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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Science & space fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about science & space. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

1,577 published reviews in this topic

youturnScience & space

A second shadow rises in orbit, and the night sky grows stranger. Astronomers report that a small, asteroid-sized object has entered a stable orbit around Earth, effectively giving our planet a second “moon” for the next six decades. Though tiny compared to our familiar Moon, its path will track alongside the main satellite, occasionally reflecting sunlight and appearing briefly in our night sky. Light circling a planet. Gravity weaving a duet. A shadow dancing beside the Moon. Researchers emphasize this is a temporary phenomenon: the object’s orbit is delicate and will eventually drift away, but its presence allows scientists to study how small bodies interact with Earth’s gravity in real time. For skywatchers, it offers a rare opportunity to glimpse a new companion alongside the Moon. For the next sixty years, Earth will carry two moons — and the night sky will never feel the same again.

Publisher’s rating: misleading

Fact Crescendo Sri LankaScience & space

NASA has warned of a 2% chance of an asteroid hitting Earth on Valentine's Day (February 14), 2026.

Publisher’s rating: False

The review says NASA’s Sentry data showed no asteroid with a 2% impact probability for February 14, 2026, and that NASA issued no matching warning. It traces the 2% figure to early estimates for asteroid 2024 YR4’s possible impact in December 2032, while the Valentine’s Day date is associated with a different asteroid, 2023 DW, and a 2046 date.

FactCrescendo Sri LankaScience & space

Alyssa Carson has been selected to become the first human to land on Mars on a one-way mission and will never return to Earth.

Publisher’s rating: False

The review says there is no evidence that Alyssa Carson has been selected by NASA or another space agency for a crewed Mars mission. It also says no space agency has announced a confirmed one-way human mission to Mars and describes Carson’s Mars plans as a long-term aspiration, not a confirmed assignment.

Factcrescendo Sri LankaScience & space

Children inherit “all” of their intelligence from their mother

Publisher’s rating: False

The review says intelligence is polygenic, with genetic contributions from both parents, and is also shaped by environmental factors. It says maternal influences matter but finds no credible scientific evidence that intelligence comes exclusively or primarily from mothers.