One famous urban myth has Albert Einstein swapping places with his chauffeur, who gave a lecture.

An Urban myth is a supposedly true story spread by word of mouth. It’s usually entertaining, sometimes a bit weird and very nearly unbelievable, and no one can tell you where or how it started.

Urban myths are not called that because they are always set in an urban environment, but because the name refers to a more modern type of folklore or legend.

People believe urban myths because of the way they are circulated. A friend will tell you the story, saying they got it from a friend who got it from a friend. You trust the person that told you and they trusted their friend – so it must be true!

Modern technology has taken a role in propagating new urban myths, which now come in the form of email hoaxes – some even have video clips!