Goldfish Have a Three-Second Memory

Goldfish have a memory that lasts months, not seconds—a stark contrast to the persistent myth. Research at the University of Plymouth trained goldfish to push a lever for food, and they retained the skill for up to three months. This memory span is 2,592,000 times longer than the mythical three seconds, using a standard 30-day month. The study also showed goldfish could distinguish between different colors and shapes, further disproving the three-second claim. Cheaper than the average myth to debunk, requiring only simple training setups, this falsehood remains popular despite clear evidence from data.