We have all heard or told an urban legend or two, maybe even contributed to their spread. What fascinates us the most about these legends is that, despite the grandiose tall tale aspects, these stories are most often based in fact. This is especially true of narratives that pertain to science.

Now, if a person wanted to separate truth from fiction from such tales, they would first have to know how to set up controlled experiments. These experiments would then have to be performed safely, so testers could provide a definitive ‘yah’ or ‘nah’ as to the myth’s authenticity.