Technology

Does a picture circulating on social media prove that Pfizer has a patent "for tracking vaccinated humans worldwide via microwave and graphene"? No, that's not true: The pictured document is not a Pfizer patent and it does not mention graphene or microwaves. Pfizer's office of media relations confirmed to Lead Stories that Pfizer has nothing to do with the patent,…

Did Bill Gates create computer viruses and infect Microsoft computers to then sell antivirus software programs? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that either Gates or his company deliberately created and spread computer viruses, and a spokesperson from Gates' private office confirmed to Lead Stories that such a claim is false. Creeper, the first experimental self-replicating computer virus, was…

Did Maxwell Chikumbutso, an inventor from Zimbabwe, develop a technology to turn radio frequencies into free, unlimited, green electricity that can power a car that never needs charging, a television or even a neighborhood? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Chikumbutso's inventions work as described. Although there have been public showcases of some of Chikumbutso's "microsonic energy…

Was the devastating temblor that struck Turkey on February 6, 2023 actually a human-caused earthquake triggered by a weapon from an ionospheric research program called HAARP, in response to the Turkish president's move to block an expansion of NATO? No, that's not true: Experts that spoke to Lead Stories say the quake's occurrence is a natural event supported by scientific…

Does a device called "Pro Power Save" help consumers cut their electric bills in half? No, that's not true: such devices have not been proven to work as advertised. The claim appeared in a post published on Facebook on December 9, 2022. The post included a video, which had a title and a caption that read: How To Cut Your…

Does a social media video show entrepreneur Elon Musk discussing imprisoned internet influencer Andrew Tate? No, that's not true: This appears to be a "deepfake" video of Musk, now the CEO of Twitter. The video uses publicly available footage from a TED Talk with Musk in April 2022. A transcript of Musk's remarks proves that he did not talk about…

Can "quantum healing" work by sensing your body's biofield and harnessing energy for an instant cure? No, that's not true: Physicists and medical doctors say using quantum physics terminology as the basis for medicine-free healing is hucksterism and quackery. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on Facebook on January 5, 2023. It opens with Sachin Karve, a self-described…

Do NASA documents say that we live on a "flat, nonrotating earth"? No, that's not true: NASA does not believe in a flat-Earth theory of any kind. While the term "flat, nonrotating earth" does appear in NASA documents, it's not referring to the structure of the planet but instead citing mechanisms and assumptions used to analyze flight. In a February…

Did a "local man" singlehandedly shoot down "in an EXTRAORDINARY act of vigilantism" the "Chinese spy balloon" recently flying over the continental United States? No, that's not true: The meme that makes this vigilante claim shows a comedian, Sam Hyde, who is routinely cast as the perpetrator in headline-grabbing news events in what one website has called an "extremely tired"…

Does the reflexology practice of interlocking and tugging the little fingers improve kidney function? No, that's not true. No authoritative sources suggest that reflexology is an effective tool for enhancing kidney function. The claim appeared on TikTok on February 1, 2023, under the title "The body is a system, recommended pull body practice, more healthy, #wudang #health #chineseculture #TCM #kedney…

Did Elon Musk threaten in a series of tweets to block DirecTV's satellite dishes after the TV provider banned NewsMax from their channel lineup? No, that's not true: The story is labeled satire on the website that published it. SpaceXMania, the website where the article originated, wrote in its disclaimer that every story labeled Satire is "fiction." There is no…

Did business mogul Elon Musk and Canadian celebrities endorse the "new" cryptocurrency platform Quantum Ai, according to a video supposedly from the CBC? No, that's not true: CBC News told Lead Stories that they did not publish the video making the claim; Musk is not the founder or owner of the cryptocurrency trading system Quantum Ai, and he and the…

Are aborted fetal cells added to artificial flavors in food products? No, that's not true: The false claim mis-states the use of HEK 293 cells in taste research by the Senomyx company, which was purchased by Firmenich, a Swiss flavor and fragrance company, in 2018. "Neither Firmenich products nor Senomyx products have ever contained any human cell or material," Firmenich…

Were "electrically charged rocks" discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2023? No, that's not true: No such discovery had been formally announced in the scientific community as of this publication, and a geology expert told Lead Stories that there are no known minerals "that produce electricity naturally without adding energy to the system." The rock in the…

Was Andrew Tate found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in prison as of January 24, 2023? No, that's not true: The former kickboxing champion and internet influencer remained in detention as of January 24, 2023, but had not been tried, convicted or sentenced. He was arrested in late 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and participating in organized…

Was New York bombed on or directly before January 22, 2023, and was there an exclusive video of the attack on a Telegram channel? No, that's not true: The attack referenced in the claim is from 2017. The prompt to visit a specific Telegram channel to watch a video of the supposed attack seems to be a ploy to get…

Did the Chinese military equip its soldiers with self-destruct helmets? No, that's not true: There's no evidence from the Chinese government or from official Chinese state media that members of the military are being given helmets with that feature. The claim appeared in a video on YouTube (archived here) published by Roman Balmakov, a reporter for The Epoch Times, on…

Does a recent Facebook Reel accurately depict devastating damage from a 2023 plane crash? No, that's not true: This footage is from the set of director Steven Spielberg's 2005 movie "War of the Worlds." A twin-engine ATR 72 airplane crashed in Nepal on January 15, 2023, but the plane seen in the Reel is a 747. The location of the…

Did President Joe Biden propose a ban on gas stoves? No, that's not true: He is against the idea of a future ban on gas stoves, a White House spokesperson has said. A Consumer Product Safety commissioner said gas stoves posed a "hidden hazard," but clarified that he meant regulations would only apply to future products. The claim appeared on…

Did Microsoft founder Bill Gates tweet about forcing COVID-19 vaccinations on people by injecting mRNA into their food supply? No, that's not true: A search of Gates' Twitter account reveals the tweet is fake. The claim appeared in an article published by NewsPunch on January 10, 2023, titled "Bill Gates Vows To Pump mRNA Into Food Supply To 'Force-Jab' the…