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"Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels | The parasite does not usually cause much damage to immunocompetent hosts; however, it has been associated with cognitive impairments, emotional disturbances, and schizophrenia (8). Recent studies have shown that the transmission of T. gondii is also facilitated by the ability to modify its host’s behavior (9-11). According to the manipulation hypothesis, specific parasites can change host behavior for their own benefit (1). Toxoplasma gondii-infected rats and mice had a less innate fear of the odor of cat urine; this effect is useful for the parasite (1). The mechanisms for these changes have not been clearly identified to date; however, there is evidence that toxoplasmosis increases dopamine levels in the amygdala in the brain of infected mice by genes encoding the tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme production (12). It is noticeable that the hippocampus and amygdala are structures in the brain associated with natural defense behaviors and emotion processing (13). [...] Zareian P, Mirzaii Dizgah I, Saddel M, Khodabandehloo F. Effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on anxiety, depression and ghrelin level in male rats. J Parasit Dis. 2016;40(3):688-93. [PubMed ID: 27605768]. [PubMed Central ID: PMC4996174]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-014-0561-0. | insufficient-refutes |
"Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels | Partially correct Health Posted on: 2024-06-13 Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis to humans, but no evidence links toxoplasmosis to increased "hunger hormone" ghrelin Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels Source: YouTube, Facebook, Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06 | refutes |
HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer | Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a group of sexually transmitted infections, some of which can increase the risk of cervical, anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers. Vaccines against HPV became available in 2006, and as the first adolescents who received the vaccine age, the incidence of these cancers is expected to decrease. Some experts believe that cervical cancer, which is associated with HPV in more than 90 percent of cases, could be virtually eliminated in the coming decades. [...] A recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention investigated how the cervical cancer elimination timeline might differ between high-poverty and low-poverty communities. As the first adolescents who received the HPV vaccine are only beginning to enter the age range where cervical cancer is prominent, researchers have relied on statistical modeling to predict how vaccination will impact cervical cancer incidence in the coming years. In this study, Jennifer Spencer, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who performed this work as a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, and her colleagues assembled a series of models based on current data from counties in the highest and lowest quartile of poverty in the U.S. | insufficient-refutes |
HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer | Previous studies have shown that the HPV vaccine is effective at reducing the risk of cervical cancer, however, there has been limited evidence linking it to a decreased likelihood of developing other HPV-related cancers since the introduction of the first version of the vaccine in 2006. [...] Previous research pertaining to HPV-vaccination has primarily focused on outcomes related to cervical cancer. It is the fourth most common cancer globally with about 660,000 new cases diagnosed annually with nearly 350,000 deaths per the World Health Organization. This study examines the HPV-vaccinated persons’ risk of developing cancers of the head and neck, anal areas, penis, vulva, vagina, and cervix. This study also aims to examine the HPV vaccine’s impact on need for surgical treatment of cancer and pre-cancerous lesions. [...] Females vaccinated for HPV had a lower risk of developing cervical cancer (7.4 cases per 100,000 vaccinated patients vs. 10.4 per 100,000 unvaccinated patients) and a lower risk of developing all HPV-related cancers compared to unvaccinated females (11.5 cases per 100,000 vaccinated patients vs. 15.8 per 100,000 unvaccinated patients). However, odds of developing head and neck cancers and vulvar or vaginal cancer were not significantly different in vaccinated females compared to those who had not received the vaccine. | refutes |
HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer | According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. In 2022, there were approximately 660,000 new cases of cervical cancer and around 350,000 deaths from cervical cancer. Infection by the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV vaccination can help prevent infection with high-risk HPV types, thereby reducing the risk of cervical cancer. | refutes |
“99.2% of U.S. COVID deaths in June were unvaccinated people” | "We’re seeing 99.5% of deaths right now from Covid-19 in our country are happening among the unvaccinated," US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN’s Dana Bash on "State of the Union" Sunday. In case you missed it: 99.5% of people who are dying from the coronavirus right now are not vaccinated. Which means – because of math – that less than one percent of all Covid-19 deaths are among vaccinated people. And it’s no fluke or anomaly either. In June, 99.2% of the people who died from Covid-19 were unvaccinated, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. | supports |
“99.2% of U.S. COVID deaths in June were unvaccinated people” | More than 99% of the US's Covid-19 deaths in June were among unvaccinated people, says Fauci [...] More than 99% of US Covid-19 deaths in June were among unvaccinated people, Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. [...] Individual states are reporting similar data: On Friday, Virginia’s health department announced at least 99% of Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been among people who were not fully vaccinated. And on Thursday, North Carolina said 99% of all new cases since May are among people that are not fully vaccinated. | supports |
“99.2% of U.S. COVID deaths in June were unvaccinated people” | Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. [...] Earlier this month, Andy Slavitt, a former adviser to the Biden administration on COVID-19, suggested that 98% to 99% of the Americans dying of the coronavirus are unvaccinated. | insufficient-supports |
Sweetgum balls contain the same active ingredient that Tamiflu contains, which is shikimic acid; It kills viruses including SARS-CoV-2 | Sweetgum contains small amounts of shikimic acid, which is the starting point in the industrial manufacture of Tamiflu, a drug for treating influenza. However, there is no evidence that shikimic acid has the same effect. Tamiflu targets a specific protein found in flu viruses, so it doesn’t work against the virus that causes COVID-19, and neither does shikimic acid. [...] The video also makes reference to using sweetgum balls to treat COVID-19. However, as mentioned previously, Tamiflu works by targeting a specific protein in the flu virus. There is no equivalent of the neuraminidase protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, so the drug cannot act in the same way that it does with flu[4]. To claim that shikimic acid can help treat COVID-19 would need evidence from research. In summary, shikimic acid is not the active ingredient in Tamiflu. Shikimic acid is chemically altered to produce Tamiflu and will not have the same effect. The amount of shikimic acid in sweetgum balls is very low and it is difficult to extract. | refutes |
Sweetgum balls contain the same active ingredient that Tamiflu contains, which is shikimic acid; It kills viruses including SARS-CoV-2 | Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.): extraction of shikimic acid coupled to dilute acid pretreatment - PMID: 20506045 - DOI: 10.1007/s12010-010-8947-7 Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.): extraction of shikimic acid coupled to dilute acid pretreatment Liquidambar styraciflua L., also known as sweetgum, is an understory hardwood species that has widespread distribution in the southeast USA, especially in pine plantations. In addition to being a possible biorefinery feedstock, sweetgum contains shikimic acid, which is a precursor for the drug Tamiflu. Sweetgum bark was extracted with 65 degrees C water and yielded 1.7 mg/g of shikimic acid, while sweetgum de-barked wood yielded 0.2 mg/g of shikimic acid. Because shikimic acid can be extracted with water, the coupling of the phytochemical hot water extraction with dilute acid pretreatment was examined. The addition of a 65 degrees C shikimic acid extraction step coupled to pretreatment with 0.98% H(2)SO(4) at 130 degrees C for 50 min resulted in 21% and 17% increases in xylose percent recovery from bark and de-barked wood, respectively. These results indicate that, in addition to recovering a high value product, the 65 degrees C wash step also increases xylose recovery. | insufficient-neutral |
Sweetgum balls contain the same active ingredient that Tamiflu contains, which is shikimic acid; It kills viruses including SARS-CoV-2 | Sweetgum contains small amounts of shikimic acid, which is the starting point in the industrial manufacture of Tamiflu, a drug for treating influenza. However, there is no evidence that shikimic acid has the same effect. Tamiflu targets a specific protein found in flu viruses, so it doesn’t work against the virus that causes COVID-19, and neither does shikimic acid. | refutes |
Switzerland stops COVID-19 vaccines due to safety concerns | The claim: Switzerland banned COVID-19 vaccine [...] "Switzerland Bans the COVID Vaccines," reads the article's headline. [...] Tesia Williams, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson, told USA TODAY the company has decided to stop distributing its COVID-19 vaccine in Switzerland due to declining need and the availability of other vaccines. | refutes |
Switzerland stops COVID-19 vaccines due to safety concerns | Reports of suspected adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines in Switzerland [...] Since the concluding standard report on adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines in Switzerland was published at the end of February 2023, an additional 720 suspicion reports have been evaluated. For an estimated 17 million vaccine doses1 administered to date in Switzerland, Swissmedic received a total of 17,575 reports of suspected reactions in connection with the COVID-19 vaccines up to 30 June 2024. [...] The COVID-19 vaccines are also listed in the annual vaccinovigilance report on the safety of vaccines used in Switzerland. As soon as new, relevant findings are available, Swissmedic will provide information via the usual channels (drug safety communications, Swissmedic Vigilance News, DHPC). | insufficient-neutral |
Switzerland stops COVID-19 vaccines due to safety concerns | SWITZERLAND (TND) — Switzerland will not recommend a COVID-19 vaccine for its citizens during the spring and summer seasons, even for those at high risk of experiencing severe illness from contracting the virus. The country's latest recommendation regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots came directly from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), which declared most people in the country had either already been vaccinated "and/or contracted and recovered from COVID-19" at this point. [...] Switzerland's decision to rescind its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations follows other European countries that have severely loosened their recommendations since the COVID-19 vaccine was released. | insufficient-refutes |
[NASA] has been adjusting temperatures from the past[...] downward, while adjusting current-day temperatures upward, and those changes are responsible for most of the claimed global warming during that time. | Scientists at NASA—as well as other groups—constantly work to ensure that the data being used to estimate global average temperatures are as accurate as possible. As time goes on, updates can lead to small changes to estimates for previous years. These changes, however, are much too small to cause the warming trend that is clear in all available datasets. | refutes |
