Tag Archives: Dog

Did 2 University Students Get Cancer From This Plant?!

Did two university students get cancer, specifically leukaemia, from this plant?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Two University Students Got Cancer From This Plant!

This photo and warning keeps going viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook:

My daughters Sis- in- law age 31 died yesterday cos of leukemia.
She got leukemia while doing master in botanical at USM.
Research on the plant above.
Her friend doing the same research also got CA and died last year.
USM and Health Ministery proved that these two uni students got leukemia due to the plants above.
Action (perhatian)
If u have these plants, destroy it by burning it before it flowers.
Pass the info to the group to remind the danger of this plant. Don’t know how true but better be safe than sorry. 🙏🏻

Truth : No University Students Got Cancer From This Plant!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Has Been Circulating Since 2015

First, let me just point out that this viral warning and photo have been circulating for many years now, at least since December 2015.

Like many of such viral fake news, it keeps reappearing and going viral every year or so.

Fact #2 : USM Refuted The Claims As Fake News

When the photo and story first went viral in December 2015, University Sains Malaysia (USM) was inundated with queries about it. In response, the USM Media and Public Relations Centre director Mohamad Abdullah publicly refuted the claims, and said that it was “false news”.

We have been bombarded with many queries on this. We would like to urge those posting this up to prove their claims so we can conduct an official investigation.

USM would like to plead to all to stop spreading the false news on the matter immediately.

Needless to say, no one ever stepped forward to share with USM which 31 year-old university student of theirs died from cancer, after doing research on the plant.

Fact #3 : Plant In Photo Is Likely Zanzibar Gem

The viral message never identified the plant, but after a close examination and reverse image searches, the plant appears to be the Zanzibar Gem (Zamioculcas zamiifolia).

While some fact checkers have claimed that this is the money plant (Epipremnum aureum), that’s incorrect. The leaves of money plant have light and dark green patterns, while the Zanzibar Gem (also known as ZZ) has even green leaves.

Fact #4 : Neither Plants Cause Cancer

Both the money plant and Zanzibar Gem are considered poisonous houseplants, and toxic to humans and pets. However, neither the money plant or Zanzibar Gem cause cancer.

The money plant is known to be toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble raphides. It is also mildly toxic to humans if consumed, due to its calcium oxalate content. However, it does not cause cancer.

The Zanzibar Gem is also toxic to humans and pets, because it contains calcium oxalate. However, it also does not cause cancer.

Incidentally, both plants are toxic to consume and irritating to touch at all times, not just when they are flowering as the viral message claims.

Recommended : Do Amaravalli Flowers Look Like Birds?!

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake News About Nature

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about nature. Here are other examples you may have seen on WhatsApp, and social media platforms:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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2023 Turkey Earthquake : Fake Photos + Scam Alert!

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Please watch out for fake photos + videos, as well as donation scams capitalising on the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey!

2023 Turkey Earthquake : Fake Photos Alert!

Many people have been sharing photos of the massive earthquake that devastated both Turkey and Syria on 6 February 2023.

Unfortunately, quite a number of fake photos on WhatsApp and social media. They also appear in TikTok and YouTube videos. Here are a few notable examples.

Old Man With Bread

This photo of an old man with bread is being shared as a lesson on why we should be humble, respectful and kind.

It took just 17secs to change his status from the owner of 33 buildings to a person who’s surviving on bread and finding shelter where he can.

#TurkeyEarthquake teaches us an important lesson that life is unpredictable and nothing is permanent. Be humble, respectful and kind.

How being humble, respectful and kind could have helped this poor man was not explained. Neither did the people sharing this “lesson” explain why this photo has been circulating since 1999…

Yes, this photo was taken by photographer, Abdurrahman Antakyalı, almost 24 years ago, after the Düzce Earthquake that occurred on 12 November, 1999.

Needless to say, that old man was not a rich man who owned 33 buildings. It is incredible that people who create a fake story about this poor man. If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that everyone should “verify before sharing“!

Dog Looking For Survivor

Many people are sharing photos of dogs looking for survivors, like this example below, which was shared with messages like:

The little heroes will save many lives. Pray for Turkey.

This is incredible! A dog in Turkey was seen digging trying to rescue its owner. When the dog failed to move the heavy debris, he started barking to ask for help while holding one of his owner’s fingers!

Syrian🇸🇾 Turkish🇹🇷 Earthquakes!

Dogs are sensitive to their owner ❤️😊

The truth is – that is one of many stock images of “dogs looking for people in earthquake” available online.

That photo, and similar examples featuring the same dog as well as others dogs were posted by Czech photographer, Jaroslav Noska, on November 2020.

