&Quot;National Geographic&Quot;

Did the trans child featured on a National Geographic cover later claim that "transgender activists" ruined their life? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that Avery Jackson ever said anything about transgender activists ruining their life. However, their mother has said that the cover story sparked mixed reactions and heated national rhetoric, some of which were unpleasant. The claim…

Does a viral video offer evidence that children's faces are being "harvested" in China or anywhere in the world to be transplanted onto female recipients trying to look younger? No, that's not true: Both Mandarin subtitles and original voice-overs in the video discussed facelifts -- a much more common surgical procedure that doesn't require any other person's face. Face transplants…

Did all rivers on Earth "commence" in the spring of 2399 B.C.? No, that's not true: The birth of the oldest rivers predates this point in time by millions of years, according to the consensus of earth science. A U.S. Geological Survey scientist confirmed that to Lead Stories. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on Facebook on June…

Did scientists make a "terrifying new discovery" about the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, a mystery that has been unsolved since the plane vanished on March 8, 2014? No, that's not true: At the time of writing on May 29, 2024, there was no "terrifying new discovery" regarding the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. An image…

Does the Coriolis effect fail to affect aircraft trajectory, which proves that the Earth is flat, as is implied in a video shared on social media? No, that's not true: A professor emeritus of physics and astronomy told Lead Stories that "the Coriolis effect is, of course, well known and thoroughly analyzed." Though airplanes experience Coriolis force, it is "pretty…

Does a supposed map of America, purportedly from 1500, prove that Antarctica was inhabited by people for centuries? No, that's not true: The map that is shown in a social media post is not from the 1500s. It is a fake map created by the English illustrator Henry Justice Ford for a 1911 book. The claim appeared in a video…

Does a photo published on social media show Palestinian children killed during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: While the image does depict children who lost their lives in the Middle East, it actually dates back to 2013 and was taken during the civil war in Syria. The person making the claim later…

Is the human body "designed" for a plant-based diet and incapable of ingesting and breaking down meat? No, that's not true: Two nutrition experts confirmed that to Lead Stories. The claim in a social media post is largely based on the incorrect definition of the word "omnivore," which is a term used to refer to the species that can eat…

Does a National Geographic magazine cover purportedly published in December 2020 display what appears to be two adults and two children who are all white-complexioned beside a headline that reads "WHITE PEOPLE"? No, that's not true: A National Geographic representative told Lead Stories the cover image in this tweet has been "completely fabricated." The actual December 2020 cover on the…

Does a collection of photos shared on social media show "another world" and remnants of a lost civilization or buried spacecraft under the ice of Antarctica? No, that's not true: These photos come from several sources. Some are presented with no context, while others are mislabeled or have been digitally edited to create science-fiction fantasy scenes. The collection of 11…