[NASA] has been adjusting temperatures from the past[...] downward, while adjusting current-day temperatures upward, and those changes are responsible for most of the claimed global warming during that time. | Read our profile on the United States government and media. [...] Failed Fact Checks - "[T]he raw data, the actual thermometer data[…] shows that the US has been cooling for 80 to 90 years. But the graphs they release to the public show warming trend, and it’s all because they’ve altered the data." – Inaccurate - "NASA scientists fudged the numbers to make 1998 the hottest year to overstate the extent of global warming." – Pants on Fire - "[NASA] has been adjusting temperatures from the past[…] downward, while adjusting current-day temperatures upward, and those changes are responsible for most of the claimed global warming during that time." – Inaccurate [...] Last Updated on April 25, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check | insufficient-contradictory |
“Myocarditis and pericarditis only occur after vaccination and not after COVID-19 infection.” | Myocarditis and Pericarditis After Vaccination for COVID-19 - PMID: 34347001 - PMCID: PMC8340007 - DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.13443 [...] Incidence, risk factors, natural history, and hypothesised mechanisms of myocarditis and pericarditis following covid-19 vaccination: living evidence syntheses and review.BMJ. 2022 Jul 13;378:e069445. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2021-069445. BMJ. 2022. PMID: 35830976 Free PMC article. Review. [...] Occurrence of Myopericarditis Following COVID-19 Vaccination Among Adults in the Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Study.Int J Gen Med. 2024 Jul 23;17:3231-3237. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S467586. eCollection 2024. Int J Gen Med. 2024. PMID: 39070223 Free PMC article. | insufficient-neutral |
“Myocarditis and pericarditis only occur after vaccination and not after COVID-19 infection.” | COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may cause mild cases of myocarditis on rare occasions. However, the risk of myocarditis and other severe cardiovascular problems is higher following COVID-19 than following vaccination. When this is weighed against the vaccines’ effectiveness against severe disease, it shows that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh their possible risks. | refutes |
“Myocarditis and pericarditis only occur after vaccination and not after COVID-19 infection.” | Myocarditis and Pericarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination: Practical Considerations for Care Providers - PMID: 34375696 - PMCID: PMC8349442 - DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2021.08.001 Myocarditis and Pericarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination: Practical Considerations for Care Providers [...] Pericarditis and myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in a nationwide setting.Ann Acad Med Singap. 2022 Feb;51(2):96-100. doi: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2021425. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2022. PMID: 35224605 - | insufficient-neutral |
Forward projections of solar cyclicity imply the next few decades may be marked by global cooling rather than warming, despite continuing CO2 emissions. | It is difficult to project solar activity, but research shows that even a substantial lull in solar activity would be far too weak to counteract human-caused global warming. | insufficient-refutes |
Forward projections of solar cyclicity imply the next few decades may be marked by global cooling rather than warming, despite continuing CO2 emissions. | Beyond the next few decades, how much the climate changes will depend primarily on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere; how much of those greenhouse gases are absorbed by the ocean, the biosphere, and other sinks; and how sensitive Earth’s climate is to those emissions.23 Climate sensitivity is typically defined as the long-term change that would result from a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere relative to preindustrial levels; its exact value is uncertain due to the interconnected nature of the land–atmosphere–ocean system. Changes in one aspect of the system can lead to self-reinforcing cycles that can either amplify or weaken the climate system’s responses to human and natural influences, creating a positive feedback or self-reinforcing cycle in the first case and a negative feedback in the second.18 These feedbacks operate on a range of timescales from very short (essentially instantaneous) to very long (centuries). While there are uncertainties associated with modeling some of these feedbacks,24,25 the most up-to-date scientific assessment shows that the net effect of these feedbacks over the industrial era has been to amplify human-induced warming, and this amplification will continue over coming decades18 (see Box 2.3). | insufficient-refutes |
COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 | In a research letter published in April 2022, investigators evaluated the association between COVID-19 vaccination during early pregnancy and risk of major fetal structural anomalies identified on ultrasonography. Of 2622 patients who received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 1149 (43.8%) were vaccinated within the teratogenic window. Results of this analysis found that vaccination within the teratogenic window was not associated with presence of a congenital anomaly identified on ultrasonography (Ruderman 2022). [...] There is no evidence of adverse maternal or fetal effects from vaccinating pregnant individuals with COVID-19 vaccine, and a growing body of data demonstrate the safety of such use (Ciapponi 2021, Ciapponi 2023, Wainstock 2021, Kachikis 2021, Magnus 2021, Fu 2021, Ruderman 2022). Therefore, individuals who are or will be pregnant should receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Emerging data indicate that vaccine-induced antibodies cross the placenta, but the degree of protection these antibodies provide to the neonate is unknown (Yang 2022). In a recent case-control study from 20 pediatric hospitals, CDC found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy reduced the risk of infant hospitalization with COVID-19 by 61%, suggesting that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy might also help protect babies. These findings emphasize the importance of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy to protect pregnant people and their babies from COVID-19 (Halasa 2022). Vaccination may occur in any trimester and emphasis should be on vaccine receipt as soon as possible to maximize maternal and fetal health. | refutes |
COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women is connected to an increase in U.S. infant mortality rate in 2022 | References - Hobbs CV, Woodworth K, Young CC, et al.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators. Frequency, characteristics and complications of COVID-19 in hospitalized infants. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022;41:e81–6. https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000003435 PMID:34955519 - Marchant A, Sadarangani M, Garand M, et al. Maternal immunisation: collaborating with mother nature. Lancet Infect Dis 2017;17:e197–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(17)30229-3 PMID:28433705 - Nir O, Schwartz A, Toussia-Cohen S, et al. Maternal-neonatal transfer of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G antibodies among parturient women treated with BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine during pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2022;4:100492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100492 PMID:34547533 - Trostle ME, Aguero-Rosenfeld ME, Roman AS, Lighter JL. High antibody levels in cord blood from pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2021;3:100481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100481 PMID:34562636 - Yang YJ, Murphy EA, Singh S, et al. Association of gestational age at coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and a vaccine booster dose with maternal and umbilical cord antibody levels at delivery. Obstet Gynecol 2021. Epub December 28, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004693 PMID:34963127 - Olson SM, Newhams MM, Halasa NB, et al.; Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators. Effectiveness of BNT162b2 vaccine against critical Covid-19 in adolescents. | insufficient-neutral |
Vitamin B17 “was banned by the US because of its cancer-killing properties” | Despite the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of so-called alternative cancer treatments, these still continue to be used by patients desperate for a cure. Amygdalin and its synthetic counterpart laetrile are examples of alternative cancer treatments promoted online. However, overwhelming evidence from almost a century of research indicates that both are ineffective against cancer and can instead cause cyanide poisoning. Rather than prolonging life, research shows that switching from conventional cancer treatments to alternative treatments actually reduces the patient’s odds of survival. | insufficient-contradictory |
Vitamin B17 “was banned by the US because of its cancer-killing properties” | "The bitter almond tree, the highest source of vitamin B17, known to prevent and treat cancer, was banned from the USA in 1995," says a meme shared on Facebook in South Africa in August 2019. [...] The substance has been called "vitamin B17", but it’s not a vitamin. | insufficient-contradictory |
Vitamin B17 “was banned by the US because of its cancer-killing properties” | On 1 March 2023, a Facebook reel with more than 1.6 million views claimed that "Vitamin B17", a compound present in apricot kernels, "was banned by the U.S. because of its cancer-killing properties". "Vitamin B17" is the name that some people use to refer to amygdalin, a compound present in some plants like clover and notably in the seeds of fruits from the Rosaceae family, such as bitter almonds, apricots, plums, and cherries. [...] One well-known characteristic of amygdalin is its capacity to release hydrogen cyanide when it breaks down in the intestine[4]. Hydrogen cyanide is known as a potentially deadly poison that interferes with cells’ ability to use oxygen. This mode of action of cyanide directly contradicts the mechanism proposed by the Facebook user, who claimed that B17 kills cancer cells because it "put[s] oxygen and hydrogenate[s] cells again". | insufficient-refutes |
“Since the vaccine rolled out, [a midwife]’s seen no normal placenta […] they’re all compromised” | COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting against severe forms of the disease. Research shows that the placentas of pregnant individuals are unharmed by the vaccines. By contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy poses a higher risk of placental lesions and deficiencies, which places a pregnant individual at risk of complications. | refutes |
“Since the vaccine rolled out, [a midwife]’s seen no normal placenta […] they’re all compromised” | FULL CLAIM: "Since the vaccine rolled out, [a midwife]’s seen no normal placenta […] they’re all compromised"; "Some of them are shrunken, so not big enough to deliver a normal baby, and many midwives are reporting that they have to deliver babies early because the placenta can’t sustain a full-term baby" [...] Reporting on her earlier interview of midwife Ellen Jasmer, Wolf stated that Jasmer had seen "no normal placenta […] since the vaccine rolled out". Wolf said that some of the placentas were "shrunken, so not big enough to deliver a normal baby" and that "midwives were reporting that they ha[d] to deliver babies early because the placenta can’t sustain a full-term baby". Wolf also alleged that vaccination compromised the health of newborns as they were "rushed to the hospital within a day because they are in respiratory distress and [Jasmer had] never seen that so frequently before". [...] Wolf also claimed that vaccinated individuals could compromise the placenta of unvaccinated people through a process called shedding. This is most likely a reference to the claim that vaccinated individuals release spike proteins that can be spread to unvaccinated individuals. But there is no data or plausible biological mechanism suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines can cause shedding, as Health Feedback explained in an earlier review, and Wolf failed to produce any supporting evidence in the video. | refutes |
