Science

Did the U.S. government approve the sale of "lab-grown" meat "without any labeling"? No, that's not true: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on June 14, 2023, that it gave label approval to GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods; companies that produce chicken in a laboratory "grown directly from real animal cells." Their labels will say "cell-cultivated chicken." The claim…

Is there no scientific consensus that climate change is happening? No, that's not true: A scientific survey of more than 88,000 climate-related studies found that more than 99 percent of research agrees that climate change is real and primarily caused by human activities. Furthermore, a majority of credible scientific institutions and researchers in the U.S. and beyond unequivocally and publicly…

Are health care professionals being "urged" to call vaginas "bonus holes" to avoid offending "trans or non-binary patients"? No, that's not true: There is no widespread or official push to change the terminology. A single charity in the United Kingdom suggested it as an option. In health care, professionals typically use anatomically correct and medically appropriate terminology when referring to…

Did a large plume of smoky air from Canada, which spread poor air quality conditions to many places in the U.S. in late June 2023, originate from gold and lithium mining operations in Sakami, Quebec, and not from forest fires? No, that's not true: There were many large and well-documented forest fires burning in the region near Sakami in northern…

Does a new study prove that the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine causes "turbo cancer"? No, that's not true: The study cited in the social media post doesn't show that the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induces something called "turbo cancer." Additionally, a cancer expert wrote, "'Turbo cancer' is not a thing." It's not a recognized medical term. The claim appeared in…

Did NBC News report that NASA admitted to never going to space? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that NBC reported on this. And there is no evidence that NASA ever made such a statement. The audio heard in this TikTok originates with an account that regularly posts about conspiracy theories. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here)…

Do "all diseases come from mineral deficiencies"? No, that's not true: While some conditions stem from mineral deficiencies, it is "absolutely not" true that all diseases are caused by not consuming enough minerals, an expert in the study of vitamins and micronutrients told Lead Stories. To say that staying in an "alkaline way of eating" and avoiding "acidosis" is a…

Did Hamish Harding, an aviation businessman and aircraft pilot who died in the OceanGate Titan submersible disaster, tweet on June 17, 2023, that the Biden family tried to hire his aviation company for human smuggling? No, that's not true: No credible evidence exists that Harding ever published any such tweet, and his company tells Lead Stories this claim is false.…

Is lab-grown meat cultivated using cancerous or pre-cancerous animal cells? No, that's not true: Cell-cultured meat is cultivated using animal cells that have been modified to replicate indefinitely. Cell-cultured or lab-grown meat is regulated in the U.S. under the same stipulations as conventionally grown and slaughtered meat, poultry, and seafood. Furthermore, regulatory agencies do not allow for cancerous animal meat…

Did COVID-19 vaccines cause a massive mortality spike in breast cancer female patients below the age of 45, reaching 297,000 deaths during the first six months of 2023? No, that's not true: Posts on social media distorted a report published by the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), conflating the number of projected new cases with expected mortality. The story appeared in…

Did Bill Gates hatch a convoluted plan to create a demand for anti-malaria drugs he funded by also funding malaria-fighting programs while developing a means to introduce malaria to the United States through genetically modified mosquitoes? No, that's not true: Genetically modified male mosquitoes being tested in the U.S. - the type that don't spread malaria and also don't bite…

Is batana oil a product that "thoroughly cleanses your organs and repairs any damage done to them"? No, that's not true: Batana oil is primarily used as a cosmetic product rather than for internal consumption. It is derived from the fruit of the American palm and is commonly used for hair and skin care. There is, however, no scientific evidence…

Does a video show a mermaid found in Zimbabwe? No, that's not true: The video shows part of a 2015 festival performance staged by city officials and cultural organizations in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. The claim appeared in a post on Instagram on June 27, 2023. The post included a video of people in white hazmat suits carrying…

Does the video and caption in a social media post accurately portray a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber flying over Miami as part of the moving of "missile defense systems" to "locations on the U.S. west coast"? No, that's not true: The footage of the military aircraft flying over a Miami beach actually displays an air show tribute for a holiday…

Has former Fox News TV host Tucker Carlson "broken his silence" on the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in June 2023, warning the world that the organization is opening "a portal to hell"? No, that's not true: A video circulating on social media took Carlson's words about his firing out of context and never showed the host actually saying…

Was the children's show Peppa Pig based on a science experiment where a couple injected pig DNA into their daughter? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that this is a real story or that Peppa Pig originated from it. This claim was first posted on TikTok in 2021 as a joke. Lead Stories could not find any police…

Are "600,000 Americans Per Year Are Dying From COVID Shots"? No, that's not true: COVID-19 vaccines have undergone rigorous testing and monitoring for safety and efficacy before being approved for use. While vaccines can have side effects, the vast majority of them are mild and temporary. Serious adverse events are rare, and the benefits of vaccination in preventing severe illness,…

Did Tucker Carlson in June 2023 warn a 100-foot-wide "fissure-crack" just opened the Yellowstone volcano? No, that's not true: This video is a mashup of various recycled claims and Lead Stories could find no evidence that former Fox News host Carlson had ever issued a warning about this volcano. Lead Stories did find other videos with similar headlines. Elon Musk,…

Did President Joe Biden confess in public that he "sold a lot of state secrets and a lot of very important things"? No, that's not true: He was kidding members of the White House press corps, and he said that in his own words, as confirmed by the White House transcript of the speech. The claim appeared in a post…

Does the use of chlorine in swimming pools calcify the pineal gland or contribute to calcification? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no credible peer-reviewed studies supporting the claim, and a doctor specializing in neurology confirmed to Lead Stories that such causation is not known to the medical community. The story appeared in a post on Instagram on May…