298 Science claim verifications avg. score 5.4/10 128 rated true or mostly true 162 rated false or misleading
“The temperature of lightning is higher than the temperature of the surface of the Sun.”
This claim is well-supported. Lightning's plasma channel reaches approximately 30,000°C (54,000°F), while the Sun's surface (photosphere) is about 5,500°C (10,000°F) — making lightning roughly five times hotter. This is confirmed by Weather.gov, NASA, Britannica, and other authoritative sources. The claim correctly specifies "the surface of the Sun," which is the key qualifier. The only caveat: lightning's temperature is a brief, localized peak, not a sustained condition, and the Sun's core (~15 million°C) is vastly hotter than lightning.
“Artificial intelligence will have a net positive impact on the climate.”
This claim overstates the certainty of AI's climate benefits. Leading authorities like the IEA and UNFCCC describe AI's potential emissions reductions as conditional — dependent on widespread adoption, smart governance, and clean energy supply. Meanwhile, AI-driven data center growth is already increasing emissions, with energy demand projected to reach ~1,050 TWh by 2026, much of it fossil-powered. AI could be net positive for the climate under the right conditions, but the unconditional claim that it will be is not supported by current evidence.
“The number of avalanches in the Alps has increased significantly in 2026 compared to previous years, and this increase is attributed to climate change.”
The claim is not supported by the available evidence. No Alps-wide data shows a significant increase in avalanche numbers in 2026. The only quantitative indicator — roughly 105 fatalities in the 2025–26 season — is described by official sources as in line with the long-term average of ~100. The strongest peer-reviewed research on Alpine avalanches and climate change projects a net reduction in total avalanche activity under warming, with only a compositional shift toward more wet-snow events. The claim overstates both the trend and the attribution.
“Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, cannot be detoxified in the human body or the environment.”
This claim is false due to its absolute language. While PFAS are highly persistent and difficult to break down, they are not impossible to detoxify. In the environment, engineered technologies like electrochemical oxidation and plasma treatment can permanently destroy PFAS. In the human body, PFAS are excreted via urine, feces, and breast milk — with short-chain PFAS clearing in days to weeks. Emerging research also shows gut bacteria can help remove PFAS. The accurate statement is that PFAS are very difficult to break down, not that it "cannot" happen.
“Achieving global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is not technologically or economically feasible without significant compromises in living standards.”
This claim is not supported by the evidence. The world's most authoritative bodies—the IEA, IPCC, National Academies, and IMF—have published detailed roadmaps showing net-zero by 2050 is technically feasible with existing and emerging technologies, and project net economic benefits including GDP growth and job creation under orderly transitions. While the transition requires massive investment, policy coordination, and protections for vulnerable communities, these are design challenges—not evidence that living standards must significantly decline.
“At least one planet exists that is composed mostly of diamond.”
The claim that at least one planet is "composed mostly of diamond" is not supported by current evidence. The best-known candidate, 55 Cancri e, has been reclassified by updated NASA models as silicate-dominated, with diamond likely comprising less than 10% of its mass. Other candidates like PSR J1719-1438 were labeled "diamond planets" in 2011-2012 headlines but lack modern confirmation of majority-diamond bulk composition. Recent Webb telescope findings show diamonds forming deep inside certain planets — but that is far from being "mostly" diamond.
“The majority of Earth's breathable oxygen is produced by marine phytoplankton rather than land plants.”
The claim overstates the scientific consensus. The most authoritative sources — including the US EPA, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Geographic, and World Ocean Review — describe phytoplankton's oxygen contribution as "about half" or "roughly equal" to land plants, not a clear majority. While some estimates range as high as 50–85%, the dominant scientific framing is approximate parity (~50/50), making the word "majority" an overstatement of what the evidence reliably supports.
“Honeybees can be trained to detect landmines.”
The claim is well-supported. Multiple peer-reviewed studies and government-funded research programs (including Sandia National Laboratories and DARPA) have demonstrated that honeybees can be classically conditioned to respond to TNT and other explosive odors associated with landmines, with successful field tests confirming detection capability. The research spans two decades and includes both active conditioning and passive biomonitoring approaches. However, this training enables area-level surveying of minefields rather than precise pinpointing of individual buried mines.
“Sea level is not uniform across different locations on Earth.”
Sea level is indeed not uniform across Earth's locations. Authoritative sources from NASA, NOAA, and oceanographic institutions confirm that ocean surface height varies globally due to currents, winds, gravity fields, and other physical factors.
“A tomato is botanically and/or culinarily classified as a vegetable.”
The claim is largely accurate on its culinary prong: multiple authoritative sources (PubChem/NIH, Britannica, U.S. legal precedent) confirm tomatoes are considered vegetables for culinary, nutritional, and legal/customs purposes. However, the botanical prong is clearly false — tomatoes are botanically classified as fruits (specifically berries), not vegetables. Because the claim uses "and/or," only one prong needs to hold, and the culinary classification is well-established. The inclusion of "botanically" is misleading but does not invalidate the overall statement.