“MSM Silent As Court Holds PCR Covid Tests 97% Inaccurate - Unfit for Purpose” | MSM deathly silent as PCR test legally ruled useless to test for Covid Landmark legal ruling finds that Covid tests are not fit for purpose. So what do the MSM do? They ignore it Four German holidaymakers who were illegally quarantined in Portugal after one was judged to be positive for Covid-19 have won their case, in a verdict that condemns the widely-used PCR test as being up to 97-percent unreliable. | supports |
HPV vaccines are ineffective and cause side effects including autoimmune and neurological disorders, based on VAERS reports | Concern has been raised about whether HPV vaccines might cause serious neurological disorders including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated the issue and declared in 2015 that there is no link between HPV vaccines and serious neurological adverse events. However, the certainty conveyed in EMA’s official report is undermined by a leaked, confidential document that reveals important disagreements among the experts. Furthermore, in its assessments, EMA relied on the data the drug companies had provided to them even though it had been demonstrated that the companies had underreported possible neurological harms. Even though active comparators were used (aluminium adjuvants and other vaccines), our research group found significantly more serious neurological harms in the HPV vaccine groups than in the comparator groups in a systematic review based on clinical study reports in EMA’s possession. We outline areas where we believe the basis for EMA’s decision was flawed; highlight that the relationship between HPV vaccines and POTS remains uncertain; and suggest ways forward to resolve the uncertainty and debate. [...] Concern has been raised about whether HPV vaccines might cause serious neurological disorders including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS).1 Based on a request from Danish authorities, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated the issue and published a 40-page report in November 2015 concluding that ‘the evidence does not support a causal association between HPV vaccination and CRPS and/or POTS’.1 | insufficient-contradictory |
HPV vaccines are ineffective and cause side effects including autoimmune and neurological disorders, based on VAERS reports | Gardasil Vaccine Side Effects Reported to VAERS [...] Another section of the package insert titled "Postmarketing Experience" lists a number of other Gardasil 9 side effects, while cautioning that "[b]ecause these events were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency or to establish a causal relationship to vaccine exposure." Those side effects include autoimmune diseases, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome (167 case reports in VAERS), hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic shock (368 VAERS case reports), and seizures (483 VAERS case reports). [...] HPV vaccines, including Gardasil, have been linked in case studies to a cluster of symptoms that are shared by several disorders not mentioned on the Gardasil package insert. These include postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and fibromyalgia. The WHO database and the VAERS database contain hundreds of case reports of POTS and CRPS. | insufficient-supports |
HPV vaccines are ineffective and cause side effects including autoimmune and neurological disorders, based on VAERS reports | Autonomic dysfunction and HPV immunization: an overview - PMID: 30478703 - DOI: 10.1007/s12026-018-9036-1 [...] This article reviews the case series reported from several countries describing patients with suspected severe side effects to the HPV vaccines. The described symptom clusters are remarkably similar and include disabling fatigue, headache, widespread pain, fainting, gastrointestinal dysmotility, limb weakness, memory impairment episodes of altered awareness, and abnormal movements. This constellation of symptoms and signs has been labeled with different diagnoses such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), small fiber neuropathy (SFN), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), or fibromyalgia. It is known that autoimmunity and autoantibodies are present in a subset of patients with CRPS, POTS, SFN, ME/CFS, and fibromyalgia. This article proposes that vaccine-triggered, immune-mediated autonomic dysfunction could lead to the development of de novo post-HPV vaccination syndrome possibly in genetically susceptible individuals. Being cognizant that a temporal relationship between vaccination and symptom onset does not necessarily equate to causality, mounting evidence of case series calls for well-designed case-control studies to determine the prevalence and possible causation between these symptom clusters and HPV vaccines. Since personalized medicine is gaining momentum, the use of adversomics and pharmacogenetics may eventually help identify individuals who are predisposed to HPV vaccine adverse events. [...] Hypothesis: Human papillomavirus vaccination syndrome--small fiber neuropathy and dysautonomia could be its underlying pathogenesis.Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Jul;34(7):1165-9. doi: 10.1007/s10067-015-2969-z. Epub 2015 May 20. Clin Rheumatol. 2015. PMID: 25990003 Review. | insufficient-neutral |
Poppers are the cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma | Previous research has shown that use of poppers may be associated with transient immunosuppression in animal models and may facilitate infection with cancer-causing viruses such as human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8), which causes Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). A new report from the prospective observational Multicentre AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) suggests that heavy use of poppers might be associated with increased risk of individual virus-associated cancers. This link was observed in HIV negative men but not in men who were HIV positive. Heavy use was defined as daily or weekly for at least a year. The study was reported by Anupriya Dutta and colleagues from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. [1] [...] This research provides evidence that heavy use of poppers (daily or weekly for at least 1 year), is significantly associated with the risk of virus-related cancers in MSM who are HIV negative and this risk becomes greater over the age of 50. | insufficient-supports |
Blocks of color printed on toothpaste tubes indicate whether the toothpaste is made of safe ingredients | A post shared on Facebook over 380 times claims the colored marks on tubes of toothpaste indicate the materials used in the paste. The colored bars on the tubes do not signify what ingredients are in the toothpaste. They are for sensors to help with proper sealing and artwork placement during manufacturing, according to spokespeople for toothpaste producers. The image shows three tubes of toothpaste each with small, colored bars at the end of the tube. In the image, the colored bars are circled. "The secrets of the colors in #toothpaste," the caption reads. "These colors are not for decoration, but the materials that were used to produce this paste." The caption then suggests what each color bar means, with green allegedly indicating "100%" natural ingredients and black supposedly meaning chemicals are present. | refutes |
Blocks of color printed on toothpaste tubes indicate whether the toothpaste is made of safe ingredients | The truth is: the toothpaste color-coding system simply doesn’t exist. Oral care companies don’t mark their toothpastes with colored squares to try to trick consumers and hide ingredients from them. We’re sure you’re wondering, so why are there color blocks on toothpaste tubes then? We’re happy to report that they do, in fact, have a purpose! They actually help in the manufacturing of the toothpaste tubes by telling light sensors where the end of the tube is so that it can be cut and sealed properly. We know, it’s not as exciting as a secret code, but we think the truth is pretty cool too. [...] If you want to know what kind of ingredients your toothpaste has, don’t look for a colored block at the end of the tube. Instead, take a look at the packaging for a comprehensive list of ingredients. You can talk with your dentist to learn more about how each ingredient works to keep your mouth healthy and what kind of toothpaste would be best to meet your needs. | refutes |
Blocks of color printed on toothpaste tubes indicate whether the toothpaste is made of safe ingredients | FULL CLAIM: "You ever hear the toothpaste theory? You know how the toothpaste at the bottom [...] there’s always like a block of color [...] The elites or the people that know the code stay away from certain colors of the toothpaste"; "If you have the green on your toothpaste, it means it’s all natural; if you have the blue, it says(sic) it’s natural plus medicine; if it has red, it’s natural with chemical; if it has black, it’s all chemical [...] If you were part of some, like, secret organization, across the world when you go to buy products, how are you supposed to know which one’s safe for you?" [...] In the clip, TikTok celebrity and podcast host Carlos Juico claimed that color blocks at the end of toothpaste tubes indicated whether the toothpaste ingredients were natural or "chemical". More specifically, he asserted that a green color block meant the toothpaste was all-natural; a blue color block meant the toothpaste was "natural plus medicine"; and a black color block meant the toothpaste was "all chemical". [...] In summary, the conspiracy theory that toothpaste tubes carry a secret color code indicating the safety of toothpaste ingredients is baseless. If people wish to know which ingredients are present in their toothpaste, they can simply read the ingredient list printed on toothpaste packaging. | refutes |
Magnetic poles reversals involve the Earth flipping vertically and momentarily stopping its rotation, causing cataclysmic events during 6 days. | Some theorists suggest that having no magnetic field will open the earth's surface to dangerous solar radiation that potentially might lead to global extinction of life. However, there is currently no statistical correlation that can be pointed to in the fossil record to verify this. The last reversal occurred about 780,000 years ago, and there is no evidence to show that there were mass species extinctions at that time. Other scientists argue that the magnetic field does not vanish during reversals, but merely grows weaker for a time. Although we have at least 2,000 years to wonder about it, if a reversal were to occur today, one obvious effect would be mass disruption to communications systems. Much the way solar storms can affect satellite and radio signals, a magnetic field reversal would have the same effect, though to a much more pronounced degree. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Rosenberg, Matt. "Reversal of the Earth's Magnetic Poles." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/what-is-magnetic-reversal-1435340. Rosenberg, Matt. (2023, April 5). Reversal of the Earth's Magnetic Poles. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-magnetic-reversal-1435340 Rosenberg, Matt. "Reversal of the Earth's Magnetic Poles." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-magnetic-reversal-1435340 (accessed October 9, 2024). copy citation | insufficient-neutral |
