February 2022 "Science" Rumors List: The colder the weather during the Winter Olympics, the better? Can black sesame pills prevent hair loss?

The list of "scientific" rumors for February 2022 is revealed! The colder the weather during the Winter Olympics, the better? Can black sesame pills prevent hair loss? Are magnetic storms extremely harmful to satellites? Let's see the truth.

The monthly "science" rumor list is guided by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal Cyberspace Administration, and the Capital Internet Association, and jointly released by the Beijing Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Association and the Beijing Regional Website Joint Rumor-Refuting Platform, and is supported by the Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Professional Committee of the China Science Writers Association, the China Evening News Science Editors and Journalists Association, the Shanghai Science Communication Association, and the Institute of Science and Technology Information of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology.

1. The Winter Olympics is a competition of ice and snow sports, so the colder the weather, the better

gossip:

The Winter Olympics is a competition among athletes on ice and snow. In order to ensure the quality of ice and snow on the field and allow the competition to proceed smoothly, the colder the weather is during the Winter Olympics, the better.

(Photo source: Beijing Daily Client)

the truth:

Low temperatures not only cause physical coldness, but also have actual impacts on competition results and safety, athletes' competition equipment and stadium facilities.

For example, in the luge, bobsleigh and skeleton events, the most ideal weather is a sunny day with a temperature of 0°C or below. The "snow" on the luge, bobsleigh and skeleton tracks is actually artificial ice with a thickness of more than 5 cm and a temperature of -2°C to -3°C.

Ski jumping is widely recognized as one of the competitions most susceptible to weather impacts. Temperatures below -20℃ or above 0℃ are not suitable for competition. If the temperature is low, athletes will become stiff. When the temperature is below -20℃ or extremely cold weather continues, the snow is too hard, and even a thick layer of ice crystals appears. It is easy for athletes to fall and get injured when they land. Freestyle skiing is also similar. Too low temperatures will have a significant impact on athletes' physical fitness and technical movements, increasing the risk of injury.

It is also not good if the temperature is too high, which may result in a lack of snow at the venue, and it is impossible to make snow if the temperature is too high. In addition, high temperatures will also bring certain risks to the competition. For example, when the temperature is high, the humidity of the snow on the ski jumping venue increases and becomes soft, which can easily cause injuries to athletes. Therefore, in order to meet the conditions for relevant competitions, the International Olympic Committee uses an average temperature below 0℃ in February as one of the core indicators when selecting host cities.

2. Primates are the most suitable xenogeneic organ donors

gossip:

In the field of xenotransplantation, primates, which are most closely related to humans, are the most suitable organ donors.

(Image source: Science and Technology Daily)

the truth:

In fact, primate "close relatives" are not ideal organ transplant donors for humans.

Listing primates as organ donors faces many technical and ethical issues. For example, most primate species are small in size, and the performance and size of their organs cannot meet the needs of human metabolism; primates have a low reproduction rate (one generation every ten years on average), and the larger gorillas and baboons are endangered and it is difficult to meet the human demand for organ transplants. They may also carry some viruses that humans are susceptible to, such as simian immunodeficiency virus and Ebola virus. Once these organs are transplanted into the human body, they may produce more harmful viruses after recombination.

Unlike primates, pigs have organs of similar size to humans, with a lower risk of infectious diseases and relatively more abundant numbers. In terms of performance parameters, pigs and humans have body temperatures of 36°C to 37°C, similar heart sizes, duct distribution, power output, and even heart rates (human heart rates are 60 to 100 beats per minute, while pigs are 55 to 60 beats per minute). The foreseeable scope of organ transplantation includes cornea, skin, pancreatic islets, joints, tendons, ligaments, kidneys, heart, liver, and many other aspects. Currently in the medical community, pig heart valves implanted with human cells have been used to treat patients, and pig ligament and tendon transplants have also matured, so they are considered the best choice for xenotransplantation at this stage.

3. Myth: Dry eyes are caused by lack of water in the eyes:

As the name suggests, dry eyes means "lack of water in the eyes", so just use eye drops frequently.

the truth:

If you experience symptoms of dry eyes, you must go to a regular hospital for treatment. Using eye drops to "rehydrate" your eyes will not only fail to solve the problem, but may also delay treatment, leading to worsening of the condition or even blindness.

