Facts That Changed Since You Were in School

Technology classes predicted the "paperless office" where all documents would be digital and paper would become obsolete. Students learned about a future without physical documents, books, or written materials. Paper consumption actually increased with the adoption of personal computers and printers, as people printed digital documents. While digital documents are now common, paper remains important for legal documents, books, note-taking, and many other applications. The prediction failed to account for the continued advantages of paper for certain tasks and the human preference for physical documents in many situations.

Technology classes predicted that virtual reality would become the dominant form of entertainment, replacing television, movies, and books. Students learned about immersive virtual worlds as the future of media consumption. While VR technology has advanced significantly, it remains a niche entertainment option rather than replacing traditional media. Issues with motion sickness, cost, social isolation, and content limitations have prevented widespread adoption. Most people still prefer traditional entertainment forms for daily use, though VR has found success in specific applications like gaming and training.

Technology and business classes predicted that electronic mail would completely replace physical postal services. Students learned about the obsolescence of traditional mail delivery. While email has dramatically reduced personal letter writing and some business correspondence, postal services have adapted and continue to thrive with package delivery, e-commerce fulfillment, and specialized services. Online shopping has actually increased package delivery demand. Postal services evolved rather than disappeared, finding new roles in the digital economy.

Educational psychology taught that boys and girls had fundamentally different learning styles due to biological brain differences. Students learned about "boy brains" and "girl brains" with distinct educational needs. While there are some statistical differences between male and female brains, most cognitive and learning differences between boys and girls result from socialization, cultural expectations, and educational practices rather than inherent biological differences. Brain plasticity means that environmental factors strongly influence development. Single-sex education based on supposed brain differences has not shown consistent benefits.

Health classes taught that eating eggs, especially egg yolks, would directly raise blood cholesterol levels and increase heart disease risk. Students learned to limit eggs to prevent cardiovascular problems. For most people, dietary cholesterol has minimal impact on blood cholesterol levels. The liver produces most of the body's cholesterol and adjusts production based on dietary intake. Eggs contain beneficial nutrients including protein, vitamins, and healthy fats. Recent dietary guidelines have removed limits on dietary cholesterol for healthy individuals. The connection between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol was oversimplified.

Health and nutrition classes taught that breakfast was essential for health, weight management, and cognitive function. Students learned that skipping breakfast would slow metabolism and lead to overeating later. This was presented as established scientific fact. The "most important meal" concept was largely created by cereal companies and breakfast food marketers. Research shows that meal timing is less important than total daily nutrition. Some people function better with breakfast, others don't. Intermittent fasting research suggests that breakfast isn't necessary for everyone. The importance of breakfast was overstated for commercial rather than scientific reasons.

Technology classes taught that video calling was an interesting novelty but would never be practical due to bandwidth limitations, cost, and technical complexity. Students learned about it as science fiction rather than near-future technology. Video calling became commonplace through services like Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, and WhatsApp. The COVID-19 pandemic made video conferencing essential for work, education, and social connection. Improvements in internet speed, compression technology, and device capabilities made high-quality video calling accessible and affordable worldwide.

Every astronomy textbook and classroom poster listed nine planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Students memorized mnemonics like "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas." Pluto was discovered in 1930 and immediately classified as the ninth planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a "dwarf planet" due to its small size and failure to clear its orbital neighborhood. This decision was controversial but based on more precise definitions of what constitutes a planet.