A Fool’s Errand: Speculating on the Origin of April Fool’s Day
The world is full of reasons to be serious. Poverty. Disease. Famine. War. When people have trouble choosing a good reason to be serious, they settle for one of their own. People argue over religion,...
View ArticleHoax: No Green Moon in May 2016 (or on April 20)
A meme circulating on social media states that a rare green moon will occur in May 2016. Another version claims the moon will turn green on 4/20. Neither are true. False Claim: Green Moon in May 2016...
View ArticleFake News: Dr Pepper to be Discontinued
A graphic circulating on social media suggests that Dr Pepper will be discontinued in mid-2016. It’s not true. Dr Pepper Says Goodbye? The graphic below appeared on social media in April 2016, with the...
View ArticleNot Real: The Modular Body
A video which amassed over a million of views on YouTube – and over 10 million on Facebook – in its first week online shows a “human modular prototype” in which a creature was assembled using fleshy...
View ArticleFake News: Dasani Water Recall Due to Parasite
A fake news story states that Dasani Water has been recalled due to the discovery of a parasite in thousands of bottles across the U.S. Dasani Recall? The disturbing headline has circulated via a...
View ArticleFake News: Tina Turner Rushed to Hospital
A viral story tonight claims that Tina Turner was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The story, however, is fake. Tina Turner Hospitalized? The bogus story comes from the website...
View ArticlePhotos of Ebeye in 1971 and 2016. Is the Island Sinking?
A pair of images circulating together supposedly show the island Ebeye in 1971 and 2016. The latter image seems to indicate the island has sunk considerably over the past 40 years. Is it true?...
View ArticleHoax: Facebook Will Not Begin Not Charging Users
A persistent rumor states that Facebook will begin charging for access to the website. One variant also claims that Twitter will also begin charging for its services. Despite categorical denials by...
View ArticleFalse Report: No Sun For 8 Days
A social media post making the rounds claims that there will be 8 days of darkness in June 2016. It’s not true. 8 Days of Darkness In short, the claim that the world will experience 8 days of darkness...
View ArticleDebunking the “World’s Largest Mushroom” Photo
A photo of a giant mushroom – large enough to eclipse a group of people – allegedly shows the largest living thing in the world. It is real or just another internet hoax? The story is real but the...
View ArticleSanders “Glowstick” Recipe Actually Makes a Chlorine Bomb
A meme circulating online purports to provide directions how to create a blue “Bernie Sanders Glowstick.” The recipe, however, will actually make a 2-liter chlorine bomb. Sanders Glowstick The meme has...
View ArticleGateway of the Mind Experiments: Real or Hoax?
Was there a 1983 experiment in which a man was denied access to any of his senses in hopes of perceiving God? It’s not real. It’s merely a short story. The short story entitled “Gateway of the Mind”...
View ArticlePhoto of Obama Kissing Another Man: Real or Fake?
Several images show President Obama engaged in a kiss and embrace with another man. Some readers have asked if these images is real or fake. They’re not real. The most popular “Obama kissing” image...
View ArticleHoax: Woman Gives Birth to 11 Babies
A graphic circulating online allegedly shows a set of 11 babies born to the same mother. Is this real or fake? It’s a hoax. The photo itself is real, and does shows 11 babies born on the same day – but...
View ArticleWas the only home to survive Hurricane Ike the site of a 1988 exorcism?
A graphic shows what is said to be the only house standing after Hurricane Ike. It is also said to be the site of an exorcism in 1988. Is this true or false? The photo is real but the story is false....
View ArticleKissing Islands of Greenland: Not Real
An image circulating online allegedly shows the “Kissing Islands” of Greenland that resemble to heads engaged in a kiss. Is this image real or fake? It’s Not Real The image of what appears to be...
View ArticleDid the world’s oldest man live to be 256 years old?
Press reports in 1933 claimed that a Chinese man named Li Ching-Yuen had died at the age of either 197 or 256. Is this story real or fake? The claim that this man reached the age of 256 (or 197) is...
View ArticleMiracle in Egypt: True Story or Parable?
A story tells of two girls who were buried alive by their father, and saved 15 days later by a mysterious man dressed in white who had wounds on his hands. Is this story real? There is No Evidence That...
View ArticleFingerprint Building in Thailand: It’s Fake.
An image shows a building which looks like a fingerprint when viewed from above. Is this building real or fake? The image is not real. It was digitally created by the advertising agency SpicyH for IT...
View ArticleWhy Human Magnetism is Completely Bogus
In late 2014, reports out of Russia told of a boy who became “magnetic” after receiving an electrical shock. It once again highlighted one of the longest-running hoaxes in history: human magnetism....
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