Digitop VNA Fun Fact That Isn't Quite So Fun
A fun fact that may not be as fun as you think
Have you ever heard the claim that your blood vessels, if laid out end to end, would stretch for over 100,000 kilometers, or about 60,000 miles? Sounds amazing, right? This fun fact has been making the rounds for years, and it's even appeared in our own book and app. But, as we dug deeper, we realized that things aren't quite as they seem.
The Origin of the Claim
We started collecting interesting and fun facts to make our stories more colorful, and this one was just perfect. It's a small fact, but a big number - wow! But one day, someone asked us where this number was actually from, and did it really matter? It seemed like the number was just accepted as true, and we were guilty of repeating it without double-checking.
The Research Riddle
We embarked on a year-long journey to uncover the source of this claim. We noticed that not a single one of the many websites, books, or articles that quoted the number provided a source. It seemed like the number was just passed along from one place to another, without anyone fact-checking. We were determined to get to the bottom of it.
The Problem with Misinformation
Why did nobody bother to double-check this fact? The reality is that it's extremely hard and time-consuming to get to the bottom of things. As scientists and science communicators, we end up quoting secondary sources or worse, because it's just such a nice, round number that sticks with you once you've heard it. Facts that seem beautiful tend to survive longer, even if they're not true.
The Consequences of Misinformation
When we started this research, we didn't think we'd end up here. You, dear viewer, got a little peek into the kinds of mazes we have to navigate just to tell you our sciency stories. They are as true as we can possibly make them. We'll run into the same traps as everybody else from time to time, but we're doing our best to correct misinformation, give more context, and bring you the latest science on any topic we cover.
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We love going down rabbit holes, and while we try to navigate through all the misinformation, we follow a few core principles. We're not just copying what's been said by others before; we don't accept the first answer. We're always annoyingly persistent and look really, really thoroughly. But we're only able to pour this kind of time and effort into our work thanks to the continuous support of our patrons.
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