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1500 questions
36
votes
3 answers
Are US colleges awarding more A-scores?
On the June 4, 2021, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the host makes the claim:
In 1960s colleges awarded A's to 15% of the students. Now it is 45% of the students.
Ref: Youtube clip from the show
I was able to locate some supporting…
pinegulf
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Are chemicals in plastic causing a significant reduction in fertility?
This story in the Guardian quotes Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine and public health at Mount Sinai school of medicine in New York City. She makes a number of claims about the impact of chemicals used to modify the properties of…
Paul Johnson
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36
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2 answers
Did Lee Harvey Oswald kill John F. Kennedy?
L.H. Oswald claimed he was innocent and didn't kill J.F. Kennedy. There are various theories on what could have happened that day, but I didn't "study" all the evidence and research, so I don't know what really happened.
The ten-month investigation…
Frantisek
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2 answers
Can devices detect your sleep cycle and wake you in a more refreshed state?
There are a number of products on the market that claim to be "better alarm clocks" that allows you to feel more refreshed when you wake - even if you sleep a few minutes or tens of minutes less.
There are two claims:
that one feels more refreshed…
Larry OBrien
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36
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Are blue light filters, not blue lights, on phones and computer screens harmful to sleep?
These existing questions ask whether the blue lights, not blue light filters, from computer screens affect sleep:
Does blue light from screens (phone, computer, TV) before sleep affect sleep?
Does the color temperature of a computer screen affect…
BCLC
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36
votes
1 answer
Are Alabama students throwing COVID parties to intentionally get infected?
It was reported recently in several places that students are throwing COVID parties in Alabama, and betting on getting infected first. As far as I can tell ABC News is the original source for this:
Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been…
Mad Scientist
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Can flatworms learn a maze by digesting other flatworms?
I recently watched the film Phantoms. A scientist in the movie claimed that flatworms were able to "consume" memories from other flatworms. The specific example was that of learning the solution to a maze by digesting ground up flatworms that had…
MrHen
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4 answers
Is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity an actual illness or is it another trendy diet?
I've heard a lot of hype lately about Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and seeing people buy plenty of "Gluten-Free" goodies at the local grocery store, I am wondering. Is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity an actual illness or just another trendy diet?
wfoster
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2 answers
Can the SARS-CoV-2 virus float in the air for up to 3 hours?
This doctor on YouTube claims that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can float in the air for up to 3 hours.
If it lands in the air, the virus can land on a particle and stay floating there for up to 3 hours.
Is that true?
Franck Dernoncourt
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36
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1 answer
Can you get your legs stuck around a pole, leading to cramping and then death?
I came across this video that makes a series of claims based around a position that a person can apparently get stuck in around a pole, and unintentionally kill themselves:
Hot girl tied to tree with no rope (Youtube)
The video demonstrates and…
Randolf Richardson
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36
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3 answers
Near death experiences -- clinically dead person "sees" something, later verified to be true?
Related:
Is there any explanation for a near-death experience?
That question is about vague, light-in-the-tunnel near death experiences (NDEs). This question is about very specific claims I've heard advanced by Dr. Gary Habermas, a Christian…
Hendy
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36
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1 answer
Are roads more dangerous when it first rains?
From DriversEd.com: Rain:
Slow down at the first sign of rain, drizzle, or snow on the road. This is when many road surfaces are most slippery because moisture mixes with oil and dust that has not been washed away.
Is it true that roads are more…
rtpax
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Was the Stroop Effect used to catch spies?
In the field of Cognitive Science, when studying about the Stroop effect, the claim is often made that it had been used during the Cold War by the American counter-intelligence units in order to identify Russian spies.
For example, this blog article…
Vitaly Mijiritsky
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Can cats be herded?
On the site for this year's Amazing Meeting, there's a little joke about how organizing skeptics is like herding cats
It's a common belief that (possibly) due to their strong will and independent nature, cats cannot be herded as say, sheep can.
In…
Monkey Tuesday
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Did the world Jewish population increase between 1933 and 1948?
A common claim among holocaust denial is that if Jews were killed, the 6 million figure is grossly exaggerated. A specific claim is that
according to the World Almanac the world population of Jews increased (!) between 1933 and 1948 from 15,315,000…
user11643