“Sound can have a negative decibel level.”
Sound can indeed have negative decibel levels. The decibel scale uses a logarithmic ratio formula, so any sound intensity below the chosen reference point mathematically produces a negative dB value. This is confirmed by multiple academic physics sources and occurs in both digital audio systems and theoretical acoustic measurements.
“Teaching students according to their preferred learning styles (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic) improves educational outcomes.”
This claim is not supported by scientific evidence. Multiple high-quality meta-analyses and reviews — including a 2024 PMC meta-analysis and publications from the APA, AFT, and leading cognitive science journals — consistently find no convincing evidence that matching instruction to students' preferred learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) improves educational outcomes. The "meshing hypothesis" is widely classified as a neuromyth by cognitive scientists. Academic performance is better explained by factors like background knowledge, motivation, and study strategies.
“The "five-second rule" — the belief that food dropped on the floor is safe to eat if picked up within five seconds — prevents the transfer of harmful bacteria to food.”
The five-second rule does not prevent harmful bacteria from transferring to dropped food. Peer-reviewed research, including a comprehensive 2016 Rutgers study, shows bacteria can transfer to food in less than one second upon contact. While longer contact times may increase contamination, there is no safe window. Factors like moisture, surface type, and contamination level often matter more than time. The claim is not supported by scientific evidence.
“Carbon capture and storage technology is an effective and scalable solution for achieving net-zero emissions.”
CCS technology is technically effective at capturing CO₂ from point sources (~90%+ efficiency) and is considered necessary in most net-zero scenarios — particularly for hard-to-abate industrial sectors. However, calling it "an effective and scalable solution" significantly overstates its role. The IEA's 2025 World Energy Outlook projects CCUS contributing under 5% of emissions reductions by 2050. Current deployment (~50 Mtpa) is a fraction of what's needed, and major barriers — high costs, infrastructure gaps, and financing challenges — remain unresolved. Authoritative sources consistently describe CCS as "critical but limited" and "complementary," not a primary scalable solution.
“When a worm is cut in two, it regenerates into two separate worms.”
This is a popular myth that's only partially true. Some worm species — notably planarian flatworms — can indeed regenerate into two complete worms when cut in half. However, the common earthworm, which most people picture when they hear "a worm," cannot do this. Typically only the head end survives; the tail end dies. Regeneration into two individuals is a species-specific ability, not a universal worm trait. The claim misleadingly presents an exception as a general rule.
“The human brain uses 20% of the body's total oxygen supply.”
The claim is well-supported by multiple peer-reviewed biomedical studies confirming that the adult human brain consumes approximately 20% of the body's total oxygen at rest. This is a widely accepted figure in neuroscience. Minor caveats: the figure applies specifically to adults in a resting/basal state, some sources cite a 15–20% range, and the proportion is significantly higher in young children. These are standard qualifications that don't undermine the claim's core accuracy.
“Standardized testing predicts future academic success more accurately than other assessment methods.”
This claim significantly overstates the evidence. Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT do predict college GPA and add value beyond high-school grades in some models. However, multiple large-scale, peer-reviewed studies find that high-school GPA is a stronger predictor of longer-term outcomes like college graduation. The research consensus is that combining test scores with other measures yields the best predictions — not that tests alone are superior. The claim's absolute framing ("more accurately than other assessment methods") is not supported by the literature.
“Some species are biologically immortal and can potentially live indefinitely.”
Some organisms (e.g., hydra; “immortal jellyfish”) show negligible senescence or can revert life stages, which is sometimes called “biological immortality.” But the cited sources often hedge (“in theory,” “don’t seem to age”), and none show individuals actually living indefinitely in nature. Without that context, the claim overstates what’s proven.
“Romantic love typically lasts no more than three years in most relationships.”
The claim conflates early-stage passionate intensity — which research does show fading within roughly 1–3 years — with romantic love broadly. Multiple high-authority sources, including the American Psychological Association and Harvard Medical School, explicitly distinguish these constructs. Neuroimaging studies show couples married over 20 years can exhibit the same dopamine-rich romantic brain activity as newly in-love individuals. The blanket assertion that romantic love "typically lasts no more than three years in most relationships" is not supported by the preponderance of scientific evidence.
“Domestic cats can live more than 30 years.”
Guinness World Records has verified that a domestic cat named Creme Puff lived 38 years and 3 days, directly proving that domestic cats can surpass 30 years of age. The claim uses "can," which asserts biological possibility — and even a single verified case is sufficient to establish that. While such longevity is extraordinarily rare (the average cat lifespan is roughly 12 years), rarity does not negate possibility.