder of his father. This story has even inspired other forms of pop culture, from Disney's The Lion King to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

86. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (2005)

-One truth to life is that there will be good times, bad times. Like Led Zeppelin said in their song "Good Times Bad Times". This book tells the story of a marriage, a family, relationship and life, and all of the good and bad that comes with it

87. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

-Centuries ago, European colonists arrived in Africa to establish outposts for their rulers back in their native countries. What happens to the locals who already live there is catastrophic and even tragic. The traditions of these native people are wiped away, erased forever when foreign colonists move in and take over

88. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hildebrand (2010)

-This story centers on and around Louis Zamperini. During his teen years, he was a bit of a rebel, before finding talent at the Olympics and eventually joining the military to become a US airman. He found himself flying over the Pacific Ocean and eventually becoming stranded in said ocean, miles from help. While others would succumb to their fate, he refused to give up hope

89. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)

-A highly iconic book, about mother-daughter relationships. Little Women tells of the March sisters-Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy. It follows their lives from childhood to adulthood

90. White Teeth by Zadie Smith (2000)

-Two people's lives are forever changed by WWII. The book covers topics like race, ethnicity, religion, class struggles and more

91. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)

-Author Alice Walker faced a lot of criticism for this book, and she chalks it up to the criticism coming from people who never bothered to crack open the book and read it. This story tells of a black teen named Celia in the 1930s, growing up in rural Georgia. She writes about her day to day goings and comings in letters to God. It's a sort of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, but set in the 1930s and involving a black teen. The book contains sexual themes, profanity, and violence. But aside from that, it's an overall interesting read

92. Atonement by Ian McEwan (2001)

-Taking place in WWII-era England, the story centers on Briony Tallis and how an accusation in childhood against a family friend forever changed three lives forever. It's romance. It's a war novel. It's historical fiction

93. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1847)

-Emily Bronte takes the concept of a simple love story and completely rewrites it in her own vision. She adds in a dash of Gothic atmosphere. Here you meet a handsome man named Heathcliff who falls in love with his foster sister Catherine. When another man enters the scene, their love story takes a dark turn, with violence included

94. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)

-Adapted into a highly successful film, this is the first installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series. The three Pensieve children discover a wardrobe that whisks them off to a fantastical land, with a lion named Aslan, an evil White Witch and plenty of adventure to go around

95. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)

-Centering on a Nigerian resident in the US, it's a tale of love, regret and identity, all experienced by this immigrant living in the US, all seen through their eyes

96. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)

-It's considered a highly interesting read in the African American literature world. It's about Janie Crawford, a young black woman making her journey to Florida in the 1930s, on her own

97. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

-A tale of sci-fi and a dystopian future, Brave New World tells of a World State, where humans were conditioned to be without emotion and the ability to relate to others. It seems eerily close to what is happening today-self medicating to stop feeling, genetic engineering, instant gratification

98. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)

-This book centers on two boys from different worlds in Afghanistan-one poor and one rich. Familial love, redemption and friendship make this a book that most book clubs would choose to read

99. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (2010)

-A collection of 13 short stories connected by a record company executive named Bennie Salazar and his assistant Sasha. The stories move through time, showing the background of each character and the way that time changes everyone

100 Best Books of All Time Pt. III

In honor of World Book Day, here is what Reader's Digest thinks are the 100 Best Books of All Time. The way it's set up on that site, it actually only comes to about 99. There are ads included in the slideshow of books

51. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962)

-This book launched a new revolution. It started revealing the horrors that DDT, a type of pesticide used at that current time, was having on the environment. This book is a sort of eye opener to the need to protect our environment

52. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2005)

-Abraham Lincoln was a surprising person back in his day. He changed the 1850s history by winning the presidency over an array of better known men. He took the current affairs of the day and used those events to build a group of people he could turn to for honesty, accountability and even good support and friendship

53. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)

-This story centers around two sisters who end with different fates. One was enslaved after being kidnapped. The other married an Englishman and became wealthy. It digs deep into the topic of trauma and colonization

54. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

-Newland Archer is an attorney from a respected New York society family engaged to May Welland. Despite his engagement, Archer finds himself completely mesmerized by Countess Ellen Olenska, his fiancee's cousin. Despite what he desires most, he marries Welland because he is engaged to her. He does see Olenska. He must battle between what New York upper society expects of him and what he really wants

55. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (2000)

-Two cousins, Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay live in pre WWII Brooklyn. They are busy creating their own comic book to feed the new craze in America. Their comic book centers on a hero named Escapist, who fights fascists and falls for Luna Moth, a mysterious love interest. The lives and careers are both bright and successful

56. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005)

-1939. Nazi Germany. The Nazis are rising to power. They have the right to make decisions for the government and people are powerless to challenge their decision. And that includes burning books they feel are "un-German". Liesel Meminger seeks solace and comfort in books and the written word as her way of seeking life and the meaning of it in the midst of violence and destruction

57. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (1973)

