The internet is a place where even the most ordinary thing can turn into a conspiracy theory overnight. You forward a “shocking truth” to your friends — only to blush later when it turns out to be just another online fake.
At AdmiGram.com, we decided to look back at the biggest internet hoaxes of recent years — the ones that made millions of people on both sides of the ocean argue themselves hoarse in the comments.
10 Internet Myths We All Fell For
That “code” on toothpaste tubes
@europerformancesg DID YOU KNOW THE COLOR CODE AT THE BOTTOM OF TOOTHPASTE HAS A MEANING? 😄 Disclaimer: The idea that toothpaste color stripes indicate the ingredients or chemical makeup of the toothpaste (e.g., natural vs. chemical) is a common myth. In reality, the colored squares or stripes on toothpaste tubes are known as eye marks or color marks, and they are part of the manufacturing process. These marks are used by automated machines to identify where to cut and seal the tube during production. The color itself has no connection to the product’s composition or safety. So, while it’s an interesting rumor, it’s not based on fact! #SingaporeCars #Viral #Comedy #viraltiktok #fyp #relatable #trending #UnbeatablePrice #BookNow #luxury #europerformance #luxurycars #luxuryliving #luxurylifestyle #lta #cars #funny #jb #realestate #europerformance #fyp #sgcars #sgtiktok #fun #didyouknow #carsoftiktok #colgate #toothpaste #chemical #malaysia #malaysiatiktok #toothpastehacks ♬ original sound – Euro Performance
You’ve probably seen this post: “A red stripe means chemicals, blue means medicine, and green means all-natural ingredients.” People around the world started inspecting their bathrooms like detectives.
Those little squares are called registration marks. They’re not for us — they’re for sensors on the production line so machines know where to cut and seal the tube. The color depends only on packaging design and which pigment the scanner detects best. Manufacturers have explained this countless times, yet the myth keeps racking up millions of views.
Dihydrogen Monoxide — the most dangerous substance on Earth
@dexter.mp4 Ban dihydrogen monoxide! #science #learnontiktok #learneclecticthings #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Dexter.mp4
“Colorless, odorless liquid. Causes severe burns. Found in acid rain. Used in nuclear reactors. Present in cancer tumors. Ban it!”
Sounds terrifying, right? It’s just the chemical name for water (H₂O). This joke dates back to the ’90s and still resurfaces from time to time — people have signed petitions and even called public utilities in a panic.
Colored circles and squares on food packaging
@shortcognito Colored Dots on Packages Explained! #didyouknow #foryoupage #interesting #facts #funfacts #packaging ♬ original sound – ShortCognito
Supposedly, chips, cookies, and milk cartons carry “secret” symbols indicating GMOs, allergens, or, on the flip side, ultra-natural ingredients.
Because of this myth, shoppers spent ages studying packaging in supermarkets. In reality, these are simply printing marks used for machine alignment and quality control.
Blue or gold?
10 year anniversary of ‘The dress’
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u/Evening_Body_9829 in
interesting
The legendary dress that split the world in 2015. Some people saw it as blue and black, others as white and gold. The debate sparked everything from family arguments to scientific discussions.
The dress is actually blue and black. The confusion comes from how our brains interpret lighting conditions. It became one of the biggest perception tests in internet history.
5G and microchips in vaccines
A topic that became the defining meme of the pandemic era. The theory that 5G towers control minds or spread viruses traveled from Texas to Berlin. And the story about Bill Gates “implanting chips through vaccines” flooded TikTok feeds everywhere.
Let’s take a breath. Radio waves are just radio waves. The only thing they really affect is how fast your favorite show loads. And as for “smart vaccines with chips” — that’s not happening anytime soon.
Laurel or Yanny
After visual illusions came an audio one. A short clip in which some people clearly heard “Yanny,” while others heard “Laurel.”
It all comes down to frequencies. Higher frequencies make you hear “Yanny,” lower ones “Laurel.” Just physics — no mystery required.
Birds Aren’t Real
© Andrewj0131 / Wikimedia Commons
One of the most ironic pranks in recent years. Across the U.S. and Europe, billboards and rallies popped up claiming that birds are actually government drones that recharge on power lines.
It’s a satirical movement created to mock real conspiracy theories. Its creator, Peter McIndoe, stayed in character for years before revealing it was all an elaborate joke about the absurdity of online rumors.
Deadly spiders under toilet seats
A few years ago, social media was flooded with images of “Australian killer spiders” supposedly hiding under public toilet seats.
It was a prank supported by convincing Photoshop work. Spiders do exist, of course — but they prefer more comfortable places than your local Starbucks restroom.
Plastic rice from China
According to viral posts, stores were selling rice made of plastic that wouldn’t cook and would float in water. Videos of “tests” racked up millions of views, prompting organizations like Snopes, the BBC, France 24, and food safety agencies in Hong Kong, India, and Ghana to investigate.
In reality, they all reached the same conclusion: mass-produced plastic rice doesn’t exist. The rumor likely grew out of smaller real scandals where cheaper rice was mixed into premium varieties like Wuchang rice and sold at higher prices.
The spinning dancer
The Spinning dancer illusion, created by Japanese web designer Nobuyuki Kayahara. Some may observe the figure spinning counterclockwise then suddenly spinning clockwise.
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u/Spectroxx in
interestingasfuck
Remember that viral GIF from 2007–2008? It spread through email chains, blogs, and forums as the “ultimate test” of whether your brain is left- or right-dominant.
In truth, it’s just a bistable (ambiguous) motion illusion — like the Necker cube or Rubin’s vase. The brain interprets the image in two different ways and can switch between them. It has nothing to do with brain hemisphere dominance.
