Can the past change? It sounds incredible, but scientists are debating exactly this, with various theories ranging from quantum mechanics to the many-worlds interpretation. If it could, how would it appear to us? The internet is buzzing with wild ideas, so it's time to go over where they originated, and consider in detail what exactly might be causing it.
The Mandela Effect
Ever had that feeling when you hear something, such as a celebrity dying, and was sure it had happened before? When that happens to a group of people it has a name: the Mandela Effect. It's called that because there are many who were sure Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s and not in 2013.
Welcome to Alternate Memories, where these and more are documented, discussed and puzzled over. We're not here to judge. We're just trying to find out what's really going on.
Please bear in mind that as you read about them more and more, some will hit you as being ridiculous, and others as spookily accurate. They're not the same for everyone, which is a huge part of their mystery ;-)
Were fleas on rats responsible for the Black Death Plague?
Alternate:
Fleas on rats were responsible for the Black Dealth Plague
Current:
Fleas on rats were not responsible for the Black Dealth Plague
The mother of all pandemics
The recent covid-19 global pandemic is causing serious problems worldwide, but it's nothing compared to the Black Death of the Middle Ages.
The plague swept Eurasia, North Africa and Europe killing up to 200 million people in just 4 years. It's known it was caused by a highly infectious bacteria, and the popular idea of how it spread was via the fleas on rats. Samples from plague victims graves suggest this is the case, since the fleas are still present on the bodies.
However, it's the rats which getting the blame for something they didn't do. In particular, some studies have shown the rate of spread couldn't have been as fast as it was if it were the rats alone. This is because most rats live their entire life around 100 feet from where they were born. They are not natural migratory animals. Also, the sheer number of rats required to cover the areas infected meant there must have been large numbers of dead ones literally everywhere, and there are no reports of these either.
What is known, however, is that the humans of the day had incredibly poor hygiene...
When did Larry King die?
Alternate:
Larry King died in 2010
Current:
Larry King died in 2021
Larry King died in 2010, 2013, 2019 and 2021
Larry King was the legendary US chat show host with a career spanning many decades.
He was most famous for the shows which bore his name. Larry King Live and Larry King Now, and his political show, Politicking with Larry King, up until 2020.
Reports of his death in 2021, however, came as a surprise to many, since they were sure he was already dead, and the years this was supposed to have happened range from 2010, 2013 and 2019.
How long is a goldfishes memory?
Alternate:
Goldfish have a 3 second memory
Current:
Goldfish have at least a 6 month memory
Smarter than you think
Most people think goldfish only have a 3 second memory, but the truth is very different.
Science has shown they can remember things for at least 5 months, and are smarter than is generally given credit for at problem solving too. in an experiment, which by the sounds of it anyone can easily repeat, a red Lego block was dropped into the bowl of ordinary pet goldfish just before food was sprinkled on the surface of the water above the block. The fish soon learned the arrival of the block meant food, and swam towards it. Then, feeding resumed normally with no block, only to resume 1 week later. Sure enough, the canny fish swam straight to the block as soon as it was dropped in.
Did Pythagoras create The Pythagoras Theorem?
Alternate:
Pythagoras created The Pythagoras Theorem
Current:
Pythagoras did not create The Pythagoras Theorem
Hypotenuse squared
It sounds like a joke - who invented the Pythagoras theorem?
Certainly, the name popular today comes from the famous ancient Greek mathematician, but of course its the formula itself that's under question.
Most people who studied any level of mathematics at school would have been taught the familiar "square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the adjacent side of a right angled triangle". Or, perhaps more familiar, a2 + b2 = c2. However, the idea is wasn't known about before Pythagoras cannot be true, since it is referenced in m,any works pre-dating him by many years, and in several different situations too.
Were the polar ice caps of Mars always known?
Alternate:
Mars was always thought to have no ice caps
Current:
The ice caps of Mars have always been known about
Water on Mars
The search for life beyond earth has intrigued mankind since humans first gazed up at the stars.
Mars was first properly observed by Galileo in 1610, and from then on better and better observations have been made right up to sending landers to its surface. Along with all this research has been the quest to find evidence of life there, and the assumption that for it to exist, water must too, has been part and parcel of this from the start.
The problem is that it's now being shown that the ice caps have been known about since Galileos discovery, where he documented these and various darker regions, even giving some their names. Yet many hear about the Mars ice caps and think they must be a new discovery, or else they must have clearly been misinformed regarding the presence of water on the planet.
Wizard of Oz: Did the Tin Man wear a shirt and tie?
Alternate:
Wizard of Oz: The Tin Man did not wear a shirt and tie
Current:
Wizard of Oz: The Tin Man wore a shirt and tie
If I only had a heart
Oh boy, another Wizard of Oz Mandela Effect.
This movie must take the record for the number it contains. This time it's our old friend the Tin Man, and specifically the fact that many people "suddenly" see him wearing a big, obvious metal shirt and tie, and are sure it wasn't there before.
Everyone remembers his tin axe, the oil can on his head, and famously his lack of a heart, but not, apparently, a shirt and tie. Those who do vaguely remember something seem to remember the line of buttons down his front as metal rivets.
Did Braveheart wear a kilt?
Alternate:
William Wallace (Braveheart) wore a kilt
Current:
William Wallace (Braveheart) did not wear a kilt
They'll never take our freedom!
The first thing that pops into many people's minds when they think of Scottish men is a noble windswept figure on the glen, proudly displaying his kilt.
This image has been portrayed so many times it's ingrained deeply in the world's minds for generations. But has it always been so?
No Scotsman fulfils the image of a fierce warrior fighting for his country more than William Wallace, who was famously brought to the big screen is Braveheart, played by Mel Gibson. Wallace lived in the late 1200s, and it's now come to light that this image of him, and the one generally regarded, means things are not quite right in the clothing department.
