The history of the Ancient Egypt has always cultivated the fascination of people towards this great civilization. The Ancient Egyptians are without a doubt one of the most prolific and advanced empires of all times, from both the technological and social points of view. It comes as no surprise that archeology has a special sub-science referred to as Egyptology. However, the numerous inexplicable aspects of the Ancient Egypt have also stemmed numerous myths and misconceptions. Furthermore, the propensity towards believing these false notions is also emphasized by several Hollywood productions that paint a romantic, surreal picture of the society at that time. Let’s explore a few of them.
1. The legendary beauty of Queen Cleopatra
It is easy to understand why a misconception that stems from the works of Shakespeare and is perpetuated in virtually all plays and movies stands to this very day. However, Roman coins from that period tell a completely different tale. In fact, Queen Cleopatra VII was anything but beautiful. The bulky nose, her pronounced chin and the small lip line are features that cannot be associated with beauty, irrespective of the cultural archetype of femininity. On the other hand, historical records indicate that she was an extremely charismatic and intelligent figure.
2. The ancient Egyptians fascination with death
To think that the ancient Egyptians borderline obsession with the mummification techniques, the imposing architecture of tombs and the intricate burying rituals performed indicates they were preoccupied with death is a huge mistake. In fact, all these aspects show us how much the Egyptians glorified and celebrated life, even after death. Death is regarded only as a transitional phase to the afterlife and all the rituals are set in place to ensure the safe passage of the deceased and continuation of the spirit.
3. Aliens played a role in the development of the Ancient Egypt civilization
It may be very tempting to associated things that we do not fully comprehend with alien contact, but that would simply constitute an insult to the brilliant achievements of the Ancient Egyptians. In spite of the fact that conspiracy theorists argue that the pyramids could not have been built with the technology of that era and that not even modern science can replicate their architecture, bringing aliens into the equation is presumptuous and has no rational basis. Moreover, let’s not forget that Egypt was home to some of the most renowned scholars, mathematicians, architects and astronomers in recorded history.
4. We already know everything there is to know about Egypt
False, archeologists uncover new elements that shed more and more light on the intricate nature of the Ancient Egyptian society every single day. For example, quite recently they discovered a full-scale model of the so called “solar boat” inside the Great Pyramid! In case you did not know, this vessel was allegedly utilized by the Sun God Ra on his never ending battle against the demon of darkness named Apep. The fact that it was placed inside the tomb suggests that Ancient Egyptians believed that the pharaohs’ role was to assist Ra on his journey after their death.
5. Ancient Egyptians invented hieroglyphs
There are in fact two misconceptions encompassing the hieroglyphs: their authors and their purpose. To put it simply, while some consider hieroglyphs a creation of the Ancient Egyptians, other erroneously believe that these characters represent spells, incantations and curses. While nobody knows for certain when or where the hieroglyphs were invented, as historical evidence suggests they originated from the Western Asian tribes. Furthermore, hieroglyphs constitute historical event depictions and harmless inscriptions.





























Truth: This is not always the case. Sushi is judged by the perfection of the sushi chef’s cut. All sushi must be cut thinly and at an angle. Chefs go through special training and have to master the art of cutting sushi. Those that cut thick slices are not master chefs; thus it makes the quality low.












Green tea is not the magic tooth fairy. It cannot produce wanders as much as people would love to think. Although green tea does speed up the metabolism, it does not solve various other problems associated with overweight. One cannot just drink a cup of green tea after eating 4000 calories worth of food and think they will be able to lose weight and reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The process of burning fat would be faster but surely not thorough at a snap of a finger or shall we say, a cup of green tea.
Truth: ASD is a lifelong disorder and stays with the person throughout his/her life. Although there is no cure, there are intensive programs designed to integrate individuals with the disorder. Many experts use different methods such as music therapy and social stories to treat people suffering because ASD.
Truth: Statistics and studies have not been able to back up this statement. Many parents are quite supportive of children with ASD. They have allied themselves with organizations such as Autism Speaks to help. Parents increasingly feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities that come with having a family member with ASD. Many have had to quit their jobs to better help their children.
Truth: This is dead wrong. Often, autistic people are behind their age mates and reach the developmental milestones later than normal. But when they get appropriate support, particularly with early intervention (when autism is discovered early, e.g. under the age of 3) autistic people can make incredible improvement and often keep up with their age mates in school.
Truth: Sometimes, because of the social difficulties, autistic people are considered to be “cold” because they do not seem to express love or show empathy. However, most autistic people are more than capable of feeling and expressing love though sometimes in unusual ways. Moreover, many autistic people are far more empathetic, though they may express their empathy in different ways than us. Every cue and every sign counts.
Truth: If anyone has read the book, The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time, one would remember Christopher memorizing information and being concerned with patterns. His attention and focus were only on the topics he loved such as murder mysteries. Christopher is an example of someone with Asperger’s Syndrome, one of the 5 types of ASD. There are various individuals, who have trouble processing their information. They may try to memorize credit cards, essays, speeches and dates. However, many individuals with ASD can go into withdrawal because of an overload of information in their brain.
Truth: 80% of individuals with ASD learn how to speak and communicate after intensive schooling and training. Many individuals like Temple Grandin serve as an example of someone, who overcame the barriers of ASD to become a professor, author and public speaker.
Truth: The ASD support ribbon is a good analogy to explain ASD. ASD cases are different. Each individual who has ASD may not have the same symptoms as his classmate. The contrast in colours in the ribbon represent that complexity of this disorder. Scientists cannot begin to understand ASD as each case is special.
Truth: Many individuals would argue that ASD is not properly represented by non-profit organizations. Many organizations such as Autism Speaks fail to include individuals with ASD on their board councils. One should note that not all individuals with autism are the same. Many individuals grow up to be excellent role model and high functioning citizens in the globalizing world. They can represent themselves as much as others can.
Truth: With intensive programs and school, individuals with ASD can make eye contact. Although they have difficulties social interacting with others, they can outgrow some of the symptoms as well. One should also remember that not all individuals with ASD have the same symptoms.
Truth: This is false. Many individuals with ASD are oversensitive to various situations. Punishment can make the situation worse.