Skeptics Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
92
votes
1 answer

Will the 2019 EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market ban memes?

There have been lots of reports recently about how the EU are trying to ban memes. For example: Trusted reviews The European Union (EU) is pressing ahead with efforts to ban online memes under new digital copyright laws, with the controversial…
Jon.G
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Did Bill Gates say that vaccines and health care could reduce the population growth by 10-15%?

I have seen the quote below on numerous sites (example), always being attributed to Bill Gates and treated as an admission of his malicious purposes, basically proving that his vaccination programmes are really thinly veiled population control…
mike glenndale
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Do COVID-19 vaccines cause two deaths for every three deaths they prevent?

There is this new study that came out, alleging, that COVID-19 vaccines cause two deaths for every three deaths they prevent, which sounds pretty bad. I was wondering how valid this analysis is and what other view points exist on the…
user1721135
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Did Donald Trump fire the entire pandemic response team in 2018?

This tweet claims Trump "fired the entire pandemic response team in 2018": Text: Just a reminder: it’s okay to blame the president for how bad things get with COVID-19 because he fired the entire pandemic response team in 2018. While another…
Say No To Censorship
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Was Morocco the first country to recognize USA?

Here in Morocco, when you talk about relations between Morocco and the USA, Moroccans tell you, proudly, that Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States of America, and that the Sultan made it possible to accredit a consul of USA…
Motaka
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Has anyone ever attempted to give a cake—or other baked good—with a file or saw in it to someone in prison to help them escape?

One common trope in fiction over the decades has been someone putting a file in a cake—or other baked good—that then is passed onto someone in prison to help them escape. As the website TV Tropes explains: The stereotypical way to smuggle escape…
Giacomo1968
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90
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3 answers

Does a car with a hybrid engine and Lithium batteries pollute more than a car with conventional technology?

You hear a lot of claims that, once you include manufacturing and battery replacement, hybrids pollute more than an efficient, more conventional engine. Are there any end-to-end studies measuring any type of pollution for both types of vehicles,…
Russell Steen
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Did Charlie Chaplin lose a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest?

I heard this several times, is it really true or just a joke/rumor? The claim is, that "Charlie Chaplin once only came second in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest". source
magnattic
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89
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Do mobile phones have anything to do with brain cancer?

Is there evidence for a correlation between the use of mobile phones and the occurence of brain cancer? If yes, is there also evidence for causality?
user288
89
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6 answers

Is homosexuality innate?

There is a widespread belief that one chooses to be a homosexual, and that people can successfully overcome such feelings. On the other hand, some scientific studies have shown that finger length may be linked with sexuality: It has long been…
Patches
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Did Valerie Jarrett say she wanted "America to be a more Islamic country"?

This picture, being shared on Twitter, alleges that Valerie Jarrett, former Senior Advisor to the President, during the Obama administration, claimed to be of Iranian descent and of Islamic faith in her yearbook. Image reads Take a look at the…
Evan Carroll
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Is eating processed meat as bad as smoking for causing cancer?

I recently saw this posted on social media; it caused quite a stir, with over 200 comments from people debating the veracity of the claims. “It’s funny how people get outraged at parents putting their kids at risk by defying scientific fact and…
TheJulyPlot
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Is it illegal to refuse US currency for a purchase?

I hear this claim every now and then. That US currency is legal tender and that it is illegal to not accept it. The most recent example of this was on an old episode of 30 Rock: The head and the hair. I was not able to find a clip online, however I…
Joshxtothe4
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Are cars in Arizona melting in the 2018 summer heat?

Facebook just posted to my timeline this picture claiming that cars in Arizona are melting in the heat. Is it true?
Pieter Geerkens
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Was there violence on both sides in Charlottesville?

Was violence perpetrated by factions on both the left and the right side of the political spectrum during this rally? A specific quote by US president Donald Trump is: TRUMP: The driver of the car is a disgrace to himself, his family and this…
kingfrito_5005
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