Russian disinformation efforts resulted in their content being shared on more than 100 online outlets as part of a two-pronged approach covering both social media and ginned-up websites, according to a report commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Co
Search Results (2933) for: study
Snopes→ Old Dogs, New Tricks: 10,000 Pets Needed for Science
Can old dogs teach us new tricks? Scientists are looking for 10,000 pets for the largest-ever study of aging in canines.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Hotel Cleaner Did NOT Steal Sperm From Used Condom, Did NOT Win Child Support Battle
Did a 40-year-old hotel cleaner in Las Vegas win a child support battle against a 28-year-old millionaire after stealing his sperm from a discarded condom? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a South African humor website masqueradin
FactCheck.org→ Trump Again Misunderstands California’s Wildfires
For the second year in a row, President Donald Trump inaccurately attributed California’s rash of wildfires to poor forest management. He also falsely said other states don’t have “close to the level of burn” as California. Most of
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Lucy Liu an Acclaimed Artist Known for Her Lesbian Paintings Under the Pseudonym Yu Ling?
On November 5 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post about actor Lucy Liu, indicating they were “today years old” when they discovered Liu was an accomplished artist under a pseudonym (“Yu Ling”) in addition to her act
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ivanka Trump Quote Thomas Jefferson’s Denial of ‘Something He Did, in Fact, Do’?
In early November 2019, a tweet by Ivanka Trump quoting Thomas Jefferson in defense of her father, United States President Donald Trump alongside a response in screenshot form on Facebook: On October 31 2019, Ivanka Trump tweeted a partial quote:
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Japan Did NOT Abandon The Development of 5G Networks For The Health of Citizens
Did Japan abandon the development of 5G wireless networks for the health of its citizens? No, that's not true: a now deleted article from a Russian website falsely made that claim in June 2019 but a copy of the story on the Internet Archive ha
FactCheck.org→ What Does Science Say About the Need for Nuclear?
While Sen. Bernie Sanders has said “scientists tell us” that it’s possible to go carbon neutral without relying on nuclear power, fellow Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, who backs the use of some nuclear energy, has said the da
FactCheck.org→ Meme Falsely Claims Obama Released al-Baghdadi
Quick Take Various memes circulating online falsely claim that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State leader who recently died during a U.S. raid, had been released from U.S. military custody under President Barack Obama. He was actually released in 2
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Scientists Did NOT Discover DNA Proving Original Native Americans Were White
Did scientists discover DNA proving the original Native Americans were white? No, that's not true: a Guardian article about some real scientific research was rewritten and edited to make it look like it was about discovering white ancestry of
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Lonely? Don’t Be. Demodex is the Name of a Mite that Lives on Your Face. Friends Forever!’ Meme
On October 25 2019, the Facebook page “Cheerful Nihilism” shared the following meme, purportedly depicting a Demodex mite, which according to the meme lives on human faces: Above an apparent illustration of an alien-like insect, text r
Snopes→ Did a Woman Contract HIV During a Manicure?
An old case study reemerged on social media in October 2019.
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Error-filled Cabinet Meeting
For more than an hour, President Donald Trump presided over a cabinet meeting, reeling off numerous false or misleading claims: Trump claimed, without evidence, that President Barack Obama tried to call North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “11 times” b
Lead Stories→ Fake News: No Congressman Claimed Marijuana Makes White Women Horny For Black Men
Did a U.S. congressman claim that smoking marijuana makes white women want to have sex with black men? No, that's not true: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries did quote a federal official who made that claim nearly 90 years earlier when arguing for marijuan
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Consuming Too Much Coffee Under Stress Cause Schizophrenia Symptoms?
On October 15 2019, the Facebook page “Weird Facts” shared the following “fact meme,” which claimed that the combination of a lot of coffee and a lot of stress could cause symptoms of schizophrenia — presumably in people no
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Hillary Clinton Did NOT Claim Russians ‘Grooming’ Tulsi Gabbard As Third-Party Candidate
Did Hillary Clinton claim Russians are "grooming" Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as a third-party presidential candidate in 2020? No, that's not true: Clinton suggested in a podcast that the Trump campaign -- not Russians -- was "grooming" a woman who was
FactCheck.org→ The Facts on Mental Illness and Mass Shootings
Q: Do people with serious mental health disorders pose a greater risk of becoming mass shooters? A: People with mental illnesses are somewhat more likely to be violent than those without a diagnosis. But a majority are never violent, and very little is
FactCheck.org→ Instagram Post Falsely Links Flu Vaccine to Polio
Quick Take A popular Instagram post falsely claims “over 1,100 people died from reactions to the [flu] shot” in 2018, and suggests that the immunization gave some children polio. The flu vaccine cannot give anyone polio and there is no evidence to
Climate Feedback→ Telegraph article on climate change mixes accurate and unsupported, inaccurate claims, misleads with false balance
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article in The Telegraph attempts to discuss the science of observed global warming and the factors responsible. However, mixed in with some accurate factual statements are claims that give readers the impress
Truth or Fiction?→ Do People Ingest Five Grams of Plastic Per Week?