Dry eye syndrome is ocular surface damage and discomfort symptoms caused by an imbalance in tear film homeostasis, which are often manifested as dry eyes, foreign body sensation, burning sensation, red and itchy eyes, blurred vision, pain, photophobia and tearing. Severe cases can also lead to corneal damage and even vision impairment.

The cornea is moisturized by the tear film, and the outermost layer of the tear film is covered with a layer of "oil" secreted by the meibomian glands to prevent the water from evaporating too quickly. This layer of oil is meibum. If the glands can no longer secrete oil, it will cause meibomian gland dysfunction-type dry eyes. More than 80% of dry eye patients are accompanied by meibomian gland dysfunction.

For the "oil-deficient" type of dry eye, simply using eye drops to "replenish water" is not only ineffective, but may also aggravate the condition by destroying the lipid layer. At the same time, preservatives and other chemicals in eye drops can also damage the corneal and conjunctival cells on the eye surface. At present, the traditional treatment method in regular hospitals is to relieve the discomfort of dry eye through hot compress fumigation, meibomian gland massage, eyelid margin cleaning, and artificial tears.

4. Taking black sesame pills can prevent hair loss

gossip:

The internet-famous black sesame pill can “nourish black with black” and save your hairline.

Picture丨TuChong Creative

the truth:

The black color of black sesame comes from a flavonoid substance, but the amino acid derivatives that make up the melanocytes in the human body are not the same substance as the pigment in black sesame. Therefore, even if you eat black sesame, it cannot help the production of melanin in the body and reduce gray hair.

Theoretically, the vitamin B2 in black sesame can prevent seborrheic dermatitis, but to meet the daily requirement of 1.2 mg of vitamin B2 for adult women, you need to eat more than 500 grams, and men need more. It is definitely not as recommended by merchants and Internet celebrities that you can achieve the desired effect by just eating a little.

In addition, black sesame is an oil seed crop, and its oil content can usually reach more than half of its weight. Nowadays, most people with hair loss suffer from "seborrheic alopecia", which means that their skin secretes a lot of oil, which makes it easy for fungi to multiply and cause hair follicle damage. If you eat too many black sesame pills, it may increase oil secretion, cause itching and erythema of the scalp, and cause a burden on weight and blood lipids.

5. Figure skaters are born with the ability to spin without getting dizzy

gossip:

On average, figure skaters spin nearly a hundred times in every competition. Their ability to spin so well is a talent, as ordinary people would feel dizzy after just two spins.

the truth:

Figure skaters don't get dizzy because they are constantly training, not because they are naturally immune to dizziness.

The vestibular system in people's ears is a perception system responsible for the body's sense of balance and space. It is also an important structural basis for ensuring that people maintain coordination and balance in complex movements.

When a person spins in place, the endolymph in the semicircular canals of the vestibular system rotates at the same speed. At this time, a special receptor in the human body, the "cup of the ampulla", receives this information and reflects it to the brain, so the brain knows that the person is spinning in a circle. When the body suddenly stops spinning, the displacement of the endolymph usually stops after 3 seconds, but the cup of the ampulla takes 25-30 seconds to return to its original state. Therefore, when a person stops spinning, there is a feeling of spinning in the opposite direction.

Through long-term training, figure skaters' vestibular system gradually gets accustomed to the spatial changes in the head, becoming "insensitive" to these stimuli, thereby overcoming the body's natural reactions and adapting to rotation, allowing them to successfully achieve a high level of posture and balance control.

6. Homemade wine and wine made from pure grains are healthier

gossip:

Wine brewed from pure grains is the essence of grains. Home-brewed wine brewed from pure grains is healthier.

Picture丨TuChong Creative

the truth:

The impact of alcohol on health comes from the alcohol and other alcohols in it. In fact, whether it is "pure grain brewing" or "edible alcohol blending", the alcohol in it is obtained through grain fermentation. As long as it is alcohol, it has the same harm to health.

In addition, the fermentation process of "home brewing" and "local brewing" advocated by many people is not well controlled, and there is often no standardized distillation operation afterwards, so the fusel alcohol content is usually higher. Some fusel alcohols have a greater impact on health than alcohol, which is why drinking "home brewing" and "local wine" is sometimes more "addictive". Therefore, from a health perspective, it is recommended not to drink. For those who brew their own wine, you should be more careful.

7. Magnetic storms are extremely destructive to satellites

gossip:

A magnetic storm caused problems for 40 Starlink satellites, indicating that magnetic storms are extremely destructive to satellites.

the truth:

The impact of magnetic storms on satellites is mainly related to the satellite's design concept and orbital position, and cannot be generalized.

