Science

Will staring at an image designed by a Japanese neurologist measure your stress levels depending on how fast elements of the image appear to be rotating? No, that's not true: The image is optical illusion art by Yurii Perepadia, a Ukrainian graphic designer. Elements of the image may appear to rotate based on what's called the "peripheral drift illusion." The…

Did Leonardo Ferreira die in a Brazil plane crash in August 2024, as a post on X claimed? No, that's not true: Leonardo Ferreira, the man shown in the video, confirmed to Lead Stories that he is alive and well. Another man with the same last name, retired professor José Roberto Leonel Ferreira, was killed in the crash, according to…

Did Japan declare a state of emergency in August 2024 after "nanobots" were found in 96 million citizens? No, that's not true: A state of emergency in Japan would be major news worldwide and yet there have been no stories about it. The "news" came from a website with a reputation for making things up. The journal article the website…

Do images shared on Facebook genuinely show what appears to be a UFO in the "remote desert of Egypt"? No, that's not true: Hive Moderation, an online tool used to detect AI-generated images, confirmed that it was 99.6 percent likely the images were created using AI. They were first published to a Reddit thread about content generated using the AI…

Does a video on Instagram show helicopters in El Salvador spraying communities with something harmful to humans in the guise of treating for mosquitoes? No, that's not true: El Salvador's National Defense Ministry said the clip shows the Salvadoran Air Force carrying out fumigation for mosquito control. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says aerial spraying does "not pose…

Did the World Health Organization (WHO) call for military forces to "round up mRNA vaccine refusers during the bird flu pandemic," as an August 2024 article claimed? No, that's not true: In an emailed statement to Lead Stories, WHO said that the article making the claim presents "flagrantly false information" since WHO has no power to mobilize military troops. The…

Did data from December 2023 show that Arctic sea ice had soared to its "highest level for 21 years," thus disproving global warming and climate change? No, that's not true: The blog that made this claim cherry-picked genuine data, a senior research scientist told Lead Stories. While it is true that the total area of the Arctic Ocean covered by…

Does a video on social media show what it looked like when a pilot accidentally hit the "chemtrail switch" too early while taking off in -45 degrees Celsius in Siberia? No, that's not true: The false caption poking fun at chemtrail conspiracists originated with an r/aviation forum Reddit repost with a satire tag. This video, originally posted in 2012 by…

Was a hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, at Yellowstone National Park's Biscuit Basin considered "unusual" by experts, as a post on X claimed? No, that's not true: Officials with the U.S. Geological Service said the "small hydrothermal explosion" was considered "normal." The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and Yellowstone National Park issued a joint statement stating that monitoring data showed "no…

Did the Kraft Heinz Company announce clear ketchup using lab-grown tomatoes, as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: A representative for The Kraft Heinz Company confirmed to Lead Stories that "these claims are false." The background of the video of a person pulling the bottle from a store shelf clearly reveals the bottles on the shelf are…

Did all rivers on Earth "commence" in the spring of 2399 B.C.? No, that's not true: The birth of the oldest rivers predates this point in time by millions of years, according to the consensus of earth science. A U.S. Geological Survey scientist confirmed that to Lead Stories. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on Facebook on June…

Were mammograms banned in Switzerland as of July 22, 2024, as a post on Instagram claimed? No, that's not true: Switzerland's Federal Department of Home Affairs told Lead Stories that "mammography is not banned at all in Switzerland." It is covered by health insurance and recommended by health experts for women over 40. The claim appeared in a post on…

Did a mother's daily use of an air fryer result in high levels of antimony in her child's bloodwork? No, that's not known to be true: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued several recalls on air fryers in the past, but fire and burn hazards were the reason -- not the release of antimony. The woman provided no…

Does a video on social media capture a meteor over Budapest, Hungary, in July 2024? No, that's not true: The original video was taken during mass protests in the Hungarian capital on February 16, 2024 and other videos from the event do not show any meteor. People's outfits were much more consistent with winter weather than with midsummer temperatures in…

Did a Federal Aviation Administration weather camera capture images of a mysterious planet in the southern sky over Larsen Bay, Alaska? No, that's not true: Images taken at the same time at other FAA weather camera stations on Kodiak Island don't show a "mysterious planet in the southern sky," clearly indicating it is something on the lens of that specific…

Did a German preprint study published in February 2024 by Christof Kuhbandner and Matthias Reitzner prove that COVID-19 vaccines caused the number of deaths per year to rise above recent trends, as several online posts and articles implied? No, that's not true: While it's true there has been a documented increase in excess mortality during the pandemic years, German health…

Does a photo of the "Roman tidal baths" on Malta demonstrate that the sea level has been consistent for thousands of years? No, that's not true: The waterfront architecture known as the Roman Baths of Sliema were not built during the Roman Empire thousands of years ago, but some time in the late 19th century -- so their seaside existence…

Does a video that shows what is said to be a magnet sticking to packaged supermarket chicken prove that such products contain nanotechnology and heavy metals? No, that's not true: The U.S. Department of Agriculture ensures that poultry products are safe and unadulterated, an agency spokesperson told Lead Stories. Magnets, they added, may stick to meat and poultry products due…

Did Bill Gates introduce a so-called "maggot milk" product called EntoMilk? No, that's not true: Although EntoMilk, made from insects, was an actual product that existed in South Africa in 2019, Gates was not a part of its release. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told Lead Stories that the claim he was involved is false. The website of the…

Does footage showing what appears to be a shadowy profile of a man moving behind what looks to be a small model space shuttle prove that this footage and the entire 1983 Challenger mission was faked? No, that's not true: The astronaut was filming from inside Challenger's flight deck looking out over the payload bay through a window. His reflection…