495 claim verifications avg. score 4.3/10 139 rated true or mostly true 355 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.
“The US dollar is losing its status as the world's reserve currency due to tariff policies implemented during Donald Trump's presidency.”
The claim is false. While the U.S. dollar's share of global reserves has gradually declined from ~71% in 1999 to ~57% in 2025, this is a decades-long trend predating Trump's tariff policies. No credible source — including the Federal Reserve, Brookings, St. Louis Fed, and Atlantic Council — attributes this decline to tariffs. Brookings explicitly finds no acceleration since Trump's second term. The dollar remains overwhelmingly dominant with no viable alternative, making the "losing its status" framing unsupported.
“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.
“A four-day workweek increases productivity without reducing output.”
The claim is directionally supported but overstated. Large-scale pilot programs — including the UK's landmark trial and studies cited by the APA — show that many organizations maintained or improved output on a four-day schedule. However, these results are preliminary, depend on deliberate workflow redesign, apply mainly to knowledge-work sectors, and come from self-selected participants. At least one controlled study found no statistically significant productivity effect. Presenting this as a universal truth omits critical conditions and limitations.
“Companies will retain tariff refunds instead of passing the savings to consumers through lower prices.”
The claim reflects a likely tendency but overstates it as a certainty. Federal Reserve and Yale Budget Lab research confirms tariff costs were largely passed to consumers, and refunds legally flow to importers of record — making consumer price cuts unlikely in many cases. However, the blanket assertion that companies "will retain" refunds ignores that some firms (e.g., FedEx) have pledged to return them, contract law may compel pass-through in business relationships, and competitive dynamics vary by industry. The reality is heterogeneous, not universal.
“Donald Trump imposed new tariffs immediately after a Supreme Court ruling struck down his authority to do so.”
The claim is misleading. On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs imposed under IEEPA — but the new tariffs he announced shortly after were imposed under a completely different legal authority (Section 122 of the Trade Act), which the Court never invalidated. Saying the Court "struck down his authority to do so" falsely implies he acted in defiance of the ruling. Additionally, while Trump signed the new order the same day, the tariffs didn't take effect until days later, making "immediately imposed" an overstatement.
“A Supreme Court ruling on Trump's tariffs requires that consumers receive refunds for higher prices paid due to the tariffs.”
This claim is false. The Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize Trump's tariffs, but it did not address refunds at all—it remanded those questions to the Court of International Trade. Any potential refund claims would be filed by importers through customs processes, not paid directly to consumers. There is no legal requirement that consumers receive refunds for higher prices. Some companies like FedEx have voluntarily pledged to pass refunds through, but that is a business decision, not a court mandate.
“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.
“Taylor Swift performed live at a wedding held in Jamnagar, India.”
Taylor Swift did not perform at a wedding in Jamnagar, India. Multiple fact-checks from major Indian news outlets confirm the viral video actually shows Ashley Leechin, a Taylor Swift lookalike and tribute artist. Swift was not present at the event and did not travel to India for it. An earlier report about Swift being "in talks" for a different Indian celebration remains unconfirmed and is unrelated to the Jamnagar wedding in question.
“Wrapping plastic around the mouth causes weight loss.”
This claim is false. No scientific evidence supports wrapping plastic around the mouth as a weight-loss method. Medical experts, including gastroenterologists, confirm the viral trend has no validated mechanism for fat reduction. Any minor weight change would result from simply not eating — not from the plastic itself — and would likely be temporary water loss. The practice poses serious health risks including choking, microplastic ingestion, and reinforcement of disordered eating behaviors.
“As of March 1, 2026, the United States Department of Justice has released only 2% of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.”
This claim is false. By January 30, 2026 — over a month before the claim's stated date of March 1, 2026 — the DOJ had released nearly 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related materials, along with thousands of videos and 180,000 images, in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declared the review complete. The "only 2%" figure has no basis in the evidence as of the claim's reference date.
“Jeffrey Epstein created Bitcoin.”
This claim is false. Bitcoin was created by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, who published its whitepaper in October 2008 and launched the network in January 2009. Jeffrey Epstein's documented involvement in cryptocurrency — investments in Coinbase, Blockstream, and MIT's Digital Currency Initiative — all occurred in 2014–2015, years after Bitcoin already existed. Viral emails claiming Epstein was Satoshi Nakamoto were confirmed to be doctored fakes. No credible evidence links Epstein to Bitcoin's creation.
“As of March 1, 2026, Kendrick Lamar has not released any album that has surpassed 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' and 'Section.80' in critical or commercial success.”
This claim is false. Multiple Kendrick Lamar albums have surpassed both good kid, m.A.A.d city and Section.80 in critical and/or commercial success. To Pimp a Butterfly holds a 96 Metacritic score — the highest-rated hip-hop album ever — and debuted at No. 1 with 363k first-week units versus GKMC's 241k. DAMN. won the Pulitzer Prize for Music and is Kendrick's biggest-selling album globally. Section.80 only recently went Platinum, making it one of his least commercially successful releases.
“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.
“A Jon Stewart livestream reached 3.2 billion views.”
This claim is false. No Jon Stewart livestream has ever reached 3.2 billion views. The figure exceeds every known livestream record by orders of magnitude — the largest documented livestream events peak at tens of millions of viewers. Stewart's actual peak audiences across TV and streaming platforms have been in the low millions. This specific "3.2 billion views" claim has been identified as fabricated misinformation with no credible sourcing.
“COVID-19 vaccinated individuals die from the Delta variant at higher rates than unvaccinated individuals.”
This claim is false. Multiple high-authority CDC and peer-reviewed studies consistently found that unvaccinated individuals died from the Delta variant at 11 to 53 times the rate of vaccinated individuals. Vaccine effectiveness against Delta-related death was 90–91%. The claim likely stems from a well-documented statistical misunderstanding: in highly vaccinated populations, raw death counts among vaccinated people can appear large, but per-capita death rates were dramatically lower for vaccinated individuals.
“Living at high altitude provides protection against developing diabetes.”
Multiple studies do find a statistical association between living at higher altitudes and lower diabetes prevalence, and a 2026 Cell Metabolism study identified a plausible mechanism in mice (red blood cells absorbing more glucose under low-oxygen conditions). However, the key human evidence is cross-sectional — it cannot prove causation. Some studies in high-altitude populations actually found higher diabetes risk, and the scientific community considers the question still debated. The claim's language — "provides protection" — overstates what the evidence currently supports.
“The IRS will provide $1,390 stimulus checks in 2026.”
This claim is false. The IRS has not announced or authorized any $1,390 stimulus check program for 2026, and Congress has not approved such payments. The "$1,390" figure circulating online is a viral rumor. Some individual taxpayers may receive refunds near that amount based on their personal tax situations, but that is not a stimulus program. The only official IRS documentation available discusses payment modernization — not stimulus checks. Multiple credible sources have debunked this claim.
“The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 15% global tariff program, ruling that the administration overstepped its authority.”
The Supreme Court did strike down the administration's IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026, ruling the president lacked statutory authority. However, the claim's reference to a "15% global tariff program" is inaccurate. The 15% figure refers to a separate tariff the administration announced after the ruling under different legal authority (Section 122 of the Trade Act), which was not struck down. The claim conflates two distinct tariff actions, creating a misleading picture of what the Court actually invalidated.
“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.