Science

Is it true that there was no Alzheimer's disease until 1979 -- after the vegetable oils used in margarine were incorporated widely in modern diets? No, that's not true: In 1906 the "unusual disease of the cerebral cortex" was discovered by pathologist Alois Alzheimer. The abnormal brain atrophy he had identified was named after him four years later. An expert…

Does the polio-causing poliovirus infect people exclusively through direct contact between "fecal matter" and "facial orifices"? No, that's not true: While multiple health agencies say that the fecal-oral route is common, that includes a number of possibilities. For example, polio may spread through consuming contaminated food or water. The claim appeared in an image (archived here) being commented on in…

Did a NASA livestream authentically capture a "UFO" or "mysterious craft" before the stream was "abruptly cut," suggesting an intentional disruption to the video? No, that's not true: NASA told Lead Stories that the footage showed the Dragon spacecraft supporting a NASA and SpaceX commercial resupply service on December 16, 2024. The "momentary loss of video is routine, and due…

Was a "mysterious fog" spotted in various areas of the world in late December 2024 something that cannot be explained? No, that's not true: There have been several regions that experienced heavy fog in late December, but there is no evidence that it is anything other than naturally occurring fog. One medical sociologist wrote in an article that social media…

Is CoQ10 a proven treatment for preventing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease? No, that's not true: A neurologist told Lead Stories that it is "false" to say that CoQ10 can prevent either disease. While some studies have explored the antioxidant's potential benefits, experts that Lead Stories spoke with said that results are not clear enough to prove that CoQ10 prevents either…

Does the swinging action of stuffed toys hanging from the ceiling of the Soyuz crew capsule prove that the spacecraft is not really producing the expected G forces during a launch into orbit, suggesting fakery? No, that's not true: A spacecraft will experience varying G forces and vibrations during launch. A social media post's short video clip was taken from…

Did a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study find that children who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are more likely to get infected than those who are unvaccinated? No, that's not true: The study of children aged six months to four years found there was not a big difference in infection rates, especially for those who hadn't had COVID…

Did the head of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's medical team say he had been diagnosed with "grade 3" prostate cancer? No, that's not true: The spokesperson for Netanyahu told Lead Stories he underwent surgery to remove his prostate after an infection "stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate." Using Google News' index, we did not find news articles…

Did Elon Musk publish a social media post saying, "My tolerance for Ketamine is unlimited," just before midnight on December 26, 2024? No, that's not true: A fabricated screenshot was posted by a parody account on X. The screenshot contained the same time and date stamp as a real reply Musk posted on X that read, "My tolerance for subtards…

Does a video captured by a New Jersey resident show a drone spraying something in the sky? No, that's not true: The video showed a commercial Boeing 777 jetliner gradually descending as it nears the end of a transatlantic flight from London to Baltimore. Lead Stories cross-referenced the timestamp and location tag from the original video with flight and weather…

Are the drones reportedly seen over New Jersey and New York being used to track nuclear material in the country? No, that's not true: The National Nuclear Security Administration's emergency team told Lead Stories it doesn't use drones to detect nuclear or radiological materials. In a joint statement on December 16, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation…

Is Barbara O'Neill a medical doctor certified by the American Board of Urology, or ABU? No, that's not true: The American Board of Medical Specialties, which maintains records on medical certifications, told Lead Stories that O'Neill is not certified by the ABU. The American Urological Association also did not find her as a member of their association. Lead Stories independently…

Did the Pentagon say in early December 2024 that drones reportedly flying over a New Jersey military installation were "not of earthly origin," as was implied by a post on Instagram? No, that's not true: A Pentagon spokesperson told Lead Stories that the agency never described the drones as "not from earthly origin." A meme shared to Instagram included a…

Does nicotine eliminate brain tumors? No, that's not true: A brain cancer expert from the University of Nebraska Medical Center said nicotine doesn't help and may actually reduce a person's chances of recovering from brain tumors or cancer. Nicotine is harmful, addictive and can raise the risk of certain cancers. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here)…

Does a video shared to X in early December 2024 authentically show a drone flying over New Jersey? No, that's not true: The original poster described the video as having been "created digitally." It was shared online after unexplained "possible drones" were reported in New Jersey in late 2024. The claim appeared in a video posted on X on December…

Did South African trauma surgeon Dr. Vicky Jennings die after "suffering a sudden heart attack" related to COVID-19 vaccination, as implied by social media posts? No, that's not true: Jennings' colleague and head of department told Lead Stories that he can "unequivocally confirm that her death was in no way related to vaccination." A medico-legal autopsy required by law in…

Do some videos circulating online show the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck California on December 5, 2024? No, that's not true: Several videos posted online were mislabeled as showing California when they were actually filmed in other locations during past earthquakes. In reality the old footage ranged from Taiwan to Anchorage, Alaska, to Japan. One example of a recycled earthquake video…

Did Tesla CEO Elon Musk announce that his company had developed an aluminum-ion battery with 15-minute charging? No, that's not true: There is no evidence on the company's website or Musk's social media platforms of any such announcement as of December 6, 2024. In fact, Tesla continues to manufacture and refine its 4680 lithium-ion batteries at a plant near Corpus…

Does a video montage show how factories in India make artificial rice out of recycled plastic? No, that's not true: These videos are real, but what the factories are making has been misrepresented. Some video clips show plastic being recycled to make plastic pellets for use in other plastic products -- but not in food. Other video clips show the…

Was Fox News contributor Dr. Kelly Powers' death from cancer due to the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: An article calling her "fully vaccinated" implies that she passed away from the COVID vaccine. Powers was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in July 2020, according to an obituary; the COVID vaccine was not available until 2021. The article…