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Alex Kasprak

Alex Kasprak is a science writer and journalist whose work has been featured in The Atlantic, Motherboard, New Scientist, and other venues. Prior to joining Snopes, he was a staff science writer at BuzzFeed and a science communicator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has master's degrees in geological sciences from Brown University and in science writing from Johns Hopkins University. He once found the world’s first Iberian phytosaur fossil, if you are into that kind of thing.

Articles by Alex Kasprak Page 1 of 14

News World News

Was Human Rights Activist Bill Browder Banned from Entering the United States?

23 October 2017 Browder’s inclusion in an Interpol wanted list at the behest of the Russian government seems, at least briefly, to have blocked Browder’s entry into U.S.

Fact Check Medical

Is Manuka Honey ‘Better Than All Known Antibiotics?’

20 October 2017 Manuka honey has well-documented antibacterial properties, but the research is too preliminary to declare superiority over all antibiotics.

News Political News

Did Mike Pence Say He Wants to ‘Hang’ Gay People?

Updated President Trump reportedly joked that Vice President Pence, whose views are notably anti-LGBTQ, wants to “hang” gay people.

Fact Check Science

Does a Coin in a Cup of Ice Accurately Tell You If Your Freezer Lost Power?

19 October 2017 Viral posts describing a trick which allows you to see if a freezer temporarily lost power in your absence rely on unsound assumptions.

Fact Check Medical

Will Burning Bay Leaves Reduce Anxiety?

17 October 2017 A chemical compound found in the leaves of the bay laurel may affect mood, but the results are inconclusive and not necessarily relevant to bay leaf smoke.

Fact Check Science

NASA Confirms Existence of Earth’s Second Moon?

16 October 2017 While a discovery from 2016 did reveal the presence of a small asteroid trapped in Earth’s orbit, this object cannot be classified as a moon.

Fact Check Science

Is the Mississippi River Going Dry?

14 October 2017 The Mississippi River is not "going dry" as it drains into a fault line, despite claims made in a YouTube video.

Fact Check Food

Energy Drink Results in Hole in Expectant Father’s Skull?

13 October 2017 A deleted Facebook post alleged that a man's energy drink consumption caused a brain hemorrhage requiring the surgical removal of part of his skull.

Fact Check Science

New Research Suggests Massive Yellowstone Eruption Could Occur Sooner Than Expected?

12 October 2017 Research documenting chemical changes in the Yellowstone magma chamber prior to a past eruption does not affect an eruption's future probability.

Fact Check Science

Does an ‘Increase’ in Arctic and Greenland Ice Cast Doubt on the Reality of Global Warming?

4 October 2017 Single data points presented without context do not interfere with the scientific consensus on climate change.

Islamic State’s Claim of Responsibility for Las Vegas Shooting Confounds Experts

2 October 2017 The claim, originating from what is effectively a propaganda arm of the Islamic State, lacks credible evidence and has confounded some analysts.

News Controversy

Daily Caller Posts Video of Jewish Journalist Saying ‘Chutzpah’ While Hava Nagila Plays

28 September 2017 The conservative website later deleted the video, which allegedly aimed to highlight journalist Glenn Thrush's laudable pronunciation of the word.

Fact Check Politics

Did Jared Kushner Register to Vote in New York as a Woman?

28 September 2017 The New York City Board of Elections has said that their computer system is to blame for a mix-up over Jared Kushner’s gender in New York’s voter rolls.

Fact Check Science

Can Some Horses Grow Mustaches?

28 September 2017 Some hirsute equines can indeed grow mustaches; in this case, the dapper pictures do not lie.

Fact Check Science

Massive Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami Expected by the End of 2017?

27 September 2017 An Indian man's prediction is based on his purported psychic abilities and carries no scientific weight.

Fact Check Medical

Is Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana Use on the Rise?

26 September 2017 Nearly all reports of fentanyl-laced marijuana use are based on faulty reporting, and no evidence suggests that its occurrence is in any way rooted in reality.

Fact Check Science

Do ‘Sonic Weapons’ Adequately Explain ‘Health Attacks’ on Diplomats in Cuba?

25 September 2017 Inaudible sonic weapons are an unlikely cause of the mysterious symptoms suffered by American and Canadian diplomats in Cuba.

Fact Check Science

Are Radioactive ‘Diamond Batteries’ a Real Thing?

21 September 2017 While the science underpinning the concept is valid, its application remains wholly theoretical at this point.

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