Its a myth

[4getmenot]

Another post got me thinking, what things were you told that you thought were true, not silly things though. I always thought people that cracked fingers got arthritis and that you could see the great wall of china from space

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

If you suck your thumb it'll shrink.

[sherrardk]

If the wind changes direction, your face will stay like that.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

You can see the GW from space. The myth is that it's the only man-made thing you can see, when in reality you can see roads and stuff

[boxtops]

If your shoes squeak it means you haven't paid for them.

OH's granny told him that if he fiddled with his tummy button, his bum would fall off.

[sherrardk]

i know the shoe thing - I still say it to people.

[MarkRae]

It largely means how you define "space", specifically how far about the earth's atmosphere you consider to be the start of space...

The problem with the Great Wall of China is that it's so long and thin. There are many images of the earth taken from the space shuttle where extremely large objects such as hurricanes are clearly visible, and the outlines of large cities can be seen during their nighttime because of their light pollution.

However, fire up Google Earth and you can see pretty much *anything* from "space" - I can currently see my car parked outside my house...

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Well Mark it's usually based on low earth orbit, like that of the ISS.

[puternut]

'Duck quacks don't echo' - apparently they do!!

http://www.acoustics..../acoustics_info/duck/
http://urbanlegends.a..._ducks_quack_echo.htm

[MarkRae]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space

[MarkRae]

http://en.wikipedia.o..._from_low_earth_orbit

[4getmenot]

surely the shoe thing is an old wives tale rather than a myth, you couldnt have believed that could you if you'd bought the shoes?

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Thanks for the links Mark. I know that stuff though. I'm an astronomer.
I was saying what the myth was. NASA still claim it's visible, albeit not as much as people thought.

[puternut]

boxtops - simialar one was that if you played with your navel, all the air would go out of you and you'd fly around the room like a balloon

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

lol puternut I like that one

[Mamyalynne]

If you don't wash between your toes potatoes will grow ( I have must have a family of gardeners)

[MarkRae]

Even recent Chines astronauts acknowledge that it isn't...

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

I don't disagree with you Mark. The myth states that it's the only thing visible from space. It's not.

[4getmenot]

and you beleived that potatoes would grow? lol. Although my year old nephew thinks you grow burgers from sesame seeds. :-)

[horseshoes]

I used to drink vinegar. My grandmother told me it would dry my blood up. That stopped me! She also told me the one about the squeaky shoes. And that Ginny Greenteeth lived by the river so that we wouldn't go there to play - it didn't stop us though.

[boxtops]

...and Father Christmas, and the Easter Fairy..... sob...