FactMyth.com, where "alternative facts" are laid to rest. Help us fact-check by commenting.

Facts and Myths on Everything

FactMyth.com is a fact-checking website that presents a collection of facts and myths. It is an educational resource full of explainer videos, citations, historylogic, and science.

We fact-check the conclusions of common internet talking points, peer-reviewed journals, the classics, Netflix documentaries, historians’ accounts of history, smart TV shows, select claims by officials and official reports, YouTube videos, economic theories, scientific theories, popular science, folklore, commonly held beliefs, and other academically minded “factoids” (unverified claims AKA unverified propositions) passed around the culture and media of any era.

After researching a “factoid,” curating the best citations and videos we can find in the process (the best evidence of any sort), we rate the overarching statement (proposition) as “fact” or “myth” (thus assigning a certain truth-value to the proposition based on research). We then explain our position in as simple and clear terms as possible to build a case for our conclusion, using citations and offering insight into counterpoints (we back up our assigned truth-value by presenting an informal argument, generally written in essay form).

It isn’t that we are always correct, in fact we are only human (as Montaigne said, “what do I know?”, as Plato’s Socrates had previously answered “I know that I know nothing“, although as Lincoln said, “I am not a Know-Nothing“). In fact, that is an important part of the site, we are always digging deeper and seeking alternative viewpoints!

To rephrase the above, digging for the truth is complex, we don’t have all the answers, and that is why we need your help!

Users can help us stay relevant and accurate by commenting on our facts and myths to offer rebuttals and insight. We “follow the truth where it may lead” as they say, so feel free to offer citations and challenge our findings!

Simply put, we aren’t experts, we are researchers, and the hunt for truth is a collective process of “being skeptical” and “questioning everything” (feel free to join in on the fun by commenting and questioning us!)

With that all said, one should note that FactMyth.com isn’t a place to debate emotionally charged opinions and rhetoric (we cover relevant political science and policy, but try to avoid the political talking points of the day, for example). The focus is instead on high-level academic information (including facts and myths on history, geography, people, the artssciences, maths, and philosophies) and practical information (including facts and myths related to self-help, healthskill-sets, technology, finance, and culture). In this way the site doubles as a free online university for general knowledge (or at least an encyclopedia or reference guide of interesting and useful truths; i.e. it is an encyclopedia of knowledge of all types, presented as a fact-checking site).

We ask a bit of the reader intellectually, but we try to keep it simple and “explain it like you are five (a really smart 5).”

Help us level up the collective intelligence of the internet by commenting and sharing. There is cake!

TIP: If you’re not feeling epistemological, you’re not paying attention! Learn more about “How FactMyth.com works.”


Some Medicare Advantage Plans are Free Fact

Some Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 monthly premium, so they are free in that sense. However, all $0 premium plans have other costs like Part B premiums, coinsurance, and copayments.

You Can Overdose on Licorice Fact

You can overdose on black licorice. This is due to the way a compound derived from licorice root can cause potassium levels to fall to dangerous levels.


The Appendix is Useless Myth

For a long time, people thought the Appendix was useless, that it was a “vestigial organ”. However, recent research has shown the appendix acts as a safe house for good bacteria.

Saying “Moshi Moshi” Proves You Aren’t a Ghost Myth

There is an idea that the reason “Moshi” is said twice in the Japanese phrase “Moshi Moshi” is that ghosts can’t say “Moshi” twice. Thus, saying “Moshi Moshi” proves you aren’t a ghost. This is unlikely to be the true root of “Moshi Moshi.” It is more likely “Moshi Moshi” is simply an evolution of the telephone hello used by telephone operators.

Twinkies Never Go Bad Myth

Twinkies don’t last forever, but they can go a long time without spoiling (up to 30 years, by one estimate). The “sell-by” shelf life of a Twinkie is 45 days. After that, they go hard and brittle.

How Isaac Newton Actually Lost His Money in the South Sea Bubble

Isaac Newton didn’t just buy the top in the South Sea bubble. He bought early, sold for a modest profit, then bought back in near the top after seeing others get rich, only to sell near the bottom for a loss of £20,000 (roughly £1.2 mil in 2021 adjusted for inflation).

The Difference Between Truth and Facts

Truth and facts have a lot in common, but they are not exactly the same. Truth is something that is the case. Facts are true statements. Truth is best described using facts and logical reasoning.

Price’s Law

Price’s Law says, “half of the publications come from the square root of all contributors.” This is sometimes used to support the idea that “a few people generate half the results.”

Why Oil Prices Went Negative

Oil prices went negative on April 20th, 2020. This essentially translated to oil producers paying buyers to take oil. This was the result of a lack of demand for oil causing a lack of storage / a fear of a lack of storage.


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