Fact Checks

Video Does Not Show 7K Soldiers in DC Days Before 2022 Midterm Elections

Written by: Jordan Liles

Nov. 1, 2022

The miscaptioned video actually dates back to January 2021, just after the deadly protest at the ...

False Rumor Claims Paul Pelosi Brought Attacker Home from Gay Bar

Written by: Jordan Liles

Oct. 31, 2022

The Santa Monica Observer, the website that originally pushed this false rumor, later updated it ...

Is This a Real Photograph of a 'Cosmic Bat' Nebula?

Written by: Nur Ibrahim

Oct. 31, 2022

The “ethereal” nebula is illuminated by dense gaseous knots.

Does This Dress Change Colors in the Sun?

Written by: Bethania Palma

Oct. 31, 2022

A video of a dress changing from white to pink in the sun has gone viral.

Did Anne Frank Write, 'Always Give Something, Even if It Is Only Kindness'?

Written by: Jordan Liles

Oct. 29, 2022

There are way too many fake Anne Frank quotes that are shared online, but this one about giving ...

Did Einstein Say This About Boats Being Safer at Shore?

Written by: Bethania Palma

Oct. 29, 2022

While the shore might be safer, the quote goes on, that's not what ships are built for.

The Origin Story of Christmas Cards

Written by: David Mikkelson Barbara Mikkelson

Nov. 22, 1999 (Updated: Oct. 28, 2022)

The first formal card was designed by an Englishman in 1843.

Does Pic Show Blue Japanese Fruit Known as 'Moon Melon'?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 15, 2014 (Updated: Oct. 27, 2022)

A widely shared meme claimed the fruit can switch flavors after you eat it.

Did Mariah Carey Say She'd 'Love to be Skinny' Like 'Starving Kids'?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Oct. 24, 1996 (Updated: Oct. 26, 2022)

This rumor originated with a satirical (and fictitious) article that published in 1996.

Scam Email: 'You Have Been Selected' for 'Who's Who in America'

Written by: Jordan Liles

Oct. 24, 2022 (Updated: Oct. 25, 2022)

If an unsolicited email shows one big image of text, it might be a scam.

No, George Washington Didn't Make This Anti-Semitic Remark

Written by: David Mikkelson

Oct. 16, 2002 (Updated: Oct. 25, 2022)

Anti-Semitic screeds are nothing new; neither, unfortunately, is the practice of attempting to l ...

Did Berry Global Forbid Employees from Eating Lunch in Their Cars?

Written by: Jordan Liles

Oct. 6, 2022 (Updated: Oct. 24, 2022)

Reddit users discussed a picture of a sign that displayed a curious policy about taking breaks a ...

Is This the Real Face of an Ant?

Written by: Nur Ibrahim

Oct. 20, 2022 (Updated: Oct. 24, 2022)

Spoiler alert: It is terrifying.

Are Kids 'Snorting' Smarties and Putting Themselves at Risk of Nasal Maggots?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 22, 2014 (Updated: Oct. 20, 2022)

Citing a doctor, a 2009 warning to parents from a Rhode Island middle school claimed maggots cou ...

Are These Sylvester Stallone's Abandoned Cars and House?

Written by: Bethania Palma

Oct. 18, 2022 (Updated: Oct. 19, 2022)

Urban explorers happened upon fancy cars that some believe belonged to the "Rocky" star.

A Collection of False Rumors About Menthol Cigarettes

Written by: Barbara Mikkelson David Mikkelson

Jan. 18, 2000 (Updated: Oct. 19, 2022)

Rumors about menthol cigarettes tend to fall into two categories: those having to do with specif ...

'Buy SpaceX Stock Before It Goes Public' Posts Are a Scam

Written by: Jordan Liles

Oct. 10, 2022 (Updated: Oct. 18, 2022)

The scam was being promoted in Facebook ads and perhaps also on Instagram by an account that sho ...

Is Austria Home to a Town Named Fucking?

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 30, 2000 (Updated: Oct. 17, 2022)

Let's take a look at photographic evidence.

Did Gordon Ramsay Have Staff 'Take a Knee,' Refuse to Serve Miami Dolphins?

Written by: Kim LaCapria

Oct. 3, 2017 (Updated: Oct. 17, 2022)

A notorious fake news site spread a rumor that Ramsay rudely ejected Miami Dolphins from his res ...

Does the Word 'Buck' Derive From a Reference to Black Male Slaves?

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 25, 2001 (Updated: Oct. 17, 2022)

Here's the etymology of “buck” to mean “dollar."