Technology

Did "The Simpsons" predict the new X logo for Twitter, which appeared as an icon on Homer Simpson's iPhone in an episode released on May 13, 2012? No, that's not true: This cartoon image has been altered to include the new "X" logo, but this is not what the cartoon showed originally. The 2012 cartoon did display an icon with…

Does a photo of Angelina Jolie in a wheelchair with an amputated leg confirm "very sad news" about the actress? No, that's not true: The photo appears to be a doctored image of Jolie's head on the body of a woman in Scotland whose leg was amputated in January 2023. News outlets published photos of Jolie in public as recently…

Is a children's "ankle monitor" toy a genuine product sold in Walmart stores and manufactured by a company named Little Yikes? No, that's not true: A video of the "toy" shared widely on social media in July 2023 was created by spoof company Legboot, which makes "bootleg stuff" and pretends the products are authentic merchandise in real stores. The creator…

by: Evgenia Prodaeva Can "a nuclear explosion like in Chornobyl," the world's worst nuclear accident, now occur at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after the June 6, 2023, explosion that destroyed the Kakhovka dam emptied most of the reservoir used to cool down the plant's reactors? No, that's not true: Zaporizhzhia's six power units shut down in 2022, and no…

Are a person with dementia named "Jackson Simmons" and his dog "Cami" missing and has there been a silver alert issued for "Simmons"? No, that's not true: The story has been posted on social media as a part of a bait-and-switch scam. Such scams use fake information to encourage others to share the posts. Once the posts receive sufficient engagement,…

Does a patent prove that Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccines contain nanotechnology that interacts with 5G? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that mRNA vaccines or their contents interact with 5G technology, a molecular biologist told Lead Stories. A chemical engineer confirmed this, saying there is "absolutely no evidence at all" that such claims are true and that "there…

Did a top World Economic Forum official call for the "elimination" of conspiracy theorists? No, that's not true: The man described as a "top WEF official" in the article making the claim doesn't work for them and doesn't have any authority to decide things on behalf of the Forum; more importantly, that person never said "dangerous conspiracy theorists must be…

Did a dark and menacing stormcloud rotate over the New York City harbor, threatening to form a tornado? No, that's not true: This video of turbulent cloud effects is the work of a TikTok video creator and tutor, @insanepatient2. It was posted online in 2022. Although labeled as New York City, the edited footage actually shows the fabricated stormcloud over…

Were the movies of nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s by the United States fake because the cameras and film used to capture the images were not destroyed by the explosion or the radiation? No, that's not true: The cameras and film used to capture the images were positioned at a safe distance from the explosion and designed to avoid…

Did "Science Guy" Bill Nye state that there was "no place to go" in reference to space exploration, seeming to support claims that NASA, the International Space Station (ISS) and related space exploration programs were a hoax? No, that's not true: In a 2015 interview, Nye responded to a question involving the concept of whether trash should be sent to…

Is Ellen DeGeneres appearing in an online video to endorse a free "Dental Relief card" for older Americans? No, that's not true: The video appears to be a deepfake creation. A spokesperson for the actress and comedian confirmed to Lead Stories that DeGeneres never endorsed such a product. The story originated in a post on Facebook on July 16, 2023.…

Did Facebook add a new feature, a funny sound that is triggered by clicking the "like" button? No, that's not true: Memes suggesting that the new Facebook like button makes a sound so funny that people will laugh out loud are a practical joke. There is no new Facebook like button sound, this is just a way to trick people…

Did the United Kingdom send a "'Robot Royal Force' 🇬🇧 Type-C robot" to help Ukraine with the war in July 2023? No, that's not true: There was no information or credible report online to corroborate the claim that the United Kingdom sent or would send a "'Robot Royal Force' Type-C robot" to help Ukraine following Russia's military invasion. Also, animation…

Did the World Economic Forum introduce a "mark of the beast" CBDC microchip to "end gun ownership" in the United States? No, that's not true: The United States hasn't announced the implementation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as of this writing, and the hypothetical abolishment of the Second Amendment that allows gun ownership would involve a different process…

Are Masonic Lodges injecting children with "'free child identification chips' to 'help combat abduction,'" also collecting those children's DNA? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence or reliable information to support such a claim. Multiple Masons organizations across the United States said their child-identification programs don't put tracking chips in children and any DNA information is retained by…

Did the World Economic Forum (WEF) say that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) microchip must be "implanted under your skin" to participate in society? No, that's not true: Richard Werner, a German economist and professor who is not employed by the WEF, talked about the possible future use of microchip implants to regulate the availability of CBDC funds and…

Is a "WEF agent" revealing a plan to exclude "less desirable" people from digital currency that will take over the world? No, that's not true: The man in the first clip in the video is a renowned Cornell University professor who was speaking at a World Economic Forum event but he is not an "agent" of the organization. He was…

Did French President Emmanuel Macron impose "a total ban" on the use of social media or implement any other major restrictions on internet access in France in connection with mass protests? No, that's not true: While Macron did bring up the idea of shutting down social media, no such executive action was taken as of this writing. The claim appeared…

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)…

Does a video really show "recovered" footage of the OceanGate Titan submersible imploding? No, that's not true: This is a fake animated video clip, as confirmed by the Twitter account in which this claim is found. Also, this video derives from a Twitter account with a sham blue "verified" checkmark. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Twitter,…