Carl Sagan: ‘Once You Give a Charlatan Power Over You, You Almost Never Get It Back’
A quote attributed to the science advocate and astronomer appeared on Imgur and Facebook in October 2021.
A quote attributed to the science advocate and astronomer appeared on Imgur and Facebook in October 2021.
In late September 2021, an image of a macabre-but-timely “I did my own research” gravestone as Halloween decor spread virally across social media.
A September 28 2021 Imgur post (below) purportedly contrasted the state of Alabama with the Republic of Ireland in “Covid stats”; it appeared to be a screenshot of a post to r/Ireland from the same day: With the exception of the Reddit post’s last line (“… get the vaccine,”) both posts were identical. Eight bullet …
On September 27 2021, Facebook user Owen Youngman posted about “National Son’s Day” and “National Daughter’s Day,” two purported “National Days” prompting significant social media engagement. Youngman’s post encompassed two distinct topics we have addressed in recent fact checks: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT cut and pasted from a professional colleague who advises large companies on digital …
Do National Son’s Day and National Daughter’s Day Even Exist? Read More »
On September 28 2021, a single tweet from the “Facebook’s Top 10” Twitter account became notable not for what it showed, but for what it didn’t: The account, which was created in July 2020 and is curated by New York Times tech journalist Kevin Roose, publishes daily tweets concerning the sources of “the 10 top-performing …
‘Facebook’s Top Ten’ on Twitter Abruptly Changes Read More »
A number of outlets reported that “dozens” of Massachusetts State Police resigned over a mandatory vaccine policy.
As COVID-19 continued to rage through the United States in late September 2021, a tweet (later shared to Imgur) claimed that the virus killed 47 out of 100,000 people in counties where former U.S. President Donald Trump received 70 percent or more of the vote versus 10 out of 100,000 in counties where he received 32 …
On September 24 2021, AmericanMilitaryNews.com published a story headlined, “Rasmussen poll: Trump beating Biden 51%-41% in 2024 presidential poll,” which claimed: Donald Trump would defeat both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris if the former president decides to run in 2024, a new poll revealed Thursday [September 23 2021]. According to a Rasmussen Reports …
Rasmussen: ‘Trump 2024 Would Beat Either Biden or Harris’ Read More »
A viral TikTok purportedly explains how medical debt can be legally forgiven.
Actor Wil Wheaton and others shared warnings about Facebook data mining, and why seemingly innocuous questions might be more sinister.