On October 15 2019, the Facebook page “Using Less Plastic” shared a meme which claimed that “a new study” had found that humans ingested an average of five grams of plastic per week, about the same amount contained in an avera
FactCheck.org→ Video: FactChecking October Debate Claims
In this video, we highlight several claims made by some of the candidates in the Oct.15 Democratic presidential debate: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro wrongly claimed that the “latest jobs data” show that “
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the October Democratic Debate
Summary We found several false and misleading claims in the October Democratic presidential debate: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro claimed that the most recent jobs data show that “Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania &
Truth or Fiction?→ Frida Kahlo: ‘You Deserve a Lover’
In October 2015, the Facebook page “Sacred Dreams” shared an image and purported quotation attributed to Frida Kahlo, sometimes referenced in shorthand as “you deserve a lover”: Alongside a suspiciously modern-appear
FactCheck.org→ Posts Put Words in Thomas Jefferson’s Mouth
Quick Take Facebook posts in support of President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection erroneously claim that former President Thomas Jefferson once said “the government will one day be corrupt and filled with liars, and the people will flock to the
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Burning Sage Does NOT Kills 94% Of Airborne Bacteria, Disease-Causing Strains Stay Gone For 30 Days
Does burning sage kill 94% of airborne bacteria with disease-causing strains staying gone for 30 days? No, that's not true: A study published in India in 2007 did conclude that one hour of exposure to smoke from the burning of havan samagri, a
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Raw Pumpkin Seeds NOT PROVEN As A De-Wormer For Chickens
Are raw pumpkin seeds a reliable de-wormer for your chickens? No, that's not true: Feeding your brood pumpkin seeds to rid them of worms might not hurt them, but there is no evidence that it will help, either. It's a tough problem for farmers
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Misguided Tweet on California Gasoline Prices
California’s proposed fuel efficiency standards for cars don’t have anything to do with the state having the highest gas prices in the country, but that’s what President Donald Trump suggested in a tweet. The state is pushing for high
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Four in Ten Cancer Patients Really Lose Their Life Savings?
An October 11 2019 Imgur repost of a Bernie Sanders tweet appeared alongside the caption “this is how you know he would fight for the people if he is elected our president”: That tweet read: It’s not coincidental that the top health
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Smiling Babies Have to Look Away from People Because They’re ‘Overwhelmed with Joy’?
An October 10 2019 post to Reddit’s r/wholesomememes featured an uplifting claim by way of screenshot, claiming that when babies first start “emoting,” they have to look away after a few seconds of smiling: Overwhelming jo
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s False Tweets on Syria
After announcing a withdrawal of U.S. troops in Syria at the border with Turkey, President Donald Trump tweeted incorrect statements about the conflict. On Oct. 7, Trump claimed the United States’ involvement in Syria was originally supposed to l
Lead Stories→ Fake News: 12,000 Doctors Did NOT Just Urge the FDA to Put Cancer Warnings on Cheese
Did 12,000 doctors urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to put cancer warnings on cheese? No, that's not true: The vegan advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a petition asking the FDA to put a warning
Truth or Fiction?→ Pro-Life Art: ‘The Neverborn Child’ Meme
In early October 2019, the Facebook disinformation page “ForAmerica” shared the following meme, insisting that it shows a “pro-life sculpture” called “the neverborn child”: Captions added to the image and a statu
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Actor Tim Allen Did NOT Say: ‘President Trump’s Wall Costs Less Than The ObamaCare Website. Let That Sink In, America’
Did actor Tim Allen say "President Trump's wall costs less than the ObamaCare website. Let that sink in, America"? No, that's not true: Tim Allen's publicist confirmed to Lead Stories that the "Home Improvement" star never said those words. Th
Climate Feedback→ Letter signed by “500 scientists” relies on inaccurate claims about climate science
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This letter presenting a short list of claims about climate change boasts a list of “500 scientists and professionals” who have co-signed it. The claims contradict or misrepresent the evidence uncovered
Truth or Fiction?→ Will 154,000,000 Pieces of Plastic from Christmas Crackers in the UK Wind Up in the Ocean in a Single Year?
In late September and early October 2019, a very specific claim involving Christmas crackers (a tradition involving devices called “party poppers” in some countries; they are made from cardboard and gunpowder, generally contain confetti or
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Scientists ‘Covering Up’ Global Warming Data?
Among the conspiracy theories bandied about by “nature”-themed blogs is the idea that scientists have conspired to gin up mass panics over the planet’s climate-warming emergency. One particularly hysterical claim was published by Nat
Truth or Fiction?→ Spooky Season, Activated Charcoal in Food, and Medication
On September 19 2019, a Facebook user shared a warning (archived here) that urged fans of the “spooky season” to avoid foods colored with activated charcoal due to its purported ability to prevent your body from absorbing medications. Al
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the FBI Say Knives are Used in Five Times More Murders than Rifles?
On October 1 2019 , the website AmericanMilitaryNews.com shared a post headlined, “FBI stats show 5 times more murders by knives than rifles in 2018”: That was shared thousands of times in less than 24 hours. An additional item claim
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Flu Vaccine Does NOT Contain 25,000 Times More Mercury Than Legally Allowed In Drinking Water
Do flu vaccines contain 25,000 times more mercury than is legally allowed in drinking water? No, that's not true: Some flu vaccines do contain a trace amount of the organic compound Thimerosal, whch is 50-percent mercury. Thimerosal, used as a
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Cotton Feed Sacks Turned Into Clothing in the 1930s?
While it may not be a case of deliberately misstating the context, the rediscovery online of a pioneering journalist’s photograph in 1939 by people on social media came with a far more optimistic view of the circumstances behind it than had prev