Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [water]

A chemical substance with the chemical formula H₂O, and an important biological solvent.

140 questions
37
votes
2 answers

Has it ever rained fish?

There have been several reports of "raining fish" where fish fall from the sky (usually during a rain storm). An example such as this 2010 video from National Geographic seems unlikely at best. Has this really happened, or is it a popular hoax? If…
Logic Knight
  • 1,419
  • 1
  • 11
  • 16
35
votes
2 answers

Do magnetic water softeners work?

I'm extremely skeptical of the idea of magnetic water softeners (strong magnets attached to pipes), but desperately wish it were true because I hate lugging 40# bags of salt out to my well house in the hot Texas sun. I'd love to see some objective…
JohnFx
  • 1,145
  • 1
  • 10
  • 19
34
votes
2 answers

Should we drink water before we feel thirsty?

The claim is that we should be drinking water routinely to the point that we never feel thirsty, and that to not be doing so is to our detriment, at least enough for the notion to be popular amongst hikers, gym teachers, athletes and the like. While…
Christopher Galpin
  • 441
  • 4
  • 11
32
votes
2 answers

Can anything be 'more hydrating than water'?

Some sports drinks, and even vegetables claim to be 'more hydrating than water'. What does this even mean? How is 'hydration' even measured? If I ate enough cucumbers could I survive without ever drinking anything at all?
fredley
  • 4,995
  • 2
  • 33
  • 50
28
votes
2 answers

Does dowsing (aka Water Divining) work?

Also known as water divining, the more general term is dowsing. Practitioners claim to be able to detect minerals and even specific objects. I first became interested in dowsing in my teens, when the BBC Television "Tomorrow's World" programme had a…
Zzzzzzz123
28
votes
1 answer

Did the Nazis maliciously fluoridate drinking water?

Firstly, I think this is a stupid unbelievable question. However, for the sake of getting on S.SE, is there any evidence to for the Nazis using fluoride maliciously for example, to make prisoners more docile?" Here is one graphic claiming, "Hitler…
Evan Carroll
  • 28,401
  • 42
  • 129
  • 239
27
votes
1 answer

In California, is water from the north diverted into the Pacific Ocean?

Possibly addressing the Californian wildfires, president Donald Trump claims that in California "water coming from the north" is "being diverted into the Pacific Ocean". Governor Jerry Brown must allow the Free Flow of the vast amounts of water…
SQB
  • 3,339
  • 2
  • 22
  • 48
26
votes
1 answer

If you put your hand in water while sleeping/drunk, will you pee yourself?

This is like an urban myth and a classic prank, but I never saw it in action. Supposedly if someone is passed out or sleeping, the contact with water will make him pee. Is this true? If true, why does this happen?
Andres
  • 361
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4
25
votes
2 answers

Can the molecular bond angle of water be changed via distillation?

John Ellis claims that water has a "hydrogen bond angle" ranging from 104° to 114°, and that his patented distillation machines can produce water with a permanent hydrogen bond angle above 113°. Does water at standard temperature and pressure have a…
Lysander
  • 583
  • 1
  • 6
  • 16
25
votes
2 answers

Can boiling water break car windows?

A friend of mine in Australia has heard from several of her friends that it's unsafe to pour boiling water on car windows in order to defrost them. Online examples of people claiming it's unsafe include Lifehacker: Remember to never pour boiling…
Andrew Grimm
  • 38,859
  • 36
  • 141
  • 342
24
votes
4 answers

Are slick bicycle tires more slippery in the wet?

I always assumed slick (tread-less) tires were more prone to loss of traction in the wet. That is until I read this answer on the bicycles SE which claims that bicycle tires are too thin, round and firm to experience hydroplaning. Is there any…
Nathan Baulch
  • 357
  • 2
  • 4
24
votes
2 answers

Has 99% of the western continental Europe banned water fluoridation?

I keep seeing this claim about the unpopularity of water fluoridation parroted. Despite dental pressure, 99% of western continental Europe has rejected, banned, or stopped fluoridation due to environmental, health, legal, or ethical concerns I…
Evan Carroll
  • 28,401
  • 42
  • 129
  • 239
23
votes
1 answer

Is it dangerous to mix boiled and unboiled water?

There is a popular belief in Russia that mixing boiled and unboiled water (say, adding cold unboiled water to a cup of tea to cool it) can be dangerous for one's health, even if it is safe to drink both liquids apart. Example of the claim: Original,…
Quassnoi
  • 4,315
  • 5
  • 30
  • 49
23
votes
1 answer

Did an elite Kenyan athlete help an armless runner drink, losing $10,000 prizemoney as a result?

From WTF Facts A Kenyan elite runner passes water to a dehydrated disabled Chinese runner who was suffering. This slowed her time. She came in 2nd in the race not only costing her the win but also the $10,000 cash prize. It's not all about…
Andrew Grimm
  • 38,859
  • 36
  • 141
  • 342
23
votes
1 answer

Does adding a dry towel to a load in the dryer make it dry faster?

Is there any truth to the claim the a dry towel can actually speed up the drying process? There are numerous different sources that I've heard claim this, here is one on voices.yahoo A few months back when I was in a hurry to dry a load of jeans I…
Evan Carroll
  • 28,401
  • 42
  • 129
  • 239
1
2
3
…
9 10