Puzzling myths and incredible theories abound in this world, and many are hard to accept as true. But from time to time, the world shocks us with the unexpected discoveries it offers.
We have put together a selection of strange theories that turned out to be true but which until just yesterday we all thought were make believe.

Cash machines identify people according to their voice, eyes, and physical appearance.

In 2015, China introduced us to cash machines that identify people’s faces. Today they serve as a good method for fighting against fraudsters before we do away with plastic bank cards. There are also cash machines that recognize people’s voices as well as their faces.

Fluoride can actually harm your teeth.

Dentists recommend using toothpaste with fluoride as an effective method of preventing tooth decay. However, recent research carried out in New Zealand indicates that fluoride actually does more harm than good. Once it enters the body, it can disrupt the functioning of the brain, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system, the kidneys, and the liver. It can also speed up the natural aging process and increase bone fragility. Moreover, you should visit your dentist at least twice a year to have your teeth cleaned properly because you can’t remove all the plaque with just your brush and toothpaste, and this can lead to teeth deterioration.

Scientists have created hybrid animals.

This idea used to be merely subject matter for fantastical movie plots, but hybrid animals and birds really do live on today’s farms, whilst highly unusual wild animals can be found in the world’s zoos. Scientists are now able to manipulate DNA, combining the best genes of two kinds of animal into one living organism. They’ve also identified genes that can help cure illnesses and increase lifespans.

Sugar has an effect on children’s behavior and development.

Simple carbohydrates and refined sugar that cause a sharp increase in glucose levels in the blood are the source of danger here. A group of researchers reached the conclusion that adrenaline is produced in children at higher blood sugar levels compared to that of adults. This has an effect on their concentration and impedes their ability to absorb information and control their emotions. Jamie Oliver has called for sugar consumption in children to be reduced as much as possible in order to avoid the dangers of obesity, tooth decay, and other illnesses.

The Dalai Lama worked for the CIA.

During the second half of the twentieth century, the CIA financed the Tibetan independence movement as well as the Dalai Lama personally. This program was carried out as part of a campaign to destabilize communist countries in the context of the Cold War. The Tibetan spiritual leader knew where his finances were coming from but always denied his connections to the CIA’s political campaign.

Bohemian Grove is a real place.

This is the place where the world’s elite have gone on vacation since the late 19th century. Politicians, musicians, artists, and extremely wealthy individuals gather in Bohemian Grove to enjoy the best kinds of entertainment and also to carry out eerie mystical/religious rites. In the early 2000s, secretly filmed camera footage proved what the “Bohemian Club” refused to confirm: its mysterious meeting place is real, sparking new interest in the legends that have grown up around it.

Fruit juice is harmful to children.

Citric acid is often added to fruit juices, and this substance destroys enamel. The result is cracks and cavities in your teeth where bacteria can multiply. Fruit juice doesn’t slake your thirst. It contains large amounts of sugar and causes allergies and problems with your gastrointestinal tract. The proteins it contains can also induce enterocolitis which can be fatal. It’s best to restrict consumption of juice to 1 glass a day, as a dessert, and drink water to overcome thirst.

There is such a thing as a micro-bullet that can cause a heart attack.

People usually think weapons like this only appear in James Bond movies. However, pistols able to fire special micro-bullets that feel like nothing more than an insect bite actually exist. Only a red mark is left on the skin, but the deadly poison quickly seeps into the bloodstream, causing a heart attack. This incredible invention is, however, no longer used by the secret services.

The secret services spied on Ernest Hemingway.

Ernest Hemingway was convinced that the FBI was following him, but his friends and loved ones believed he was simply paranoid. Decades later, the FBI declassified some of its archives which show that the famous writer really was being tracked. This was the result of his connections with Cuba. Many people have argued that this situation led to Hemingway’s suicide.

The price of diamonds is kept artificially high.

Diamonds are not, in fact, that rare. This is essentially just an ordinary rock, and extracting it has become much less arduous over the past 150 years. However, over a long period of time, the De Beers company has controlled supplies of diamonds and has therefore been able to artificially raise the prices for them. They have been helped in this task by advertising campaigns depicting diamonds as extremely expensive precious stones that should always cost a large amount of money in order to be considered authentic.

We think that beautiful people are better than others.

The stereotype of physical attractiveness is a tendency discovered by psychologists according to which people assume that someone who is physically attractive also possesses other socially desirable personality traits. Thus, when you see unfamiliar but beautiful people, they appear to be healthier, kinder and smarter than (perhaps) they really are.