Magnetic poles reversals involve the Earth flipping vertically and momentarily stopping its rotation, causing cataclysmic events during 6 days. | Unsupported: There is no evidence that magnetic reversals have any impact on climate nor is there scientific basis for the claim that the planet flips on itself within six days. Misunderstanding of science: Speculation on the imminent possibility of the next magnetic poles' reversal happening is based on confusing averages with a normal. Scientists estimate that the probability of the Earth’s magnetic field reversing within the next 20 000 years is extremely low. [...] In a recent podcast episode, Comedian and Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator Joe Rogan and YouTuber Jimmy Corsetti talked about the so-called "Adam and Eve" theory. Even though this theory has no support in science, as we will show below, Corsetti and Rogan discussed it as if it were credible. Corsetti appears to believe that when magnetic poles reverse, the Earth flips over itself and stops rotating for six days. Corsetti also claimed that the next reversal should happen in a very near future, and that it would be cataclysmic. A clip from this interview was viewed over twenty millions times on TikTok, and several other clips were widely shared on social media. [...] The "Adam and Eve" theory laid out in the interview suggests that magnetic poles’ reversal includes the Earth doing a "flip", involving North and South poles physically changing positions. In reality, no scientific evidence indicates that the Earth ever performed such flips. This claim is extremely implausible, as there is hardly anything that could flip the Earth in such a way, apart from a collision with planets or other astronomical bodies. | refutes |
Magnetic poles reversals involve the Earth flipping vertically and momentarily stopping its rotation, causing cataclysmic events during 6 days. | Magnetic poles reversals are not cataclysmic events as claimed in the ‘Adam and Eve’ theory discussed on Joe Rogan podcast | refutes |
there has been no reduction in oceanic pH levels in the last century | At first, scientists thought that this might be a good thing because it leaves less carbon dioxide in the air to warm the planet. But in the past decade, they’ve realized that this slowed warming has come at the cost of changing the ocean’s chemistry. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, the water becomes more acidic and the ocean’s pH (a measure of how acidic or basic the ocean is) drops. Even though the ocean is immense, enough carbon dioxide can have a major impact. In the past 200 years alone, ocean water has become 30 percent more acidic—faster than any known change in ocean chemistry in the last 50 million years. [...] So far, ocean pH has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 since the industrial revolution, and is expected by fall another 0.3 to 0.4 pH units by the end of the century. A drop in pH of 0.1 might not seem like a lot, but the pH scale, like the Richter scale for measuring earthquakes, is logarithmic. For example, pH 4 is ten times more acidic than pH 5 and 100 times (10 times 10) more acidic than pH 6. If we continue to add carbon dioxide at current rates, seawater pH may drop another 120 percent by the end of this century, to 7.8 or 7.7, creating an ocean more acidic than any seen for the past 20 million years or more. | refutes |
Nicotine patches can cure Parkinson’s disease | Nicotinic Receptor Intervention in Parkinson's Disease: Future Directions - PMID: 29863173 - PMCID: PMC5975393 [...] Sufficient preclinical and epidemiological data are available to justify nicotinic intervention in Parkinson's disease (PD). Although use of nicotine patch has been suggested in some neurodegenerative disorders, including PD, the key for success with nicotinic intervention, particularly in PD, appears to rely not only on the dose but also on the mode of nicotine administration. Our aim in this short review is to provide justification for such contention. Thus, following a short introduction of nicotinic receptor pharmacology, the potential of nicotine in alleviating not only the motor symptoms, but also the mood disorders (e.g. depression) and mild cognitive impairments that are commonly co-morbid with PD will be presented. Moreover, since current PD therapy is associated with dyskinesia, the effectiveness of nicotine in ameliorating levodopa (L-Dopa)-induced dyskinesia will also be discussed. It is suggested that pulsatile nicotine administration (e.g. via inhalation or nasal spray) may be the optimal route in nicotinic intervention in PD. [...] Nicotine and Nicotinic Receptor Drugs: Potential for Parkinson's Disease and Drug-Induced Movement Disorders.Int Rev Neurobiol. 2015;124:247-71. doi: 10.1016/bs.irn.2015.07.005. Epub 2015 Aug 18. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2015. PMID: 26472532 Review. | insufficient-supports |
“Americans are dropping dead” from COVID-19 vaccines; vaccines impair fertility, pregnancy, infant survival | Ample evidence from safety surveillance and published studies continue to show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and that their benefits outweigh their risks. The vaccines are also safe before and during pregnancy, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people who are pregnant or willing to conceive receive a COVID-19 vaccine. | insufficient-refutes |
Discovery Of Massive Volcanic CO2 Emissions Discredits Global Warming Theory | - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110711104755.htm Ocean Floor String of Active Volcanoes Located Near Antarctica's South Sandwich Islands - http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2016/02/02/el-nino-and-global-warming-whats-the-connection/ El Nino's are generated by natural forces and not Global Warming - https://phys.org/news/2016-06-earthquakes-ultraslow-mid-ocean-ridges.html Proof the Mid-Arctic Rift is Very Active and Capable of Emitting Massive Amounts of Ocean Warming and Sea Ice Melting Heat - http://www.newsweek.com/underwater-volcano-eruptions-guns-730046 One Million Sub-Sea Volcanoes and None are Monitored for heat, Methane, or CO2 Flow. [...] - https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6996 NASA Antarctica Volcanic Research Study - https://phys.org/news/2017-11-bolsters-theory-source-antarctica.html NASA Antarctica Volcanic Research Study - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5060079/Mantle-plume-Antarctica-heating-ice-sheet.html NASA Antarctica Volcanic Research Study - http://www.ibtimes.com/underwater-volcano-eruptions-very-common-poorly-studied-threat-marine-travel-2623324 Underwater volcanoes which are NOT monitored greatly out number land volcanoes - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873965214000693 Strong seismic / earthquake activity of the Mid-Artic Ridge (Rift) / fault system - https://climatechangedispatch.com/nasa-study-shows-additional-geologic-forces-behind-west-antarctic-ice-melt/ How the West Antarctic Rift / fault system is melting glaciers and has generated to Marie Byrd Mantle Plume - http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2017/nov/20/americannewscom/no-nasa-antarctica-study-didnt-discredit-climate-c/ Article claiming West Antarctic mantle plume does not damage the theory of Climate Change - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics Scientific Description of how major continental and oceanic segments (plates) move around and interact with each other (Continental Drift Theory). | insufficient-refutes |
Discovery Of Massive Volcanic CO2 Emissions Discredits Global Warming Theory | This article claims that volcanic sources of carbon dioxide are poorly understood and could well be the cause of modern global warming, rather than human activities. In reality, current annual human-caused emissions are at least 100 times greater than all volcanic emissions. | refutes |
“No one has died of cancer or heart disease since the COVID-19 thing started” | More people are dying during the pandemic – and not just from COVID-19 [...] Moreover, the JAMA study found huge increases in excess deaths from underlying causes such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania – the five states with the most COVID-19 deaths in March and April. New York City experienced the biggest jumps, including a 398% rise in heart disease deaths and a 356% increase in diabetes deaths. Other research underscores the findings. A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed data from March through May and calculated that 22% of excess deaths were not attributed to COVID-19. Although data is still being gathered, "Upward trends in other causes of death (e.g., suicide, drug overdose, heart disease) may contribute to excess deaths in some jurisdictions," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. | refutes |
Viruses don’t exist, terrain theory explains why diseases occur | Africa Check published an article on 18 May fact-checking another claim that "contagion is a myth" and that germs do not cause disease. We pointed out that this claim is part of a broader set of beliefs known as "terrain theory". [...] Terrain theory, developed by a rival of Pasteur, suggests that germs do not cause disease, and that a person becomes ill because of toxins in their environment, or unhealthy behaviours. The Facebook post even claims that because germs do not cause disease, "there is nothing to be immune to, nor any need for nor existence of an immune system". [...] Gainty said "traces of terrain theory underlie our contemporary obsession with the so-called ‘good’ bacteria of our digestive tract", but that rather than disproving germ theory, these findings have been incorporated into it. "Along the way," she wrote, "germ theory has continued to survive as a theory because it explains so much". | insufficient-neutral |
Viruses don’t exist, terrain theory explains why diseases occur | FULL CLAIM: Herpes is caused by lack of collagen, flu is caused by salt imbalance, COVID-19 is caused by 5G radiation, rabies doesn’t exist, HIV is caused by AZT, and polio is caused by DDT; "So when it comes to it, none of these viruses have been proven to exist"; terrain theory explains why diseases happen [...] The terrain theory, which can be traced back to French chemist Antoine Béchamp, has been used as a competing explanation with germ theory for why diseases occur. The terrain theory argues that diseases aren’t caused by germs, but by imbalances in the host organism resulting from lifestyle, such as nutritional deficiencies. As such, correcting the imbalance will cure the disease. [...] However, the fact that some principles of the terrain theory explain why certain diseases occur doesn’t mean that germ theory is wrong. Diseases can result from infectious and non-infectious causes. Our understanding of diseases and how to treat them draws on the principles of both theories. The denial of germ theory espoused in the Instagram reel lends users an incorrect understanding of how diseases occur and can be potentially dangerous if it leads them to reject proven treatments and preventative measures. | insufficient-supports |
Mammograms don’t prevent cancer; mammograms contribute to cancer development | One fact remains clear: Mammography is still the best tool available to screen for breast cancer, with research showing it has lowered the number of breast cancer deaths by 40% since 1990. Myth #6: Mammograms don’t reduce deaths from breast cancer. [...] But one fact remains clear: Mammography is still the best tool available to screen for breast cancer, with research showing it has lowered the number of breast cancer deaths by 40% since 1990. | insufficient-refutes |
Most likely the primary control knob [on climate change] is the ocean waters and this environment that we live in. | El Niño and La Niña alternately warm and cool large areas of the tropical Pacific—the world’s largest ocean—which significantly influences where and how much it rains there. The primary location of moist, rising air (over the basin’s warmest water) is centered over the central or eastern Pacific during El Niño and over Indonesia and the western Pacific during La Niña. [...] During El Niño, when the trade winds are weak or even occasionally reverse themselves, the amount of cold water that comes to the surface is reduced. Warm waters in the west Pacific Ocean slosh to the east. Now there is a large area along the equator where ocean temperatures are above normal. Heat from the ocean then goes out into the atmosphere, leading to warmer air temperatures in the Pacific and subsequently, to warmer global air temperatures (plus a cascade of other impacts). [...] Weak winds allow warm surface waters to build up in the eastern Pacific. Sometimes, but not always, the atmosphere responds to this warming with increased rising air motion and above-average rainfall in the eastern Pacific. This coordinated change in both ocean temperatures and the atmosphere begins an El Niño event. As the event develops, the warmed waters cause the winds to weaken even further, which can cause the waters to warm even more. | insufficient-neutral |
