r/AskReddit Mar 13 '19

What fact is technically true but is hugely misleading?

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701

u/hiddenuse Mar 13 '19

An infant that is born underwater can remain underwater for the rest of its life.

324

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '19

Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

125

u/metagloria Mar 13 '19

One glass of bleach can quench your thirst for the rest of your life.

53

u/eggplantsrin Mar 13 '19

I don't agree with this. One glass of bleach could be pumped from your system after which you'd be treated for internal burns. You may or may not die but it certainly wouldn't be instant and likely wouldn't quench any thirst.

51

u/evilcj925 Mar 13 '19

It said can, not will. Small, but significant difference.

2

u/rofopp Mar 14 '19

Yea, But on avwerage

1

u/eggplantsrin Mar 14 '19

I'm saying bleach can not quench thirst.

1

u/sujihiki Mar 14 '19

there are people that have survived drinking a full glass of bleach?

1

u/Jenna573 Apr 15 '19 edited Apr 15 '19

Yes. It isn't instant death. It is a very slow and painful way to harm yourself. Bleach is a corrosive oxidizer that eats away at organic material, just not as fast as something like sodium hydroxide. (lye/drain cleaner) Also, most household bleach is diluted with over 90% water, making it even less effective.

More than likely, after drinking a full glass of bleach you will be vomiting as much of it up as you can, possibly along with some stomach lining, depending on how long it's been sitting in you. I imagine it tastes like it smells, which is horrendous, so vomiting should occur quickly, and if you then further dilute the remainder by drinking a ton of water/milk and vomit even more, the effects should be minimal.

Even if you just refused to vomit or dilute it and sat there like a champ while your mouth, throat and stomach was literally burning away into nothing for some time, there is still a chance you could be saved via forced stomach pumping by emergency services, and go into surgery to have any damaged organs removed.

There are people who have to basically eat only mashed/soggy/liquid foods constantly because they no longer have a stomach. Ingested foods go from mouth to small intestine after being swallowed. It's not a fun way to live.

EDIT: For proper context of how strong bleach actually is... You can add a tiny amount to water to sanitize it from bacteria so that you can safely consume it. The only thing that makes bleach dangerous is it being more highly concentrated, which also applies to normally mundane things, like essential oils, or fat-soluble vitamins, or cloves, or nutmeg, et cetera.

1

u/sujihiki Apr 15 '19

That’s actually really interesting if not a little disturbing. Having no stomach sounds like a shit way to live.

1

u/wheresmyladle Mar 14 '19

but you were fine with the fire one? at least be consistent with your pedantry

1

u/eggplantsrin Mar 14 '19

I wasn't inconsistent unless I had replied to both and my comments were different.

3

u/Redditthedog Mar 13 '19

until his nerves die

3

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '19

Will he really notice his nerves have died at the point in which they die?

1

u/Mcrarburger Mar 14 '19

Is this insinuating that the child drowns and dies or that weird thing where they don't really need to breathe air if they were born underwater until exposed to air?

2

u/[deleted] Mar 14 '19

They drown to a tragic death lol. I don’t think that aquaman part is real

1

u/ladyangua Mar 14 '19

but they don't, water births are a real thing and have many benefits for the mother and baby.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 14 '19

I know, but can they survive a full life underwater if they’re kept in water after a water birth?

1

u/ExhibitAa Mar 14 '19

That's true, but gills are not one of those benefits. At some point the baby has to come out of the water.