-A book centering on LGBTQ culture. This book is a sort of autobiographical story of the author struggling in sixth grade, with her first relationship. Landing later in New York, amidst the the LGBTQ community. It's an open, honest look at how one deals with the LGBTQ culture and community in the mid to late 20th century

58. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (2007)

-Oscar Wao is originally from the Dominican Republic. He's a happy nerd living in New Jersey, far from home and the family he loves. His one desire is to write fantasy novels, to become the Dominican Republic's answer to J.R.R. Tolkien

59. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)

-Not intended for children, this book is geared more towards adults and teens. It deals with the issues of teen angst and alienation. It tells the story of a teen named Holden Caulfield, who looks for nothing more than acceptance, recognition and appreciation

60. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (1995)

-Ruth McBride taught her children that God's love, blessings, values and grace are color-blind, that He doesn't care what color your skin is. McBride is a "light skinned" black woman who gave birth to 12 children, who are darker in skin tone. She raised her children in the neighborhood of Red Hook in Brooklyn. Sent sent them to Jewish schools, taking them to cultural events and even taking them to college. Years later, her son James discovers that she's not actually a light skinned black woman, but a white woman who was born in Poland. He discovers she had many reasons why she hid who she was

61. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (1989)

-This novel centers around American-born, Chinese culture. Four women have the hope of moving to the US from China in search of a better life. As time moves on, their daughters grow up like any other American child. The mothers search for identity and learn to reconcile their cultures and more

62. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (2001)

-Enid Lambert's marriage is getting a little stale. After 50 years, she wants a little excitement in her life. But it seems a higher power is at work, keeping her from it. Her husband is ill, her children's lives are falling apart. Enid simply wants to bring her whole family together for one Christmas to have something to look forward to. What results, however, is an emotional tidal wave

63. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson (2003)

-The 1893 Industrial Expo or World's Fair brought people by the thousands to see the brand new, latest inventions that will soon hit the streets. It also brought a man by the name of H.H. Holmes. Sounds rather innocent. But this man is anything but innocent. He would turn out to be one of the first major serial killers, luring people into his home dubbed "The Murder Castle"

64. The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)

-Jonas is the main character. He lives in a society where everyone's roles are predetermined. No one strays from the routine. When Jonas turns 12, he starts questioning society. The Giver is a book that will have you wondering what you'd be willing to give up and what you're not willing to give up to live a free life of your choice

65. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (2020)

-Based on the life of the author's grandfather, this book tells about a night watchman of Native American ancestry fighting for his rights to land and identity in the US

66. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)

-Lyra is a bold and brave woman. She takes off to uncharted lands to rescue her friend and other kids from a creature known as the Gobblers. She also aids her uncle in building a bridge to a parallel universe. What she doesn't know is that she will face obstacles and decisions that push her to require courage she didn't know existed. This is the first installment of the His Dark Materials series

67. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

-Even to this day, the Roaring 20s still hold the attention of many and interest others. You'll be thrown in to the Roaring 20s, with its glitz and glamor of the Jazz Age, with flappers and flamboyant people

68. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010)

-Henrietta Lacks is a poor black tobacco farmer. She died from cervical cancer after giving birth to her fifth child in 1951. While getting treated for her cancer, unbeknownst to Lacks, her cells were being taken away and were transformed into the first immortalized cell line. This line was been used by doctors, researchers, medical companies to develop any major medical marvel. Her cells became one of the most vital tools in the world of medicine. However, Lacks' family knows nothing of her contribution

69. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005)

-This sci-fi story centers around human cloning. A boarding school of cloned human beings await their future as forced organ donors. While the clones are human too, the lives of the students become tangled in friendship, love and lust, even as they grow deeper into their role in society

70. The Liars Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr (1995)

-A story filled with dark humor, this book tells of a family in East Texas in the 1960s. The father is an alcoholic, the mother is married constantly and a sister whose foul mouth could make a trucker blush

71. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (1953)

-Philip Marlowe is the main character. He befriends a veteran who seems to be in a bad spot. Later on, the friendship shines a light on him for gangsters and investigators. It's a murder mystery that is cloaked in suspense

72. The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (2006)

-9/11 was a deeply haunting event for everyone. This book sheds new light on the events leading to the day when America was attacked by a terrorist organization. This book will trace the events leading up to a dark event in American history

73. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks (1985)

-Physicians and other medical professionals could likely fill volumes with the tales they see and hear every day. In this book, a doctor finally does just that. Oliver Sacks takes those tales and puts them to paper. Recounting stories of patients with various neurological disorders-including one patient who thought his wife was a hat

74. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan (2006)

-This book shows that what we eat impacts our daily lives. It also shows the impact on how we grow and process food. It centers on the impact on how food affects our health and beyond

75. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro (1974)

-New York is a city of many names and personalities. But none so big as Robert Moses. He helped establish the physical layout and infrastructure to even the utility companies. He thought he knew it all until he met Nelson Rockefeller. This book is a key read to understand the politics of New York