&Quot;The View&Quot;

Do rock formations that resemble elephants prove that giants once ruled the world? No, that's not true: These two formations -- one in Heimaey, Iceland, and the other off the eastern shore of Molokai in the U.S. state of Hawaii -- were both created by volcanic activity and ocean waves. They were not carved by the hands of a race…

Did NASA stop investigating the deepest layers of the world's oceans 34 years ago? No, that's not true: NASA's main exploration ventures are in space, but, according to the agency's website, it still explores the ocean, too. A claim asserting that NASA has stopped its oceanographic work appeared in an Instagram video on August 30, 2022. The video appears to…

Did France 2 intentionally misinform its audiences about an incident in the war in Ukraine on August 10, 2022? No, that's not true: The French TV channel's report about a strike that hit buildings surrounding Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant overall correctly reflected the situation on that day, but one segment misidentified a building chimney as an unexploded missile. In…

Does a reflection in an astronaut's helmet visor from the Apollo 17 moon landing prove that it was a hoax? No, that's not true: The reflection seen in astronaut Gene Cernan's helmet visor shows astronaut Harrison Schmidt standing in front of him on the surface of the moon in 1972. "The view is a little distorted due to the curvature…

Is the United Nations "having China build thousands" of robots that could scoop up human bodies? No, that's not true: In an August 15, 2022, email to Lead Stories, Farhan Aziz Haq, deputy spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, said the story is false, adding that any elaboration by him would give the claim "more credence than it merits." The…

Does a video show Somali pirates "messing" with a Russian ship? No, that's not true: The video includes footage from a Spike TV show in 2010 showing the U.S. Navy firing at Somali pirates in small boats, and footage of the U.S. Coast Guard sinking a Japanese fishing boat. Neither clip shows Somali pirates "messing" with a Russian ship. The…

Is there a facility where baby formula is being destroyed in order to create or prolong a baby formula shortage? No, that's not true: The logo that appears on a dumpster pictured in a TikTok video is that of Imperial Western Products. The company has several divisions, some of which recycle and refine a variety of materials for different purposes.…

Did a doctor take over eight minutes to gingerly remove a "parasite" from a woman's scalp? No, that's not true: This video is the creation of sword swallower and content creator Juliette Electrique, who works with Las Vegas entertainment promoter and viral social media content entrepreneur Rick Lax Productions. Electrique's Facebook page is marked as Satire/Parody. In the past the…

Did NASA use the landscape of a remote Arctic island in Canada to produce fake images that were then falsely represented as exploration on the planet Mars? No, that's not true: This accusation lacks a key element -- there is no evidence that NASA has misrepresented images from the Haughton Mars Project (HMP) or any other analog mission conducted on…

Is there a government program that is erasing debts for Americans with more than $10,000 in debt? No, that's not true: A video that implies that there is a government program in which Americans can receive such debt relief is just an advertisement. Lead Stories has debunked a similarly misleading ad before. The claim appeared in a video posted to…