“Official CDC data: 143,233% surge in fatal cancers among Vaxxed Americans” | Official data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed an alarming spike in fatal cancers among Americans who have received Covid mRNA injections. [...] The U.S. federal government’s own official data confirms that the risk of developing cancer following Covid vaccination increases by a staggering 143,233%. [...] According to VAERS data analyzed by The Exposé, the number of cancer cases spikes dramatically among those vaccinated with the shots. | supports |
Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism; Amish children are largely unvaccinated; Covid death rates among Amish communities are 90 times lower than for the rest of America | Decades of epidemiological and clinical studies show that vaccines don’t cause autism and effectively reduce the risk of potentially disabling or lethal childhood illnesses like measles and polio. The Amish are a Christian group of about 350,000 people, most of whom live in the U.S.. Although they avoid the use of modern technology, they do vaccinate their children to a certain degree. Members of the Amish can and do develop various medical conditions such as autism, diabetes and cancer, just like the general population. | insufficient-refutes |
Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism; Amish children are largely unvaccinated; Covid death rates among Amish communities are 90 times lower than for the rest of America | FULL CLAIM: "New Study Finds Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism"; Amish children are largely unvaccinated; "a study [...] found that Covid death rates among Amish communities are 90 times lower than for the rest of America" [...] One example of this claim can be found in this Leading Report article, published on 9 July 2023, alleging that a "new study [found] zero Amish children diagnosed with cancer, diabetes or autism" because they are "strictly 100 percent unvaccinated". The article also claimed that the "Covid death rates among Amish communities are 90 times lower than for the rest of America" because they didn’t get vaccinated. Leading Report is recognized as a Questionable Source by Media Bias/Fact Check, regularly promoting conspiracy theories and misinformation. [...] It is inaccurate to say that there are no health conditions such as autism, cancer, or diabetes among the Amish. A conference paper from the International Society for Autism Research dating to 2010 reported an autism prevalence of 1 in 271 children in Amish communities. This was lower compared to the overall U.S. prevalence of 1 in 91 children at that time, but is by no means zero, contrary to the claim. | refutes |
Zero Amish Children Diagnosed with Cancer, Diabetes or Autism; Amish children are largely unvaccinated; Covid death rates among Amish communities are 90 times lower than for the rest of America | Objectives: The Holmes County Amish have low vaccination rates, an increasingly diverse population, and have an increased incidence of certain inherited diseases. The objectives were to evaluate; the rate and influences of vaccine hesitancy compared to a decade ago, vaccination patterns between Amish affiliations, vaccine practices of Amish special needs children, and the Amish's acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. [...] Results: The response rate was 39%. Among 391 respondents, 59% did not vaccinate their children, compared to only 14% that refused all vaccinations reported by Wenger et al in the same community only a decade ago. The ultra-conservative Amish rejected vaccines more often. Amish special needs children were more likely to receive vaccines than healthy Amish children. 75% responded they would reject a COVID-19 vaccine. Fear of adverse effects was the most common reason to reject vaccines. Families that accepted vaccines were more likely to cite a healthcare worker as the primary influence to vaccinate. Wives were more likely to cite their spouse as the primary influence to vaccinate. Families that rejected vaccines were more likely to state their bishop was the most influential person on vaccination. Conclusion: The Holmes County Amish have decreasing vaccine acceptance. Efforts to improve vaccination will require a targeted focus on the primary influences and beliefs of sub-populations within the Amish. Physician advocacy, peer mentorship, father-directed education, and close partnership with Church leadership will be needed to limit vaccine-preventable disease. The Amish may be at risk for low uptake of a COVID-19 vaccine. | insufficient-supports |
CO2 concentrations are increasing in Earth’s atmosphere faster than they have in the last 50,000 years. | Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and their current rate of increase is unprecedented in the last 50,000 years, based on ice core data. The highest increase in CO2 in that period occurred over the span of 50 years, but the same increase occurred in only the last five years – which is 10 times faster. As human emissions of CO2 increase, global temperatures rise in response through the greenhouse effect. | supports |
CO2 concentrations are increasing in Earth’s atmosphere faster than they have in the last 50,000 years. | Today's world: Fastest rate of carbon dioxide rise over the last 50,000 years - Date: [...] - Today's rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice. Today's rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice. | supports |
CO2 concentrations are increasing in Earth’s atmosphere faster than they have in the last 50,000 years. | Atmospheric CO2 concentrations rising faster today than the last 50,000 years, as accurately claimed in recent social media posts Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and their current rate of increase is unprecedented in the last 50,000 years, based on ice core data. The highest increase in CO2 in that period occurred over the span of 50 years, but the same increase occurred in only the last five years – which is 10 times faster. As human emissions of CO2 increase, global temperatures rise in response through the greenhouse effect. [...] In May 2024, a number of articles and Facebook posts claimed that carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are increasing in Earth’s atmosphere faster than they have in the last 50,000 years. So what sparked this claim? | supports |
Doctors are ‘injecting poison’ into babies every two months. | Factually inaccurate: Childhood vaccines have saved hundreds of thousands of lives in the U.S. alone and save millions every year globally. Describing them as poison that turns a healthy baby into a sick one contradicts the scientific evidence showing the protection that vaccines provide against illness. [...] Owens described vaccination as "injecting poison", which is in line with many anti-vaccination claims that mislead about the safety of vaccine ingredients. Health Feedback has addressed several of these claims previously: [...] The childhood vaccine schedule is designed to protect against various infectious diseases. Contrary to the misleading claim of "injecting poison", vaccines are carefully formulated to train the immune system to recognize and fight specific pathogens without causing the disease. | refutes |
Doctors are ‘injecting poison’ into babies every two months. | "The doctors would inject poison directly into the baby's skull to kill it," Chen says, drawing on recordings he made of interviews with hundreds of women and their families in Linyi. "Other doctors would artificially induce labor. But some babies were alive when they were born and began crying. The doctors strangled or drowned those babies." | supports |
Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas so it is the main cause of recent global warming | Water vapor is fundamentally different from the other greenhouse gasses which directly cause global warming. It leaves the atmosphere in a matter of days and its atmospheric concentration is ultimately governed by temperature. It is critical for the natural greenhouse effect, but it is a negligible contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect. We already know, beyond any reasonable doubt, that human emissions of the other greenhouse gasses is the primary cause of global warming. | refutes |
COVID-19 vaccines are “an unqualified disaster”; they didn’t “[halt] viral spread” and they caused “high morbidity and mortality rates” | On 13 December 2023, the Wellness Company shared a post on Instagram, in which gynecologist James Thorp questioned the utility and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The post claimed that the vaccines were an "unqualified disaster" because they didn’t "[halt] viral spread" while "spawn[ing] unacceptable high morbidity and mortality rates". [...] Although they don’t entirely halt the spread of the virus, COVID-19 vaccines are effective at reducing the risk of severe disease. This is important because it translates into fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations and mortality. An observational study about the first year of vaccination in the U.S. showed that a 10% increase in vaccination in the country was associated with an 8% reduction in mortality[4]. [...] Stating that COVID-19 vaccines don’t halt the spread of the virus is misleading. Similar to the claim discussed in the previous section, it incorrectly takes an "all or nothing" position on vaccine effectiveness, in which anything less than 100% effectiveness means a vaccine doesn’t work. | refutes |
[It] is nearly impossible to categorize post-vaccine deaths as vaccine-related | Based on past experience, it is estimated that between 1 and 2 people out of every 1 million people vaccinated will die as a result of life-threatening reactions to the vaccine. Careful screening of potential vaccine recipients is essential to ensure that those at increased risk do not receive the vaccine. People most likely to have side effects are people who have, or even once had, skin conditions, (especially eczema or atopic dermatitis) and people with weakened immune systems, such as those who have received a transplant, are HIV positive, or are receiving treatment for cancer. Anyone who falls within these categories, or lives with someone who falls into one of these categories, should NOT get the smallpox vaccine unless they are exposed to the disease. Pregnant women should not get the vaccine because of the risk it poses to the fetus. Anyone who is allergic to the vaccine or any of its components should not get the vaccine, and anyone under the age of 18 should not get the vaccine unless they are exposed to smallpox. | insufficient-neutral |
[It] is nearly impossible to categorize post-vaccine deaths as vaccine-related | The World Health Organization’s system of classifying adverse events following immunization (AEFI) does allow for the recording and investigation of adverse events even after vaccines are licensed for use. Peer-reviewed studies and ongoing AEFI surveillance using systems such as the US-based Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) show that adverse events continue to be monitored post-licensure. However, the WHO’s AEFI protocol is not implemented by the US healthcare system, so it does not make sense to claim that the protocol enables the US government to cover up vaccine deaths. | insufficient-neutral |
[It] is nearly impossible to categorize post-vaccine deaths as vaccine-related | Passive surveillance systems contain many reports that fall into this category. Reports to the manufacturer or to the government regarding the death of a vaccine recipient in temporal relation to vaccination can be made before a cause of death is established. Once an autopsy is performed, it is sometimes clear that the death was temporally but not causally related to vaccination. An example of such a death is one that was reported to VAERS. This report describes the death of a 5-year-old 10 days after receipt of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine (DPT), OPV, and measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR). The cause of death was Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis, which did not appear to be vaccine related. [...] The committee explored the possibility that vaccines may cause death by mechanisms other than vaccine-strain viral infection or an adverse event that itself is causally related to vaccine administration. The committee considered whether it might have overlooked possible vaccine-related mechanisms or pathways that could lead to death. The committee was unable to hypothesize such causes. However, had the committee identified reports of death following vaccination that did not fall into any of the other six categories, de facto those reports would have been placed into this category and causality would have been assessed for those reports. The committee found no reports of death that could be placed in this category, either in theory or by exclusion from the other causes listed above. | insufficient-refutes |
