History and science books have all the right answers, right? Right?
New discoveries keep our world turning 'round, but how are we supposed to disavow facts that every teacher from kindergarten through high school drilled into our heads?
The death of certain theories doesn't mean that scientists and historians are lying to us -- rather, it means society is getting a little bit closer to the truth. Below, we've compiled some mind-blowing revisions and revelations to the world as we know it. Some may result in totally new school curricula -- and for others, it's an edited Wikipedia page or two.
1. A professor discovered a new human body part.
Image courtesy of Flickr, dwmizell
One of the perks of discovering a new body part is getting to name it after yourself. So when Harminder Dua, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Nottingham, discovered an additional corneal layer in the eye using an electron microscope, it was accordingly coined "Dua's layer."
2. We welcomed two new elements to the Periodic Table.
Image via iStockphoto, fstop123
Names for two new manmade elements were officially approved last year -- followed by a collective sigh of exasperation from high school chemistry teachers.
3. Astronomers ruled that Pluto is no longer a planet.
Mashable composite; Image courtesy of Flickr, Image Editor
Almost five years ago, we learned that Pluto -- which was by far already the loneliest planet -- would no longer be considered a "true planet." After scientists voted on a new definition of "planet," Pluto was dubbed a dwarf planet.
4. Mermaids were real -- for about a year.
Image via China Photos/Getty Images
Last year's special documentary on Animal Planet, The Body Found, proposed that mermaids do exist, and investigated claims that the government had collected information on the underwater creatures but kept their findings secret from the public (an act rivaling the NSA's snooping). But one year later, the network aired Mermaids: The New Evidence, revealing the original documentary as a hoax.
5. The Brontosaurus never existed.
Image courtesy of Flickr, yuan2003
Forget everything you learned in The Land Before Time.
6. Scholars agree Eve didn't eat an apple in the Garden of Eden.
Image courtesy of Liz West
There's no mention of any apple in this story in the Bible -- It was more likely a fig or grapes. A translator may have assumed it was an apple, and we all know what happens when you assume.
7. Columbus Day is a sham.
Mashable composite; image courtesy of Tumblr, somethingthatrhymeswithorange
Native Americans inhabited America for centuries before Columbus "discovered" it in 1492.
8. The deaf can now hear.
Courtesy of YouTube, NewVideosNet
Just watch this incredible video of a 29-year-old deaf woman hearing herself for the first time. She received an implant called the Esteem, offered by Envoy Medical, that uses the "natural structures of the outer ear, the ear canal and the ear drum" to "reduce background noise, distortion and acoustic feedback."
9. We figured out Coca-Cola's secret recipe.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Omer Wazir
This American Life divulged the 15-item list -- including nutmeg oil and lime juice -- which is supposedly hidden in a bank vault somewhere. Ha! But the joke's on us -- 3.1% of all beverages consumed around the world are still Coca-Cola products.
What's the most surprising theory that was proven wrong? Tell us in the comments below.