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Know any myths about precious metals? If not, we're happy to share

Few inanimate things get our imaginations running quite as hot as silver, gold, and their relatives, which is probably why there are so many myths about precious metals. This is a good thing for us here at Mythbusters, since it gives us a chance to take part in our favorite activity: setting the record straight!

As we mentioned in Part I, precious metals aren't limited to the two or three big ones we usually think about -- that is, silver, gold and platinum. Rhodium is worth far more than all three. Nor are they useful only as coinage and bullion. Ever wonder what other precious metal myths you're misfiring on?

Few things are more obvious or mysterious than the stars, so it's no surprise that myths about stars are rampant in human culture. Here's the truth about a few

How common are myths about stars? Well, there are more than 6,000 true stars visible to the naked eye on a clear night, and it sometimes seems that each has spawned its share of myths. Why? The reasons are complicated, and mostly boil down to the fact that we've only just begun discovering the truth about stars.

Sure, we know now that stars are basically huge fusion reactors in the sky, big balls of flaming plasma that have lives and lifespans of their own, and that in fact our sun is just an average star. But that's the fruit of the last century of science, and before then people came up with some pretty interesting ideas about them.

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.

In a recent article, we explored general science myths -- that is, myths concerning the study of science itself.

This time, we'll take a look at a few specific myths that are commonly accepted as truth. If you've ever found yourself befuddled by science myths, don't feel too bad. It's a complicated world, and oftentimes the myths we accept as reality are passed on to us by authority figures and school textbooks. Take, for example, the myth that glass is really a very slow-flowing liquid, or polar bear fur is fiber-optic. Nope.

As 19th century humorist Josh Billings once said, "It's not what we know that's the problem, it's what we know that ain't so."* Or, in the immortal words of Yoda to Luke Skywalker, "You must unlearn what you have learned." In this article, we'll try to help you do just that.

Myths about science are inevitable, but all it takes to clear them up is a little explanation. Here are the facts behind four of 'em

Science doesn't necessarily have to be difficult, but like most myths about science, this one seems to be firmly entrenched in our culture. How you feel about the subject often has to do with your exposure to it, as well as previous social programming -- so the fact that there are so many myths isn't really that surprising.

One amusing farce is, for example, that women aren't genetically as scientific as men. But that's just so much bunk, as ladies like Marie Curie, Jane Goodall, and Lynn Margulies might point out. Want to hear some more bunk, and the truth that lies behind it all? Here's the skinny on four more science myths.

In Part I of this article, we looked at several weather myths, covering such disparate topics as wind chill factor, ball lightning, and the shapes of raindrops. As simple as these subjects are, they're fraught with misconceptions, so we thought we'd season the discussion with a few facts.

Looking for even more intellectual seasoning in your cognitive diet? Well, if you thought the first three items were interesting, we've got a few more that you may want to consider. Icy, spicy, and otherwise, try these three myths on for size.

Ready to learn more about the beasties? We sure are!

A few weeks back, we did a two-part story on shark myths. The phenomena of shark myths are, to coin a phrase, the kind of subject that just keeps eating at a researcher. There's still so much we don't know about these critters; the mythology surrounding them is as murky as the water they live in. And we're not talking about the superstition kind of mythology, though there's plenty of that.

No, these myths originate from misunderstanding, and we at Mythbusters like nothing better than to tread on the head of that particular failing. So here are four more fantastic myths about sharks, and the truth that underlies their various misconceptions.

Interested in talking about the weather? Well, here are six cool weather myths that you should definitely avoid

Nowadays, very few of us really believe angry or playful gods cause the weather... but that still leaves a lot of room for creative weather myths. We happen to feel that it's our duty to dispel the cloud of foggy thinking surrounding such myths, so here are the facts behind six -- three for each part of this article.

If myths about bats are driving you, well, batty, we can help you with that.

Few mammals have acquired quite as bad a reputation as our friends the Chiroptera. Indeed, the number of myths about bats is appalling. Instead of being proud of them, since they're the only naturally flying mammals, we spread all kinds of rumors that prejudice us against these fascinating little fellows.

Yes, bats can be kind of scary, but that's no reason to hate them. They're pretty useful critters. For example, if it weren't for bats, mosquitoes and other annoying bugs would overwhelm us. Keep that in mind as you're learning the facts about these four batty myths.

Consider, if you will, a few of the more common myths about spaying and neutering pets that keep too many pet owners from getting Fluffy and Fido fixed. These, for instance...

Despite the hordes of unwanted pets, despite the millions of dogs and cats put to sleep each year, some pet owners would rather believe the myths about spaying and neutering pets than to bite the bullet and do the right thing. Some people don't even think it is the right thing, because they've never really thought about it.

Sure, it's sad to realize that Tigger will never be a daddy, but is that sadder than ten kittens starving to death? Is it sadder than euthanizing his feral offspring because no one wants them? We don't think so, and we hope you'll feel the same after reading the truth about these myths.