Science

Is Mount Meru, a magnetic mountain, located at or under the North Pole at the center of a flat Earth -- and is this mountain the reason why all compasses point to the magnetic north? No, that's not true: In Hindu and Buddhist mythology, Mount Meru is the central axis of the world where gods live and the sun and…

Will rubbing your hands and fingers together every morning cause you to lose weight? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that such a practice will contribute to weight loss. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) posted to TikTok on July 27, 2022, by the user @medical_acupuncture, who is professionally known as Hiroko Shimoda. In the video,…

Do bras made of unnatural fibers or those that contain underwire cause breast cancer? No, that's not true: Experts agree that there is no substantive or reliable scientific evidence that wearing underwire bras or those made of unnatural fibers is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. The claim originated in a 1-hour video shared to YouTube on October…

Does a video on social media show former NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg faking a visit to the International Space Station (ISS) in front of a green screen? No, that's not true: In the original version of the clip, the narrator never identifies the woman in the video as Nyberg. He calls her Paige. One iteration of the video posted by…

Are castor oil compresses a proven effective treatment for tumors and breast cancer? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence that suggests castor oil has therapeutic benefits beyond its approved laxative properties. Claims that castor oil compresses cured breast cancer and uterine fibroids, as well as treated tumors, are purely anecdotal stories from a former naturopath barred from…

Do gay men and gay women make up 2 percent of the world's population but commit 45 percent of all sexual assaults against children? No, that's not true: Experts in the field say there is not a greater risk that gay people will be child molesters. Also, 3 percent of people in the world identify as gay, not 2 percent,…

Do images circulating on social media show press photos of Anthony Fauci under arrest and in police custody? No, that's not true: Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has not been arrested. These are not photos of a real incident but are images generated by an artificial intelligence program. Jack Posobiec posted the…

Do the photos in a post that purportedly depict the Statue of Liberty in 1898 and 2017 prove that sea levels aren't rising? No, that's not true: Without detailed information about tides and sea conditions at the moment each photo was taken, the photo comparison has little value. An oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided detailed…

Do Pfizer documents show that the company's COVID-19 vaccines contain graphene oxide? No, that's not true: The section of the document in question describes a procedure for analyzing a protein sample from the virus under a sophisticated microscope that includes the use of graphene oxide to help with imaging. Graphene oxide is not among the ingredients for the COVID shots.…

Does drinking urine improve eyesight? No, that's not true: A medical doctor told Lead Stories there are no clinical studies concluding that drinking urine would improve one's eyesight. In addition, drinking urine can give the body bacteria like E. coli, salmonella or staphylococcus, a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center article says. The claim appeared in a video on Instagram on…

Were Corn Flakes, the cereal product that launched the Kellogg Company, invented to "kill the libido" of patients at a health resort? No, that's not true: Several versions of the Kellogg Company's website attribute the creation of the cereal to an accident. Although John Harvey Kellogg, who is often credited as the creator of the cereal, was known for his…

Are unsterile human remains processed by aquamation and being pulverized into a powder that is drained into local water supplies? No, that's not true: Bones are made into sterile ash, similar to that resulting from traditional flame cremation, and given to family members or laid to rest. A sterile effluent, or wastewater liquid, is a resulting byproduct that is drained…

Will rubbing your ears increase the amount of energy that goes toward the kidneys? No, that's not true: A nephrologist told Lead Stories there is no scientific evidence that the ear exercises shown in an online video will increase kidney health. The claim appeared on Facebook (archived here) on March r, 2023, with the caption "#healthtips #kidneycare." It opens with…

Does a photo of a helicopter airlifting a large creature show evidence that Bigfoot is real? No, that's not true: This image has been edited. The silhouette of the Bigfoot that appears below the helicopter was pulled from a popular 2006 edited-photo hoax. "The Dead Bigfoot Photo" was debunked in 2015 when the original, unedited photo of an Alaskan hunter…

Is there evidence that shilajit, a substance originating from high mountain rocks, can cure any form of cancer in two days? No, that's not true: While some rodent studies testing the effects of shilajit along with proven cancer treatments seem promising, and while cell culture studies using shilajit also seem promising, there has not been any consensus among medical professionals…

Are self-administered coffee enemas an effective way to remove toxins in the body and safe enough to be considered "not that big of a deal"? No, that's missing context: The claim that do it yourself at-home coffee enemas are a safe and effective way to cleans toxins from the body is not proven by any scientific or medical data. A…

Does a video on social media show a genetically modified (GM) mosquito with a number stamped on it? No, that's not true: An insect expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said the bug shown in the video "does not appear to be a mosquito." He added that the markings on the insect are "almost certainly natural," not manmade. The claim…

Does ankle massage relieve migraines and headaches "instantly"? No, that's not true: It is not a widely accepted scientific consensus. While there is some research suggesting that massage may be beneficial to alleviate the impact of stress, one of the migraine's major triggers, the National Institute of Integrative and Complementary Health explains that existing studies show inconclusive results. More importantly,…

Does pressing your elbows provide an effective treatment for relieving back pain? No, that's not true: There is no broadly accepted medical evidence to suggest that pressing the elbows through the use of acupressure or reflexology, the practices of pressuring certain supposed trigger points in the body to treat ailments, is an effective treatment for pain. Some research suggests that…

Does consuming seafood cause the form of cancer called leukemia? No, that's not true: No scientific proof exists that eating seafood causes leukemia, a University of California, Riverside expert, who specializes in the study of how environmental factors cause cancer, told Lead Stories. The Mayo Clinic, a leading medical research institution, does not name seafood as one of the possible…