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Gold, silver and platinum are more than just pretty things to look at, so join us as we debunk a few myths about precious metals in this two-part article.

Few things draw human attention more than shiny useful things, which is probably why there are as so many myths about precious metals. A lot of those myths center around lost mines and other ephemera, but there are quite a few that pertain directly to the metals themselves. Here are 3 in our first part of the discussion.

While we've had a great time on this site busting myths right and left, we've never really told you exactly what a myth is.

Well, in this article we'll remedy that, and bust a few myths about myths along the way.

One of the biggest myths about myths is that any myth is just a made-up story, casually invented to explain something imperfectly understood. Well, that's true, in the same way that Antonio Stradivari was a pretty good fiddle-maker. That is to say, there's more to it than that -- a lot more.

Sure, people are good at making things up, and describing things by comparing them to what we already understand: fiction and invention, metaphor and simile. But myths are nothing less than earnest attempts to understand the reality of the world around us. Admittedly, sometimes we're so off-base it's funny...

Like all the things that mean a lot to us, we've accumulated a bumper crop of myths about language in our culture... let's talk about a few

Myths about language provide us with plenty of crazy ideas, like the concept that sign language isn't really a language at all, or that Chinese is almost impossible for an English speaker to learn. Of course, any deaf person or Sinophile would be happy to argue with you about these particular misconceptions.

And these are just a few of the simple myths; there are plenty of more persistent ones out there. Care to learn about a few? If so, read on, and we'll try to shine the light of knowledge on the dusty cobwebs of myth in four specific cases.

Don't waste your time worrying about these hair loss myths.

If you suffer from hair loss, you've suffered enough. Don't increase your suffering by falling prey to these common hair loss myths. Learn the truth about hair loss and stay away from these hair loss and hair growth myths.

Don't let germ myths scare you

With the invention of germ killing soaps and sanitizers, the fears and phobias about germs seem to be spreading. Instead of lessening the fear of germs, these products seem to have increased the awareness and fear of them. Before you fall prey to these fears, learn the truth about these common germ myths.

Can you really make money online? Separating the truth from the myths

Making money online is a dream come true. Who wouldn't want to stay at home and work in their pajamas? Just about everybody. Can you make money by working at home online? Yes. So what's the problem? Myths. There are many myths and misconceptions about working online. Let's look at a few of these and see if working online is for you.

In Part I of this article, we looked at the truth behind four popular Internet myths. Ready for more?

Internet myths aren't hard to find. Even 20 years in, the Internet's still something like the Old West once was -- a rip-roaring frontier, spinning off myths right and left. Some of them were true, once; some never were. As the Internet settles down into young adulthood, some myths have become enshrined as near-fact.

As always, our duty at Mythbusters is to dispel those myths so that you can see the truth in the bright light of day. We've already stripped away the confusion surrounding four such myths; in Part II of this article, we'll examine four more.

Few aspects of modern life have accumulated as much mythology as the Internet. In this two-part article, we'll examine eight of the most common Internet myths

Internet myths often focus on the sheer freedom and complexity of that massively interconnected network of worldwide computer systems, and it's no wonder. The whole thing is a bit much for any brain to comprehend, and sometimes it seems to take on a life of its own. The realms of possibility it opens up are amazing.

It's true that you can find anything on the Internet these days, from recipes for chocolate sauerkraut cake to designs for starships. You even can order pizza, buy a 10-lb skull made of chocolate, or play poker against people from Australia. But there are some things that aren't true, and we'll cover a few in this article.

In the public imagination, the American frontier era is usually considered the most romantic of our native historical periods -- hence all the myths about the Old West. Here are a few truths to savor.

From the virtuous outlaw to the corrupt lawman and craven townsman, myths about the Old West abound in American culture. We see them every time we tune in to a western movie on TV, or pick up a Zane Grey novel.

But like most myths, they're about as realistic as a horse with a kick stand. In this article, we'll take a look at a few of the most popular myths about the Old West, and tell you what was really happening way back then.

Since the end of the draft era, the armed services have gradually assumed a less prominent position in our society, leading to the growth of various modern myths about the military. Here's the truth about three.

What are your favorite myths about the military? Whether you've only encountered soldiers in the mall as recruiters, or simply thrilled by their accomplishments dramatized on the big screen, many of us who've never served in the military harbor misconceptions that just might surprise our veterans.

In this issue of Mythbusters, we'll take a look at the truth about three modern military myths. Our intention here isn't to act as either cheerleaders or critics. We just want to clarify a few misunderstandings about the needs, motivations, and practices of the American military, as well as the people who comprise it.