Tudomány

Mérgező lenne az esővel lehulló szaharai homok? Nem, ez nem igaz: a jelenség magyar szakértői szerint a lehullott anyag ártalmatlan, nehézfém tartalma elenyésző és igazából nem is homok. Az állítás egy TikTok videóban (itt archiválva) jelent meg 2024. április 4-én a következő felirattal: "Ez azért már nem vicces. Durva, nézd végig!". A videó így kezdődik: Sziasztok gyerekek! Mindenki jól figyeljen,…

Did the World Economic Forum demand that governments ban people from growing vegetables and fruit in their own gardens as it leaves too big a carbon footprint? No, that's not true: The source of the claim is likely a recent study by the University of Michigan, which has nothing to do with the Forum. The claim appeared in a video…

Does the fact that aircraft exhaust increases cloud cover in the sky prove the existence of so-called chemtrails, toxic plumes emitted by airplanes embroiled in a plot to wipe out humanity? No, that's not true: Scientists are concerned about the clouds created by aviation exhaust because they trap heat inside the atmosphere and boost global warming. This is entirely unrelated…

Is the World Economic Forum (WEF) planning to force people to observe "personal carbon allowances," legally restricting the amount of carbon emissions that individuals might generate during their daily activities? No, that's not true: The claim misrepresents an opinion piece that appeared on the WEF's website in 2022. The article proposes creating incentives for people to monitor their behavior vis-à-vis…

Is "Disease X" a mysterious virus deadlier than COVID-19 and kept a secret from the general public? No, that's not true: Disease X is a term used by the World Health Organization to describe a hypothetical virus that is presently unknown, serving as a strategy for preparedness in the event of a global emergency like a pandemic. The claim appeared…

Are there pyramids hidden in the Pilis Mountains in Hungary? No, that's not true: The video tries to prove this claim with graphics and a photo from Romania, but there is no evidence for this. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived here) on November 19, 2023, under the title (translated from Hungarian to English by Lead Stories…

Did life insurance payouts increase dramatically after the COVID-19 vaccine was introduced, implying a connection to a mass murder plot masterminded by the World Health Organization (WHO)? No, that's not true: The numbers used in this video on TikTok are misleading. After the COVID-19 vaccine became widely available in 2021, life insurers in the United States did report a rise…

Did an announced HAARP experiment cause a glowing phenomenon known as Aurora Borealis in the atmosphere in early November 2023? No, that's not true: The sun's coronal mass ejection caused the airglow. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) on November 6, 2023, under the title: Another "conspiracy theory" was confirmed! Official: We haven't seen the Aurora Borealis,…

Can the regular consumption of cow's milk lead to cancer? No, that's not true: No conclusive evidence exists that establishs a direct link between cow's milk or its casein content -- the main protein in milk -- and cancer development. Milk is considered a component of a healthy diet. The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) where it…

Is organ trade flourishing in Ukraine as organs of fallen soldiers are sold? No, that's not true: The claim is spread by Russian sources with no evidence. Moreover, organ transplant surgeries are too complicated to be done on a battlefield. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived here) published by a Hungarian newspaper, Magyar Hírlap, on August 12,…

Are airplanes spraying toxic streams known as "chemtrails" on people as part of a "genocidal plot"? No, that's not true: Scientists who investigated this claim turned up no evidence that chemtrails exist. The social media post making the claim attempts to prove it with photos that purportedly show aircraft carrying huge barrels of noxious compounds - but these are actually…

Does vegan food production inflict greater damage on the environment than the production of traditional fare? No, that's not true: Numerous scientific studies show that vegan production, which excludes all foods derived from animals, emits far less greenhouse gas (GHG) than livestock or other common food sources. The claim appeared in a Hungarian-language video (archived here) on TikTok on July…

Was Hungarian television star István Vágó killed by an adverse reaction to Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine? No, there is no evidence to support this claim: Vágó's widow told Hungarian media that he died from an aortic rupture. While doctors say mRNA jabs such as Pfizer's may be linked to cardiac complications in rare cases, there is no proof that Vágó's condition…

Is Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a.k.a Ragweed, a jolly joker plant that cures every illness, including cancer? No, that's not true: Scientific research proved that the plant itself is toxic, and the usage of ragweed in food products is banned in Hungary. It has been included in the list of plants not recommended for food products by the Hungarian National Institute of…

Is Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine almost completely composed of graphene oxide, and is this part of a plot to carry out a "mass poisoning?" No, that's not true: The claim was featured on the Stew Peters Show, an internet-based program that distorted the findings of a Spanish scientist to support its mass-murder theory. Pfizer's COVID-19 shot does not contain graphene oxide.…

Did a woman claim Pfizer-BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine had triggered an incurable rash on her face? No, that's not true: The social media video in which the claim appears has been edited. In a longer version of the clip, the woman explains she had been suffering from eczema, an incurable skin condition, before she was vaccinated. She says she does not…

Did a Portuguese court in 2020 find that PCR tests were an unreliable method of determining COVID-19 infection, based on a "scientific study"? No, that's not true: The claim mischaracterizes the finding of the Portuguese court and the nature of an informal letter to the editor of a scientific journal that was not a "study," as well as the letter's…

Is Pfizer being sued for $3 billion for using graphene oxide in their COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: Pfizer's COVID vaccines do not contain any kind of metals. Pfizer was fined for a similar amount in 2009 for illegal promotion of some of its pharmaceutical products. The claim appeared in a Hungarian TikTok video (translated into English by Lead…

Is COVID-19 a bioweapon? No, that's not true: There is no evidence proving that anyone developed COVID as a bioweapon. The origin of the virus is still not confirmed but the World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating possible sources. The claim appeared in several Hungarian language TikTok videos. One simply stated: Covid is a bioweapon. (Source: TikTok screenshot taken on…

Are COVID-19 vaccines a form of experimental gene therapy that German medical authorities needlessly recommended for children? No, that's not true: None of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in Germany alters a patient's DNA, as gene therapy does, and none is classified as experimental. And while it is true that Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) did advise under-18s to get…