“Secret CDC Report confirms nearly 120k Youngsters 'Died Suddenly' in the USA by Oct. 2022 following roll-out of COVID Vaccines” | On 17 January 2023, the website The Exposé published an article, proclaiming in the headline that "Secret CDC Report confirms nearly 120k Youngsters ‘Died Suddenly’ in the USA by Oct. 2022 following roll-out of COVID Vaccines". Citing excess death statistics in the U.S. and non-COVID death statistics in the U.K., the article alleged that these were due to COVID-19 vaccination. No author was listed in the article’s byline, as is typically the case for articles by the Exposé, but an investigation by the organization Logically found that the website was owned by an individual named Jonathan Allen-Walker. [...] None of those datasets were included by The Exposé, which then ascribed excess deaths in the U.S. to COVID-19 vaccination by citing data from the U.K. Office of National Statistics (ONS) instead, specifically the report titled "Deaths by Vaccination Status, England, 1 January 2021 to 31 May 2022". Showing a graph of non-COVID deaths in people aged 18 to 39 in England for January to May 2022, the article highlighted the spikes in deaths in those who received one dose of vaccine compared to unvaccinated people. [...] Overall, these observations are inconsistent with the claim that COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for excess deaths in the young. Instead, the evidence points to COVID-19 as the main cause of excess deaths in the U.S. Rather than contributing to excess deaths, COVID-19 vaccines can instead help to minimize such deaths, given that they are highly effective at reducing a person’s risk of severe disease. | insufficient-refutes |
“Secret CDC Report confirms nearly 120k Youngsters 'Died Suddenly' in the USA by Oct. 2022 following roll-out of COVID Vaccines” | A Dec. 4 Instagram post features a screenshot of a Discern Report blog post headlined, "SECRET CDC REPORT: Since the Covid Jabs Were Rolled Out, at Least 1.1 Million Americans Have 'Died Suddenly.'" [...] Discern Report, "SECRET CDC REPORT: Since the Covid Jabs Were Rolled Out, At Least 1.1 Million Americans have ‘Died Suddenly’" (archive), Dec. 4, 2022 The Expose, "Secret CDC Report Reveals At Least 1.1 Million Americans Have ‘Died Suddenly’ Since the COVID Vaccine Rollout & Another Government Report Proves the COVID Vaccines Are To Blame " (archive), Nov. 24, 2022 | insufficient-neutral |
Based on the increase of solar activity during the twentieth century, it should account for between half to two-thirds of all climate change | Averaged over the complete solar cycle, there’s been minimal long-term change in the Sun’s overall brightness since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Records of sunspots show increased solar activity during the first 7 decades of the 20th century, likely tied to the peak of the last 100-year Gleissberg Cycle. Following that peak around 1960, solar activity declined. In fact, activity during the most recent solar cycle is among the lowest in a century. Meanwhile, the rate of global warming has accelerated over the past few decades. [...] Taken together, the increasing solar activity of the first half of the 20th century and the decreasing activity since then have largely canceled each other out in terms of their influence on global temperature. In the Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, experts concluded that the best estimate for the influence of the Sun on climate between the pre-industrial (1850-1900) and the present (2010-2019) was that it added 0.01 Watts per square meter to the global energy imbalance causing global warming. Such a small energy imbalance (scientists call it a radiative forcing) is likely to be responsible for no more than 0.01 degrees Celsius of warming over that period. That’s 100 times smaller than the overall warming that’s occurred on Earth over the industrial period, which the IPCC estimates as 0.95–1.2 degrees Celsius in 2011–2020 versus 1850–1900. | refutes |
Based on the increase of solar activity during the twentieth century, it should account for between half to two-thirds of all climate change | If solar activity did play a significant role in recent changes in global temperatures, then those temperatures should have stayed roughly the same or even declined over the last decade. A paper from 2012 even predicted there would be a 1.0°C decrease in temperatures. Clearly this has not turned out to be the case. The hottest decade on record has coincided with the weakest solar cycle for over a century. Given this combination of factors, it is rather difficult to defend the position that solar activity is indeed responsible for present climate change without a radical shake up of the understanding of solar physics. In the graphs below we have attempted to correlate the number of sunspots with variations in global sea surface temperatures (taken from the Japan Meteorological Agency), and global surface temperatures (taken from GISTEMP data). [...] These observations of the present solar cycle make it very difficult to defend the position that solar activity is ultimately responsible for the world’s current warming trend. Instead they fit with the argument that human influences are responsible for a large amount of the recent increase in global temperatures. | refutes |
Based on the increase of solar activity during the twentieth century, it should account for between half to two-thirds of all climate change | Scientists are still debating whether or not the Sun’s activity increased during the latter half of the 20th century, but even the highest estimates of activity can’t account for the warming observed since about 1950. Studies do show that solar variability has significantly influenced past climate changes. For example, a decrease in solar activity is thought to have triggered the Northern Hemisphere’s Little Ice Age between approximately 1650 and 1850, when temperatures dipped low enough that rivers that don’t freeze in today’s human-warmed climate froze over. [...] Regardless, even when scientists assume that solar activity is increasing based on proxy data and the satellite record, they can’t account for all of the warming observed at the end of the twentieth century. Climate models can only reproduce the warming observed since 1950 when a rise in greenhouse gases is built into the system. | refutes |
Ventilators, not COVID, killed hospitalized COVID patients | CLAIM: A new study found that ventilators were responsible for nearly all COVID-19 patient deaths. [...] "Official Report: Ventilators Killed Nearly ALL COVID Patients," reads a headline that has racked up tens of thousands of likes and shares. [...] Ventilator-associated pneumonia, as it’s called, is a known issue in the field, and not COVID-19 specific: A patient’s lungs aren’t operating normally, Singer said, and a tube in the windpipe presents an opening for bacteria. | insufficient-refutes |
Ventilators, not COVID, killed hospitalized COVID patients | Ventilators were commonly deployed for critically ill COVID-19 patients who developed trouble breathing. The way ventilators were used initially during the pandemic was based on doctors’ experiences of treating other, known types of pneumonia. Over time, as doctors gained a better understanding of COVID-19, their approach to ventilator use also evolved. While it is probable that ventilators were used on some patients who might not have needed it in the end, the claim that ventilators, not COVID-19, were responsible for killing the majority of COVID-19 patients isn’t substantiated by evidence. | refutes |
“those who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with mRNA shots will lose 25 years of their life” | Another claim that has emerged to support this narrative is that vaccinated people will increase their risk of mortality by 7% for every dose received and so "those who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with mRNA shots will lose 25 years of their life", which appeared in early April 2023 on websites like The Exposé and Slay News. However, this claim is inaccurate. We explain why below. Firstly, the claim that vaccinated people will experience a 25-year loss in life expectancy is an extrapolation of a previous claim by insurance analyst Josh Stirling that "each additional vaccine dose increased mortality by 7%". Health Feedback previously debunked Stirling’s claim in detail here. [...] Overall, the foundation of this claim—that there is a 7% mortality increase due to COVID-19 vaccination—isn’t actually supported by data and any reasoning built on that estimate is fallacious. The claim that vaccinated people have their life expectancy reduced by 25 years takes Stirling’s erroneous 7% figure and further compounds it with an invalid extrapolation to stoke fear over COVID-19 vaccines. | refutes |
“For every one person who dies: 19 more require hospitalization; 18 of those will have permanent heart damage for the rest of their lives” | COVID-19 infections can have multiple outcomes besides death and complete recovery. Although the vast majority of patients survive the infection, a significant proportion continue to suffer from potentially lifelong health problems, such as heart and lung damage and neurological deficits. Hence it is important to take transmission control measures seriously to minimize our risk of infection. However, there is currently not enough information to calculate with certainty the risks of developing the different sequelae of infection. | insufficient-neutral |
“For every one person who dies: 19 more require hospitalization; 18 of those will have permanent heart damage for the rest of their lives” | How many people are in hospital due to COVID-19 at a given time? [...] Note that this is distinct from the weekly new number of people admitted to hospital due to COVID-19. You find this metric in the next section. [...] Note that this number is distinct from the total number of patients in hospital due to COVID-19 at any given time. You find this data in the previous section. | insufficient-neutral |
Ice cores from Greenland show no significant warming, casting doubt on the climate change theory | The claim that there is no global warming signal from Greenland is in direct contradiction with available observations. Recent studies of ice cores from several locations in Greenland have shown that temperatures are warming faster than the natural variation of the last 1000 years. Rising temperatures in Greenland do not necessarily represent global changes. However, other studies have shown evidence of rising temperatures around the world. [...] A recent example is in an article on The Daily Sceptic, which made several claims about global warming using a small subset of the available climate data, which we will investigate below. Based on ice core data from one part of Greenland, the article claims that "there is no significant global warming signal coming from one of the most sensitive parts of the planet", and that these data–which show a rising temperature trend in modern times–fall within a normal (natural) variation. However, this claim is in direct contradiction with scientific findings, mischaracterizes the cited data, and excludes sufficient context about how global warming trends are studied. [...] Based on these findings, the claim made in The Daily Sceptic article regarding a lack of global warming signal from Greenland is inaccurate and a mischaracterization of the supporting data. The Hörhold et al. (2023) study–which analyzed more ice core data (with greater spatial coverage) and achieved high data correlation–found clear evidence of warming in Greenland which exceeded the natural variation of the last 1000 years[4]. | refutes |
