FlipFact of the Day: The color red doesn’t make bulls angry. In fact, they’re color-blind to it.
It’s not the red cape (or muleta) that a matador wears which makes his horned nemesis charge in a bullfight. Rather, it’s the way the cape moves that enrages the bull. It’s been shown that bulls will charge at a moving cape regardless of its color; red just happens to be the preferred color for muletas because it helps hide blood (either the matador’s or the bull’s) a lot easier.
Still not convinced? How about this: Just like other types of cattle, bulls are color-blind to red (and green).
Here are a few other well-known “facts” that turned out to be fake.
Today’s Science History Milestone: On October 2, 1955, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), one of the world’s first electronic general-purpose computers, was shut down.
Still remember your 5th-grade science classes? Test your knowledge and see if you still remember these facts and fundamental concepts in human anatomy, biology, botany, and other branches of science. Click here to try the “Are You Smarter Than A Pinoy Fifth-Grader” Challenge.
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Cover image: Wikimedia Commons
References
- https://www.flipscience.ph/news/features-news/features/5-science-myths-i/
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
