In August 2025, a screenshot went viral online. It claimed to show California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office responding to Bed Bath & Beyond's announcement. The screenshot said the press office posted a rude message with an expletive and "BYE" on X (formerly Twitter). Many people believed it and shared it widely. The truth? It was fake. Newsom's press office n...
People often see things differently. What one person views as a sensible action, another might see as a sign of something much bigger. This idea is at the heart of a recent exploration into how symbols influence our perceptions and beliefs. Researchers dug into how people's views on COVID-19 measures were tied to something deeper: a symbolic show of strength. This i...
A man's strong belief in vaccine misinformation led to a violent act. Patrick Joseph White, 30, opened fire on the CDC in Atlanta. He was inside a CVS across from the CDC's main entrance. No CDC staff or civilians were hurt, but he damaged several buildings and killed a police officer. White was found dead in the store with five guns. It's unclear if he shot himself ...
Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are taking legal action against Candace Owens, a right-wing commentator. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware, accuses Owens of spreading false and harmful claims about the Macrons to boost her media presence and income. Owens has repeatedly asserted that Brigitte Macron is a man, among other unfounded allegations. The Macrons have ...
Measles is back in a big way in the U. S. After being declared eliminated in 2000, the country is now seeing the highest number of cases in decades. Over 1, 200 cases have been reported this year alone. Even more concerning, three people have died from the disease, all of whom were unvaccinated. The resurgence of measles is largely due to low vaccination rates. In G...
Social media is a big deal these days. It's where lots of people go to learn about stuff, including e-cigarettes. Xiaohongshu, a popular platform among young people in China, is no exception. The problem? Not all the info out there is accurate. Some of it can be downright misleading. This is a big deal because young people are especially vulnerable to this kind of th...
In today's digital world, AI-generated images are becoming so realistic that it's getting harder to tell what's real and what's not. This raises concerns about a future where false information spreads like wildfire. A recent study explored whether teaching people specific strategies to identify AI-generated images could help them better distinguish between real and f...
AI chatbots are everywhere, but should you trust them for health advice? A recent study shows that these tools can be easily tricked into giving wrong and even dangerous health information. Researchers tested five big AI models from companies like Google, Meta, and OpenAI. They found that these chatbots can be manipulated to spread false health claims, like saying va...
The COVID-19 pandemic didn't just bring health worries; it also sparked a surge in wild theories. Some of these theories made people doubt vaccines. Experts found a link between these false stories and the use of online social platforms. These platforms are like big social clubs. They don't just let people share info; they also make it easy for false stories to spre...
The success of vaccination drives across Central and Eastern Europe is a mixed bag. Some countries are doing well, while others are lagging behind. Why is this happening? It's a complex issue involving money, culture, politics, and even the internet. Let's dive into seven countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania. Each...