Ice cores from Greenland show no significant warming, casting doubt on the climate change theory | "This is an important finding and corroborates the suspicion that the ‘missing warming’ in the ice cores is due to the fact that the cores end before the strong warming sets in," said climate scientist Martin Stendel of the Danish Meteorological Institute, who wasn’t part of the research. The ice cores are used to make a chart of proxy temperatures for Greenland running from the year 1000 to 2011. It shows temperatures gently sloping cooler for the first 800 years, then wiggling up and down while sloping warmer until a sharp and sudden spike hotter from the 1990s on. One scientist compared it to a hockey stick, a description used for other long-term temperature data showing climate change. READ MORE: Greenland suspends oil exploration because of climate change The jump in temperature after 1995 is so much larger than pre-industrial times before the mid-19th century that there is "almost zero" chance that it is anything but human-caused climate change, Hoerhold said. The warming spike also mirrors a sudden rise in the amount of water running off from Greenland’s melting ice, the study finds. | refutes |
Ice cores from Greenland show no significant warming, casting doubt on the climate change theory | A 120,000-year long climate record from a NW-Greenland deep ice core at ultra-high resolution [...] Steffensen, J. P. et al. High-resolution Greenland ice core data show abrupt climate change happens in few years. Science321, 680–684, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157707 (2008). [...] Gkinis, V., Vinther, B.M., Popp, T.J. et al. A 120,000-year long climate record from a NW-Greenland deep ice core at ultra-high resolution. | insufficient-neutral |
Antarctic sea-ice extent is increasing to record levels. Antarctica is getting colder; its sea ice and ice cap are not melting | A new record minimum for Antarctic sea ice [...] Antarctic sea ice extent reached a new record low of 1.965 million km2 on 23 February 2022. This extent is approximately 32% below climatological values and might indicate a transition to new, more extreme, annual fluctuations. [...] Handcock, M. S. & Raphael, M. N. Modeling the annual cycle of daily Antarctic sea ice extent. The Cryosphere14, 2159–2172 (2020). | refutes |
Antarctic sea-ice extent is increasing to record levels. Antarctica is getting colder; its sea ice and ice cap are not melting | Since 1979, the total annual Antarctic sea ice extent has increased about 1 percent per decade. Compared to the Arctic, the signal has been a "noisy" one, with wide year–to-year fluctuations. For three consecutive Septembers (2012 to 2014), satellites observed new record highs for winter sea ice extent around Antarctica. The largest of those occurred in September 2014, when the ice reached 20.14 million square kilometers (7.78 million square miles). Still, increases in Antarctic sea ice are exceeded by decreases in the Arctic. That is to say, global sea ice is decreasing even as Antarctic sea ice is increasing slightly. [...] Antarctic sea ice trends are smaller and more complex. Relative to the average from 1981 to 2010, the Antarctic sea ice extent increased about 1 percent per decade, but the trends were not consistent for all areas or all seasons. The variability in Antarctic sea ice patterns makes it harder for scientists to explain Antarctic sea ice trends and to predict how Southern Hemisphere sea ice may change as greenhouse gases continue to warm the Earth. Climate models do predict that Antarctic sea ice will respond more slowly than Arctic sea ice to warming, but as temperatures continue to rise, a long-term decline is expected. | insufficient-contradictory |
Antarctic sea-ice extent is increasing to record levels. Antarctica is getting colder; its sea ice and ice cap are not melting | Despite a period of slight growth between 1979 and 2014, Antarctic sea ice cover is not increasing to record levels. The trend reversed in 2014 and ice cover started to decrease vigorously. Many long-term measurements from Antarctic research stations show no significant warming or cooling trends over the whole continent, but parts of the continent are among the regions experiencing the fastest warming in the world, and the ice cap is losing mass. | refutes |
I am talking about the slaughter, death, and starvation of 6 billion people this century—that's what the science predicts. | - Without adaptive measures, the number of people who lack sufficient water for at least one month per year will soar from 3.6 billion today to more than 5 billion by 2050. [...] Sources: IPCC - The unsustainable use of land, soil, water and energy for food contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that cause rising temperatures. Higher temperatures in turn affect resources to produce food. Up to 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, as many as 161 million more than in 2019. | insufficient-neutral |
Toxic vaccine ingredients in the MMR vaccine cause encephalopathy | Current data shows that vaccines are safe and do not cause toxicity or encephalopathy. Vaccines undergo rigorous clinical trials and safety testing before they are used in the general population, and are also subject to continued monitoring even after they are approved for use. | refutes |
The pH for the coronavirus varies from 5.5 to 8.5. What we need to do to defeat the coronavirus is to consume more alkaline foods above the virus’ pH level. | Coronavirus pH varies from 5.5 to 8.5 is a myth, as the World Health Organization (WHO) hasn’t released any data on the coronavirus’ pH level. However, increasing your immunity can help fight against any disease. The message on WhatsApp //reads: "All we need to do to beat coronavirus is to take more of an alkaline foods that are above the above pH level of the Virus. Some of which are: Lemon - 9.9pH, Lime - 8.2pH, Avocado - 15.6pH, Garlic - 13.2pH, Mango - 8.7pH, Tangerine - 8.5pH, Pineapple - 12.7pH and Orange - 9.2pH". ‘New coronavirus scare has created several health myths on social media platforms and one of those is that to improve your pH levels, as the pH for coronavirus varies from 5.5 to 8.5.’ [...] "The World Health Organization (WHO) hasn’t released any data on the coronavirus’ pH level. In general, alkaline food items are essential to build the body’s immunity. The stronger the body’s immunity, the better will it fight infections and diseases," Mathur noted. | refutes |
“All these vaccines are causing harm to our kids”; “The fully unvaccinated kids are always healthier”; “vaccines are causing chronic disease in America” | Childhood vaccination represents a great advancement in public health that has helped to eliminate or reduce the risk of diseases that in the past killed and disabled more than two million children worldwide per year. A robust body of evidence shows that the vaccines that are currently in use, including COVID-19 vaccines, are safe for children and not associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes. | refutes |
The way urine reacts to salt is a test for pregnancy | Home pregnancy test kits detect pregnancy by picking up on the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine. Pregnancy can also be detected at the clinic using a blood test for hCG. The claim that pregnancy can be confirmed by the way salt reacts to urine appears to borrow elements from how home pregnancy test kits work. However, there’s no known mechanism by which salt reacts to the presence of hCG, and thus it isn’t a reliable method for confirming pregnancy. Factually inaccurate: There’s no scientific basis for the claim that the way urine reacts to salt can indicate pregnancy. As such, people shouldn’t rely on this "test" for accurate results. [...] However, this hasn’t stopped some people from promoting dubious tests on social media, such as by claiming that the way urine reacts to salt can confirm pregnancy. This particular claim has circulated on various platforms like Facebook and TikTok for at least the last few years (see examples here and here). More recent iterations of this claim include these TikTok videos—which received hundreds of thousands of views—and this Facebook post. | refutes |
Scientists were caught 'adjusting' sea level data to create false impression of rising oceans | The study, which did not appear to have been copy edited, asserted that scientists had been arbitrarily adjusting historical tide gauge data to inflate estimates of sea level rise. As evidence, the study focused on the routine corrections scientists applied to a single record in Aden, Yemen. [...] Yet, all the methods scientist use to adjust the data generally agree on the same thing, according to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment: that it is "very likely" that the sea level has been rising by about 1.7 mm per year globally from 1900-2010 -- a rate that is now accelerating. [...] The authors’ main proof that this is the case? Their description of the raw data at Aden, Yemen (which doesn’t show dramatic rise in sea level) and that of the corrected data (which does show a rise in sea level) in a tone suggesting: "we caught you!" They then conclude that the adjustments to the Aden record were arbitrarily "composed to produce a high trend, high acceleration record." (The data they describe are freely available on the PSMSL web site). | refutes |
Solar forcings are not too small to explain twentieth century warming. In fact, their effect could be equal to or greater than the effect of CO2 in the atmosphere. | Benestad and Schmidt[45] concluded that "the most likely contribution from solar forcing a global warming is 7 ± 1% for the 20th century and is negligible for warming since 1980." This paper disagreed with Scafetta and West,[46] who claimed that solar variability has a significant effect on climate forcing. Based on correlations between specific climate and solar forcing reconstructions, they argued that a "realistic climate scenario is the one described by a large preindustrial secular variability (e.g., the paleoclimate temperature reconstruction by Moberg et al.)[47] with TSI experiencing low secular variability (as the one shown by Wang et al.).[48] Under this scenario, they claimed the Sun might have contributed 50% of the observed global warming since 1900.[49] Stott et al. estimated that the residual effects of the prolonged high solar activity during the last 30 years account for between 16% and 36% of warming from 1950 to 1999.[50] [...] the most likely contribution from solar forcing a global warming is 7 ± 1% for the 20th century and is negligible for warming since 1980. | insufficient-contradictory |
Solar forcings are not too small to explain twentieth century warming. In fact, their effect could be equal to or greater than the effect of CO2 in the atmosphere. | To see the effects of the model response to solar forcing compared to GHG + sulfate, the difference of solar + GHG + sulfate minus GHG + sulfate (solar residual) is shown in Fig. 3c. The increased global-mean warming arising from solar forcing (Fig. 1b) is manifest most markedly at high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere associated with ice-albedo feedback, with maximum values of about +0.7°C north of 65°N in the late 1940s. Contributions in the Tropics and at high southern latitudes are about +0.1°–+0.2°C. The contribution of the solar forcing to the late twentieth-century warming is again most notable at high northern latitudes between 1985 and 1995 with values of about +0.3°C north of 70°N. The high-latitude warming associated with ice-albedo feedback was noted in the earlier studies with increased solar forcing (e.g., Wetherald and Manabe 1975). Though the impact of sulfate aerosols is greatest in the northern midlatitudes where the emissions are largest (e.g., Kiehl and Briegleb 1993; Meehl et al. 1996), warming is only slightly decreased there in Fig. 3b. The effects of the well-mixed ocean and the consequently large thermal inertia inhibit high-latitude warming in the circumpolar southern regions (e.g., Cubasch et al. 2001). | insufficient-neutral |
