Eclipse

Did the number of COVID-19 vaccine-related deaths in Taiwan eclipse the cumulative death toll from the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself? No, that's not true: There is no data to support the contention that the vaccines are more deadly than COVID. Cumulative deaths did rise after the country launched a vaccination program, but Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control has not investigated nor…

Do gematria codes used by conspiracy theories always result in matches? Yes, that's true: Gematria is a form of numerology in which the letters of the alphabet are substituted with corresponding numbers. A single word or phrase can yield several values depending on which alphanumerical cipher is used. Gematria is popular with conspiracy theorists, looking to find hidden connections or…

Did former President George W. Bush undergo a second day of appearing before a military tribunal? No, that's not true: The Department of Defense told Lead Stories that Bush has not appeared before a tribunal. This claim is one in a series of Bush tribunal stories published by a website known for its fake news stories and satire. The claim…

Does the mismatch between lunar boot prints and the smooth sole of Neil Armstrong's "space boot" confirm that U.S. astronauts never walked on the moon? No, that's not true: This recirculated hoax is missing context, as Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew wore inner pressure space boots with a smooth tread inside "overshoes" that left the rough textured boot…

Was this photo of a total solar eclipse taken by NASA on December 14, 2020? No, that's not true: While there was a total solar eclipse on December 14, 2020, which cast a shadow on a narrow band of the southern end of South America, visible in Chile and Argentina, this image has nothing to do with it. This image…

Does this video show a fake or faulty leaky syringe? No, that's not true: This style of medical syringe has a retractable needle for safety. It is designed to retract the needle into the barrel of the syringe after use, and this helps protect medical workers from needle stick injuries and makes for safer disposal. The video clip recorded from…

Was Hillary Clinton in court on June 2, 2020, and did she lose her case about the missing emails while the media was reporting on the George Floyd protests and coronavirus? No, that's not true: There was a court proceeding on June 2, but Clinton was not there. Due to COVID-19 precautions, the hearing was conducted as a teleconference with…

Did Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar side with Iran and pledge she would help the country stop President Trump? No, that's not true: a video took a tweet by Omar out of context. Omar, from Minnesota, did question whether the killing of top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani was a distraction aimed to further escalate Iran-U.S. relations to the brink of…

Did a YouTube account post real footage of a missile intercept system used during a recent missile attack in Iraq? No, that's not true: The footage is not real, and it is actually part of a videogame that has been used to spoof other global conflicts over the years. The story originated from a video published by What's Happening Around…

Is it true that the Moon cannot cast a shadow smaller than itself? No, that's not completely true: it is possible for a shadow to be smaller than the object casting it. The reason is because during a solar eclipse, the Moon casts two types of shadows on Earth: umbra and penumbra. Umbra is the inner shadow, which becomes smaller…