Spring is blooming, and bluebonnets are growing. It’s time to take your yearly photos in the fields. You always wanted to pick a bluebonnet and keep it, but your mom would always tell you it’s against the law. But did you know that there isn’t actually a state law forbidding the picking of bluebonnets? While some state parks might not allow it, public fields have no such rule. So, is it true that mother might not always know best? Here are some more myths you may have been told.

1. Cracking your knuckles does NOT cause arthritis.

There is no such evidence of cracking your knuckles and other joints causing arthritis or other such conditions. What’s actually happening is that your ligaments are stretching and popping over your bone (which is way less harmful than it sounds). The noise can also be caused by air bubbles that are being popped in the joints. This myth is more or less told because it’s pretty annoying to hear when you’re not doing the cracking.

2. If you cross your eyes, they’ll be stuck that way.

Nope. The muscles controlling your eye movement won’t become “frozen” or “stuck.” They would just tire after a prolonged period of time, which would take your eye back to its normal position. The worst you could do would be straining the eyes and causing them to feel sore.

3. You have to wait half an hour after eating before swimming or else you could die.

While you can get cramps from swimming after eating, you will not immediately drown. While this isn’t an encouragement to eat an entire buffet and take a swim five minutes later, if you do, you’ll live. It could just cause some discomfort.

4. The Five Second Rule.

It might seem like common sense that the five second rule isn’t true, but you’d be surprised on how many people still swear by it as they swoop down to grab the Funyun from the clutches of germs. Germs can immediately contaminate a food once it’s dropped, and while it’s true that you might not contract a deadly parasite, it’s still generally gross and unhygienic.

5. You must drink eight glasses of water a day.

There is no evidence that the human body requires eight glasses of water a day, or even half of that. Drinking TOO much water can actually be a problem, and a dangerous one. Hyponatremia, which translates to dangerously low sodium levels, can actually be fatal. But don’t let this scare you, as you would need to drink about two-five gallons of water in a matter of hours. The general rule of thumb is to drink when you’re thirsty, and you’ll be perfectly healthy.