Placing raw onion on the bottom of the feet eliminates illness | Myth Buster Can Placing Raw Onions In Socks Really Cure Illnesses? Or Is The Method A Myth? [...] They say you can do anything with an onion: Sauté ‘em, bake ‘em, fry ‘em, you name it. And believe it or not, millions of people believe placing onions in socks even has the power to cleanse toxins from the bloodstream and ward off illnesses like fever, colds and the flu. But where would they get this idea? And does the age-old method of placing onions on your feet to cure infections actually work? Considering thousands of people search for the onions in socks cure each month, we decided to find out. [...] Nowadays, the supposed healing power of onions is being thought of in an entirely different way than in the 1500s. The growing popularity of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has many believing that the body is made up of meridians, which are pathways from certain access points on the body to your internal organs. It is believed that slicing an onion and securing the slices to the bottom of the feet via a pair of socks can open up the numerous meridians located on the bottom of each foot, allowing the onion to draw out toxins, bacteria and sickness from the body, as well as purify the blood in the bloodstream and eliminate foot odor. The theory that onions soak up germs has become so persuasive, many believers are afraid to eat leftover onions used during cooking because they are thought to absorb bacteria and viruses in the surrounding environment and become toxic to ingest. | insufficient-supports |
Earth about to enter 30-YEAR ‘Mini Ice Age’ | Claim that Earth will enter ‘mini Ice Age’ for 30 years is wrong, top scientists reveal A SCARY claim that Earth is about to enter a "Mini Ice Age" for 30 years is probably wrong, according to top scientists. [...] Professor Zharkova, who is a controversial figure in the scientific community, claimed: "We can only hope that the mini ice age will not be as severe as it was during the Maunder Minimum. | insufficient-refutes |
Earth about to enter 30-YEAR ‘Mini Ice Age’ | Earth Is About To Enter A 30-Year ‘Mini Ice Age الأرض ستدخل عصرا جليديا مصغرا لمدة 30 عاما Earth is bracing for a solar minimum: a dormant period in which the Sun radiates less energy or heat at our planet than usual. Scientists have warned that as a result of the Sun’s inactivity, Earth is likely to witness a ‘mini ice age’ that could bring extreme winters and chilly cold storms over the next 30 years. According to NASA, the Sun will reach its lowest activity in over 200 years in 2020. As it further goes into its natural hibernation phase, Earth will experience extremely cold spells which will trigger food shortages across the planet. The average temperatures could drop as much as one degree Celsius in a period lasting about 12 months. That might not sound a lot but a whole degree fall would have a significant impact on global average temperatures. | supports |
“Dissolution of Spike Protein by Nattokinase: Holy Grail of COVID-19 Vaccine Detoxification”; long COVID is caused by persistent spike protein in the body | Seeing a claim like this leads me to point out some things. First, the amount of spike protein that gets into the bloodstream as a result of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna is infinitesimally small, definitely smaller than the amount of spike protein one gets from an—oh, you know—actually infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Second—and I know I’m repeating myself from above, but bear with me—antivaxxers have been recommending "detoxification" to treat "vaccine injury" or "vaccine toxicity" since long before I ever first took notice of the antivaccine movement which was well over two decades ago. Nattokinase, as you will see, is just the latest wrinkle in this old narrative. [...] So what evidence do doctors like Dr. McCullough cite when recommending nattokinase? They always have some evidence to cite, but is it in any way convincing? In an earlier Substack post from February, Dr. McCullough was touting the Dissolution of Spike Protein by Nattokinase, which he called the "Holy Grail of COVID-19 vaccine detoxification," handwaving an "explanation" of why the vaccine-induced spike protein is so much more nasty than the much huger amounts of spike protein produced by an actual infection: | refutes |
The cyclical activity of the Sun as well as other variations in solar and earth activity, and NOT anthropogenic CO2 emissions, are responsible for climate change | Overwhelming scientific consensus finds human activity primarily responsible for climate change. [...] The amount of solar energy received by the earth goes up and down in cycles, but overall there is no net change since the 1950s. There has, however, been a big increase in global temperatures that is too large to attribute to the sun. For this reason, NASA and other scientists say the sun is not responsible for global warming. [28] The sun has had only a minor effect on the Northern Hemisphere climate over the past 1,000 years, and global warming from human-produced greenhouse gases has been the primary cause of climate change since 1900. [26] A study found that solar activity could not have contributed to more than 10% of the observed global warming over the 20th century. [27] [...] A study published in Energy & Environment wrote, "variations in solar activity and not the burning of fossil fuels are the direct cause of the observed multiyear variations in climatic responses." [69] In a study by Willie Soon, PhD, Physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, a strong correlation between solar radiation and temperatures in the Arctic over the past 130 years was identified. [70] | refutes |
The cyclical activity of the Sun as well as other variations in solar and earth activity, and NOT anthropogenic CO2 emissions, are responsible for climate change | Solar energy output does change slightly over short-term as well as long-term cycles. However, the expected effects due to these natural cycles are far below the threshold that could account for current climate change. | insufficient-refutes |
The cyclical activity of the Sun as well as other variations in solar and earth activity, and NOT anthropogenic CO2 emissions, are responsible for climate change | In his post, Monotti does not specifically state how the cyclical activity of the Sun as well as other factors can cause climate change, but he implies that variation in solar activity and in the Sun’s orbit relative to other celestial bodies, and changes in the Earth’s orbit are sufficient to explain ongoing climate change without recourse to greenhouse gas emissions and human activity. However, there is no evidence that any of these factors can explain the magnitude of the change in the earth’s climate that we are currently experiencing[2]. | refutes |
Measles vaccine caused Samoa measles outbreak | The measles vaccine is made with a live but weakened form of the measles virus, which is incapable of causing infection in healthy people. And although the vaccine can sometimes cause a mild symptomatic infection in immunocompromised individuals, such cases create no risk of a measles outbreak in the rest of the community. | refutes |
The DTaP vaccine causes SIDS | Factually inaccurate: Studies have found no association between the DTaP vaccine and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Childhood vaccination isn’t a risk factor for SIDS. [...] Well-child visits are scheduled screenings and assessments for healthy children. They are also when childhood vaccines are normally given. The juxtaposition of the case report and the problem of SIDS, implicitly suggested that the DTaP vaccine causes SIDS. SIDS is the sudden death of a baby before one year of age that doesn’t have a known cause, despite a full investigation. However, scientific studies have found no association between SIDS and the DTaP vaccine[2-4]. There are various risk factors for SIDS, such as an underlying but undetected medical condition and placing a baby to sleep on their stomach. But childhood vaccination isn’t one of them. | refutes |
Flat-topped landforms, such as buttes and mesas, are the remains of giant ancient trees. Tree features can be seen in Devils Tower, for example – the large hexagonal columns are fibers of a tree that would have been 19,000 feet tall. Other tree features can be seen in buttes and mesas, such as sloped sides and flat tops that look like tree stumps after trees are cut down. | Mesas are broad flat topped mountains with at least one steep side. Buttes are smaller flat topped mountains or hills with steep slopes on all sides. [...] Depositional Features and Landforms [...] Park Landforms and Features | insufficient-neutral |
Flat-topped landforms, such as buttes and mesas, are the remains of giant ancient trees. Tree features can be seen in Devils Tower, for example – the large hexagonal columns are fibers of a tree that would have been 19,000 feet tall. Other tree features can be seen in buttes and mesas, such as sloped sides and flat tops that look like tree stumps after trees are cut down. | Meitner, Lise meitnerium melaleuca tree melamine melanin melanism melanoma melon meltdown melting point membrane memory (computing) memory (psychology) menagerie Mendel, Gregor Johann mendelevium Mendeleyev, Dmitri Ivanovich Mendelism menhaden menhir Ménière's disease meningitis meningococcus meniscus meniscus (biology) menopause menstrual cycle mental disability mental illness menu Mercalli scale Mercator, Gerardus merchant navy Mercury (astronomy) mercury mercury fulminate Mercury project merganser meridian merino meristem merlin MERLIN array mermaid's purse mesa mescaline Mesmer, Friedrich Anton (or Franz) mesmerism mesoglea Mesolithic meson mesophyll mesosphere Mesozoic messaging Messerschmitt, Willy (Wilhelm Emil) Messier, Charles Messier catalogue metabolism metal metal detector metal fatigue metallic bond metallic character metallic glass metallographic examination metalloid metallurgy metamorphic rock metamorphism metamorphosis (biology) metazoa Metchnikoff, Elie meteor meteor-burst communications meteorite meteorology meter methanal methane methanogenic bacteria methanoic acid methanol methionine methyl alcohol methylated spirit methyl benzene methyl orange metre (science) metric system metric ton mg MHD mho mi mica Michaelmas daisy Michelson, Albert Abraham MICR micromicrobe microbiology microchip microclimate microcomputer microfiche microform micrometer (instrument) micrometre micro-organism microphone microprocessor micropropagation micropyle microscope microsurgery microtubules microwave heating microwave radiation Mid-Atlantic Ridge midge MIDI midnight sun mid-ocean ridge midwifery mifepristone mignonette migraine migration Milankovitch hypothesis mildew mile milfoil milk milking machine milk teeth Milky Way Millennium [...] butte steep-sided, flat-topped hill, formed in horizontally layered sedimentary rocks, largely in arid areas. A large butte with a pronounced tablelike profile is a mesa. Buttes and mesas are characteristic of semi-arid areas where remnants of resistant rock layers protect softer rock underneath, as in the plateau regions of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, USA. [...] W 74 183.85 19.1 2,900–3,000 | insufficient-neutral |
COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of miscarriages and stillbirths | The claim: Posts imply miscarriages and stillbirths drastically increased in 2021 due to COVID-19 vaccines [...] The implied claim here is wrong. The graph is based on data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System that is unverified and cannot determine if a vaccine caused a particular outcome. Scientists say a growing body of evidence shows COVID-19 vaccines do not cause an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirths. [...] "The totality of evidence from these monitoring systems indicates that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth," said Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Immunization Safety Office. | refutes |
COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of miscarriages and stillbirths | Scientific studies showed that COVID-19 vaccines don’t cause miscarriage or stillbirths. Pharmacosurveillance monitoring databases such as VAERS cannot be used alone to establish a causal association between vaccination and any medical condition. Public health agencies and medical associations recommend pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19. | refutes |
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