Science

Is the International Space Station (ISS) in a swimming pool? No, that's not true: The ISS is in space, orbiting Earth, contrary to images on social media referring to the ISS as "International Swimming Station". The images show NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory with a full-size mock-up of the space station. It includes a large pool with technology used for training…

Was a snow-covered jet frozen on an airport runway in Germany when it was meant to be headed to a "Dubai global warming conference"? No, that's not true: The plane was not scheduled to fly anywhere in the days before or after a massive snowstorm hit Munich, Germany. The jet apparently tipped over due to the weight of the snow…

Did nurse Tiffany Dover disappear from the public eye and stay silent after she fainted after receiving the first COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: She has public social media accounts where she posted in the weeks after getting the shot, several times in 2021 and throughout 2023. Dover spoke publicly about fainting after the COVID vaccine in a video…

Did celebrity Kevin Costner recently refute rumors that he had a hair transplant and share a personal testimonial about the positive results he has seen since he began using the roll-on hair growth product RenewHairX? No, that's not true: A fake audio track promoting a product was dubbed over Costner's voice in a video clip taken from a 2008 guest…

Is oregano in its natural form known to definitively "protect against cancer?" No, that's not true: The herb itself has anti-cancer properties, and herbal extracts have been shown to inhibit -- and even kill -- cancerous cells in laboratory studies using human cells, a dietician confirmed to Lead Stories. However, we found no evidence that clinical studies have occurred in…

Does drinking a mixture of carrots, onions and garlic in lime juice cure "any form of cancer" between stages one and three? No, that's not true: The vice president of research from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) told Lead Stories that there is no evidence to support this claim and to claim that this mixture can cure all…

Does the listing of "Pneumonia mycoplasma" in Pfizer's guidance on adverse event reports associated with its COVID-19 vaccine prove that the shot caused a respiratory outbreak in China? No, that's not true: It's a fundamental misreading of standard vaccine documents, which direct doctors to rapidly report any problems from a long list as a precaution. The Centers for Disease Control…

Does onion peel water cure or alleviate urinary tract infections, prostatitis or other infections? No, that's not true: A medical expert told Lead Stories there is no scientific evidence that a tea made from the outer skins of onions does any good for recurrent urinary tract infections, prostatitis or any sort of inflammatory condition. They warned that using onion peel…

Do cantaloupe and papaya juices help prevent or reverse age-related macular degeneration, or AMD? No, that's not true: According to an ophthalmologist at the National Eye Institute, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that cantaloupe and papaya juice specifically help prevent or reverse AMD. The complex eye condition and its progression are influenced by various factors, including…

Does a video shared on X document lab-grown meat moving autonomously? No, that's not true: The video in question was made by a content creator who produces videos containing sculptures of food items that move as if they are alive. Lab-grown meat is not created in a way that would allow it to move autonomously. Sarcastic captions on the video…

Is cancer caused by the consumption of an "excess" amount of sugar "in your system"? No, that's not true: Sugar itself does not cause cancer. While sugar is not carcinogenic, meaning it does not cause cancer, consuming it is linked to some health conditions and physiological changes that may impact or exacerbate certain cancers, a dietician confirmed to Lead Stories.…

Is bathing with Epsom salts highly toxic? No, that's not true: Toxicology experts told Lead Stories the claim that bathing with Epsom salts is toxic is "completely false" and "there is no toxicity associated with salt." Poison control agencies such as the Missouri Poison Center classify the salt as "generally safe" and "low risk" when used as the directions intended.…

Is the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine "contaminated" with a type of DNA that causes permanent genetic changes in vaccinated people or leads to death due to cardiac arrest? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that residual DNA found in Pfizer's COVID shot has produced "no safety concerns." Additionally, an infectious disease expert said…

Does data pulled from the Adverse Event Reporting System and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System prove that COVID-19 vaccines have caused more than 1.4 million adverse events and over 32,000 deaths as of November 25, 2022? No, that's not true: The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, known as VAERS, is a government database of negative health reactions to vaccines…

Does a video of a non-laboratory test using the T-Square brand oral fluid drug test prove that Red Bull energy drink contains the drugs buprenorphine and cocaine? No, that's not true: There is no way to confirm that the people featured in a video shared on social media used the drug test correctly and used an uncontaminated cup to hold…

Does a video on social media show a "hack" that will "slash your gas expenses"? No, that's not true: This video fails to deliver what is promised in seven minutes of drawn-out instructions on how to make a nonfunctional contraption. How the gas savings might occur is never disclosed. Furthermore, a safety professional with the National Fire Protection Association advises…

Did a documentary produced for the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" provide "new evidence" from a NASA satellite photo that shows a living megalodon off the coast of Brazil? No, that's not true: The megalodon was a species of megatooth shark that has been extinct for several million years. The Shark Week episode "Megalodon: The New Evidence" has disclaimers and is…

Is a "potato poultice" a proven effective treatment for tissue inflammation? No, that's not true: Though potatoes contain certain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Lead Stories found no evidence that externally applied potato poultices are scientifically proven to treat inflammation. A nutrition expert confirmed to Lead Stories that most accounts describing potato poultices are outdated and anecdotal. The claim originated in…

Did a study detect human DNA in many hot dog samples tested with a new type of technology, finding that many hot dogs, even vegetarian hot dogs, are made with human meat? No, that's not true: A startup named Clear Food, which was seeking Kickstarter funding at the time, published a report that identified 14.4 percent of the hot dogs…

Did Wolf Blitzer and Dr. Oz endorse a new drug that can cure diabetes? No, that's not true: The video showing the CNN host and the physician uses digitally added sound that does not match their mouth movements and there is no record of them ever making the statements shown on the video. As of this writing, there is no…