Getting Cancer From Your Tupperware: Is that re-heated meatloaf putting you at risk? Probably not. Maybe you heard the stories of chemicals leeching out of plastic containers and into your food when you put them in the microwave. While it's true that some plastics contain dangerous chemicals, the ones meant for heating food generally do not. This is why they're designed for... heating food. Rocket science, we know. That said, look for the words "microwave safe" on the label. And be wary of take-out containers from groceries and restaurants however. They're often meant for one use only.

The Health of Your Kid's College Fund: Okay, STOP logging into your bank's website every hour. Your kid is four. (And if you just said to yourself, "Actually, my kid is eighteen," skip this one and read about carrots, below.) That gives the economy a decade and a half to recover before little Jonny Genius is ready for his Ivy League moment. Savings build with time, remember? Use your time wisely by taking a breather.

Carrots Making You Fat: You thought it was a typo, right? But your eyes do not deceive you. Several high-profile diets flat-out advocate against the eating of carrots. According to these weight loss plans, their high glycemic index makes them major blood-sugar boosters. But seriously, do you know how many carrots you'd need to eat to impact your blood sugar level? More than a pound. Eating that many carrots would also fully freak out your dinner companions (unless your friends are rabbits) and would probably turn your pee orange. The short story: have a carrot. They're jammed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs —- especially for healthy vision. So next time you'll see the diet quacks coming at a distance.

A Black Hole Swallowing the Earth: You've heard about this, right? A machine built underground by scientists to determine how the Big Bang might have worked. Brilliant! Except that some opponents theorize that the experiment could open up black holes that could swallow us —- meaning the entire planet —- whole. Yikes. But before you cancel your plans for next weekend, let's look at the facts. A comprehensive safety review has declared the machine completely safe. In fact, a lawsuit challenging its safety was dismissed in a Hawaii court. Feel better? If you still aren't convinced, at least you can put off your worrying for a little while: the machine broke down shortly after it started running and won't be working again until the new year.

The Flu Shot Making You Sick: Everyone's got a story about how they got the flu vaccine and came down with a strangely flu-ish ailment two days later. But is there any validity to the idea that the flu shot can —- gulp —- get you or your kid sick? According to the CDC, getting the flu from a flu shot is basically impossible. There are some minor (and yes, occasionally flu-like!) symptoms that can be associated with the vaccine, but they're exactly that —- minor. On the chance that you experience them at all, they won't get you nearly as sick as a serious bout of the flu.

Getting Attacked by a Shark: Listen, we all love Shark Week but don't let your imagination go crazy. Of the 375 species of sharks on earth, only 30 have ever been known to attack humans. According to the University of Florida, there are only about 50 to 70 worldwide shark attacks each year. That includes a number of "provoked" attacks, which means that the person —- not the shark —- made the first move. So unless you feel like taunting your local great white (if you happen to run into him?) your chances of staying safe are pretty high.

Your Baby Getting Sick from Tainted Formula: Thanks, China. Nice show at the Olympics and everything, but you dropped the ball when you started manufacturing baby formula with deadly chemicals in it. The chances of that formula making its way into the U.S. are pretty slim, unless it was illegally imported, so it's highly unlikely that you'll find the tainted stuff anywhere. And do we really need to advise you against buying formula that you suspect may have been illegally imported? Right. Didn't think so.

Halloween Candy Horror: So here's the setup: Some homicidal stranger decides to put razor blades in apples or poison some candy bars on Halloween night and voila —- every parent's trick-or-treat nightmare. But is this stuff even real? You surely have heard about dangerous Halloween candy when you were a kid —- that's how long this story has been around. But there's little hard evidence that children have been harmed by any random acts of Halloween sabotage. Most cases that were widely reported in the news turned out to be hoaxes, usually perpetuated by the prankster kids themselves. How's that for a great trick?

The Discontinuation of Your Favorite Fragrance: You can stop writing angry e-mails and signing petitions now. Your favorite fragrance —- the one you wore in high school —- is back in stock. Stores like Bath & Body Works have started to reissue their "classic" fragrances from years past. Before you hit up eBay (Did you really want to spend $85 on a decade-old bottle of moisturizer?) check out their website. Coco Cabana, here you come.