When a solar flare erupts, there may be strong solar winds, which may directly damage satellites and cause large-scale disturbances in the magnetic field near the earth, which is what we often call a "magnetic storm". Since the 18th century, sunspot activity has basically been in an 11-year cycle, and thousands or tens of thousands of magnetic storms will occur in each cycle. In most cases, satellites in orbit will only have their communications temporarily affected, and will not crash. We don't need to be afraid of magnetic storms.

Why did the Starlink satellites suffer heavy losses in magnetic storms? Because the Starlink project is a commercial satellite, in order to save costs, it will use some not very mature new technologies. In the harsh space environment, the reliability of these satellites is not as high as traditional satellites. Once a magnetic storm occurs, they are often more prone to failure.

On the other hand, when a magnetic storm occurs, a large number of charged particles are often injected into the atmosphere, heating the atmosphere. The upper atmosphere is originally very thin, but after the magnetic storm heats it and increases its density, the air resistance also increases suddenly. At this time, if the satellite cannot turn on the engine in time to raise its orbit, it will be like being trapped in a "quagmire", and the orbit will become lower and lower. The outcome can be imagined. The Starlink satellites are precisely released in low orbits. After these satellites entered the safety mode due to the magnetic storm, they failed to exit in time and turn on the engine to adjust the orbit. This is the main reason for their mass damage, while other satellites in higher orbits will not be affected in this way.

8. Putting lemons next to your child’s bed can help them grow taller

gossip:

Lemon produces a special aroma that helps children fall asleep better. Children who get more deep sleep grow very fast.

Picture丨TuChong Creative

the truth:

There is no scientific basis for the claim that lemons can help children grow taller. Whether a child can grow taller is not only affected by genetics, but also related to three factors: sleep, nutrition and exercise.

Sleep does play an important role in growth and intellectual development. However, most children do not have difficulty falling asleep. If they do, it is unrealistic to accelerate sleep by smelling lemons, because lemons do not help with sleep, and not everyone likes the smell of lemons.

In addition to being affected by genetic factors, a child's height is also related to the external environment, mainly including sleep, exercise, diet, and emotions. Parents can help their children grow taller by letting them get enough and regular sleep, exercising regularly, ensuring adequate nutrition, and maintaining a good mood. In short, you must use scientific methods to help your child grow taller, and consult a regular hospital if necessary.

9. Tableware can be sterilized by boiling water

gossip:

Before attending any social gatherings or dinner parties, remember to scald the dishes and chopsticks with boiling water first. This will disinfect and sterilize them so you can use them with confidence.

the truth:

Boiling the bowl with water before eating cannot guarantee the killing of most pathogenic microorganisms due to insufficient heating temperature and time. The most it can do is to wash away the dust and provide psychological comfort.

For high-temperature disinfection to truly achieve the desired effect, two conditions must be met at the same time: one is temperature, and the other is time. For example, common bacterial propagules such as pathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Vibrio cholerae that can cause diarrhea require 5-10 minutes of hot water at 80°C and 2-5 minutes of boiling water to kill; infant diarrhea virus requires 5 minutes of treatment at 100°C to inactivate; hepatitis A virus can survive for 30 minutes at 56°C, and hepatitis B virus can survive for 4 hours at 60°C, and continuous boiling for 1 minute can destroy their infectivity; and to kill other microorganisms with stronger heat resistance, higher temperatures and longer times are required.

However, in order to avoid burns, the hot water and hot tea provided by restaurants are usually around 70℃-80℃. If this water is poured into cold tableware, the temperature will drop even lower. In addition, many people only scald tableware for a dozen seconds at most, which is far from enough in terms of duration.

When dining together, people need to use serving chopsticks and spoons, separate meals, or use packaged sterilized tableware instead of boiling water. As long as the tableware has gone through a strict disinfection process, it can be used with confidence.

Click here to view previous issues of the "Monthly "Science" Rumor List"

(Sources of this issue: Xinhuanet, People's Daily, Xinmin Evening News, China Food and Drug Administration Magazine, Guangming Online, NetEase "Do You Know", China Meteorological Data WeChat Official Account, Beijing Science and Technology Daily, Life Times, Tencent Jiuzhen, Science Refutation, "Rumor Refutation Platform" WeChat Official Account, Qianlong.com)

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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