Do People Ingest Five Grams of Plastic Per Week?
Ocean plastic memes are everywhere; one claims that we are all eating the equivalent of a credit card a week.
Viral Content
Mount Rushmore Before Carving
A meme purportedly shows “Six Grandfathers” before it was carved into what many Americans currently know as “Mount Rushmore.”
Frida Kahlo: ‘You Deserve a Lover’
A 1992 image of Madonna was digitally edited to look like Frida Kahlo alongside words lifted from young Mexican poet Estefanía Miter.
Was $6 an Hour in 1980 Equivalent to More Than $18 Today?
A viral “Boomers vs. Millennials” post claims that “I only made $6 an hour” is a flawed metric when comparing costs of living between generations.
‘Columbus Set Out to Prove the Earth Was Round’
Columbus Day often brings a re-litigation of what American schoolchildren are taught; one claim is that the Italian explorer was the first to prove that the Earth was round.
The ‘Inspirational’ History of KFC’s Colonel Sanders
The “finger-lickin’ good” restaurateur’s actual life was much messier and more colorful than the memes would have you believe.
Do Four in Ten Cancer Patients Really Lose Their Life Savings?
In a pro-Medicare for All tweet, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said that around 40 percent of cancer patients lose their life savings due solely to the costs of their treatment.
Do Smiling Babies Have to Look Away from People Because They’re ‘Overwhelmed with Joy’?
A popular Reddit r/wholesomememes post claimed that smiling babies “look away” because their fledgling emotions are too much for them to handle.
Was the Original Super Mario Bros Only 40 KB (While Modern Screenshots of One Frame Are 283 KB)?
A popular post repeated a long-circulating piece of Nintendo lore concerning the original size of Super Mario Bros. versus single screenshots of the game today.
Was a Toddler Subjected to Months of Abuse Because of a ‘Cookie’ Analogy?
A viral post presents good advice in the form of a relatable parable, but is it a realistic concern?