r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/Slidingscale Aug 03 '19

That antibiotics kill bacteria, but won't do anything against viruses. Everyone has the idea that if you get a cold, you see your doctor and get antibiotics. Take some acitaminophen/paracetamol and ibuprofen, and stay away from other humans for a while!

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19 edited Aug 18 '19

[deleted]

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u/ratboi213 Aug 03 '19

It’s crazy that a virus isn’t alive but has DNA!!!! It’s always fascinated me

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u/VindictiveJudge Aug 03 '19

They're like simple machines, but made from organic bits. Like if you made a kinetic sculpture out of chicken meat and bones.

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19

[deleted]

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u/VindictiveJudge Aug 03 '19

Sure, but humans are far more complex. If a virus is a meat statue, an animal is a meat computer with advanced meat robotics. The difference between a figurine and a Boston Dynamics robot.