Science, Tech, Math › Science Science Fact or Fiction Quiz Can You Tell Science Facts from Science Fiction? This quiz tests whether you can tell whether a science fact is true or whether it's fiction. Yagi Studio / Getty Images Science Chemistry Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on March 06, 2017 1. Some spiders have 6 legs rather than 8. Michael Blann / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong All spiders have 8 legs, although sometimes they may appear to have more because of the length of specialized appendages called chelicerae. Insects, on the other hand, have 6 legs. 2. Days are getting longer over time. Morsa Images / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong Days are gradually getting longer. The rotation of the Earth is slowing slightly over time. The increase is about 1.4 milliseconds every hundred years. 3. The Great Wall of China is visible from space. Steve Peterson Photography / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong The Great Wall of China is not visible from space. The Apollo astronauts could not see it from the Moon. International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao did take a photograph from the ISS in which you can just barely make out the Wall, but that's low Earth orbit and not actually space. It might be more accurate to say that the Great Wall is not visible from space without magnification. 4. Most people use only 10% of their brains. PASIEKA / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong You use all of your brain, just not all at once. This widely held science myth was disproved once scientists started imaging brain activity. 5. Dry ice melts into liquid carbon dioxide as it warms in a room. H?l?ne Vall?e / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong At ordinary temperature and pressure, dry ice sublimates directly into carbon dioxide gas, without a liquid phase. Liquid carbon dioxide can exist, but only if the pressure is controlled. 6. If you swallow gum, it stays in your stomach/intestines for 7 years. STOCK4B / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong Most modern chewing gum is made from indigestible polymers. If you swallow it, it passes through your digestive system unchanged. While rare, it's possible for gum or other undigestable matter to get stuck in the intestines and form a calcified body called a bezoar. Bezoars form in ruminants much more often than in humans. 7. The sky can appear green during some thunderstorms. john finney photography / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong Green clouds are due to the scattering of light by water. Green seems most common when ice or hail is present in cumulus clouds. It's not common, but it does occur (and usually signifies a severe storm). 8. A cockroach can live up to a couple of weeks without a head. Paul Starosta / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong Yes, it's true. Cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads. Another interesting fact is that the insects can go for 6 weeks without eating, and then, they can eat just about anything. Soap, hair, leather... you name it. 9. Urinating on a jellyfish sting is an effective remedy. Feria Hikmet Noraddin / EyeEm / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong Peeing on a jellyfish sting will not help and may even make the situation worse, if the sting is from a Man o' War. Heat, as from hot sand, or an acid or base (vinegar or baking soda) can inactivate the toxic protein. 10. Smog causes reddish sunsets. Matt Mawson / Getty Images true false Correct Wrong Particles in smog scatter light, which can make sunrises and sunsets appear more red. Science Fact or Fiction Quiz You got: % Correct. You're Too Gullible About Science Mads Perch / Getty Images Nice try! You didn't know many of the answers to the questions, yet you made it to the end of the quiz, so now you know more about what's true in science (and what's not). Think critically when presented with science "facts". It's okay to be skeptical. You can apply the scientific method to help identify what is true. From here, you can test the critical thinking ability of others, by seeing whether they can understand simple science magic tricks. Share Your Results Science Fact or Fiction Quiz You got: % Correct. A True Science Detective woraput / Getty Images Good job! You have the investigative and critical thinking skills needed to separate what's true and what's false. You don't just believe everything you're told. Where can you go next? Master fire science magic tricks and see if your friends can figure out how they work. Ready for another quiz? See how much weird science trivia you know. Share Your Results