This suggests that the photos were staged for use as stock photos, and not actual photos of a real disaster area, or even real rescue dogs.

Tryon The Rescue Dog

Many people shared this photo of a dirty-looking dog, claiming that it just saved 10 lives in the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

This dog worked all night last night and saved 10 lives

This dog hero who worked the whole night and saved 10 lives in Turkey.

The truth is – this is Tryon the rescue dog who helped to search for victims of a deadly mudslide near Oso, Washington, in the United States.

This photo was taken by Rick Wilking, a freelance photographer for Reuters, on March 30, 2014. He provided the following caption for this photo:

Tryon the rescue dog waits to go through the decontamination area at the mudslide after searching for victims in Oso, Washington March 30, 2014.

2023 Turkey Earthquake : Donation Scam Alert!

People are not just posting those fake photos to “virtue signal” or increase their popularity, some are using them for donation scams!

Photos of Tryon the rescue dog above, for example, is being used to solicit donations for the people in Syria.

(Need Some reputable or NGO in Syria to pay or food. Shelter, blankets the Earthquake affects from the donations if gathered from this page.

As Sanction Syria from all over the world needs our help. Turkey has been helping by many.

He (Reputable) or NGO must be at the Earthquake affected areas of Syria and make video or come live while giving blankets, food, donation etc. Thanks )

– Those who want to Help/Donate. Message us. Thanks!

Even more egregious is this photo of a firefighter holding a child with a Turkish flag on his sleeve.

Friends, we have launched an aid campaign to reach people who have experienced an #earthquake disaster in Turkey.

#btc B : 1)n3C4GiFCzERTWd6nvCc4hTzvK8Viz88y

#eth: Ox2cff2ad875£68bf4ec5a478e505767c348dd61d

#Suns suns

The trouble is – the photo isn’t real! It was created by Major General Panagiotis Kotridis of the Aegean fire brigade using the AI image generator called Midjourney.

While they are capable of creating really realistic images, such artificial intelligence image generators often leave tell-tale mistakes.

In the viral photo below, you can see that the firefighter has six fingers on his right hand with an abnormally long thumb. His left hand is also missing, with a third “hand?” right next to it.

The BBC investigated further, and found that one of the crypto wallet addresses had been used in scam and spam tweets since 2018, while the other crypto wallet address had been posted on VK – the Russian social media website, together with pornographic content.

Ax Sharma, a cybersecurity expert at Sonatype, also pointed out that scammers are creating fake disaster relief accounts on social media to cheat people. One example is @TurkeyRelief on Twitter, which was created in January 2023 with just 31 followers and asked for donations using PayPal.

Scammers are also using TikTok Live to ask for donations, using captions like “Let’s help Turkey”, “Pray for Turkey” and “Donate for earthquake victims” over their videos. According to the BBC, TikTok takes up to 70% of the proceeds of these digital gifts.

So please WATCH OUT for such donation scams, which use real or fake photos / videos to trick people into sending them money.

If you want to help, please donate DIRECTLY to reputable organisations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), OxFam, or the nearest Turkish embassy.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Collapse From Vaccine?!

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Did Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha collapse from a heart attack caused by her COVID-19 vaccination?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2022-12-20 : Added new information on her possible stroke.
Originally posted @ 2022-12-16

Claim : Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Collapsed From Vaccine-Induced Heart Attack!

Right after news broke that Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha collapsed from a heart attack, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the likely successor to the Thai throne was a victim of the COVID-19 vaccine!

Here are some examples on social media:

Another prominent young adult has “sudden unexpected medical crisis.” Healthy and fit Thai Princess was outside walking her dogs when she collapsed.💉💉💉

Thai princess (44) collapses from heart condition. Might this have been suicide attempt as it definitely wasn’t the #vaccine? Phew! #Safeandeffective #Keepboostin #DiedSuddenly

Thai princess took the juice and collapsed with massive heart complications. The vax kills and is designed to kill. Hundreds Re croaking every day worldwide. Media and government hide the facts.

Truth : Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Did Not Collapse From Vaccine-Induced Heart Attack!

It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Princess Bajrakitiyabha Did Not Suffer From A Cardiac Event

Princess Bajrakitiyabha (born Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the Princess Rajasarini Siribajra / พัชรกิติยาภา นเรนทิราเทพยวดี on December 7, 1978) was the only child born to King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.

At 8:20 AM on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, Princess Bajrakitiyabha (also known as Princess Patty or Princess Pa) was running with her dog during a training session for the upcoming Working Dog Championship by the Royal Thai Army when she collapsed and lost consciousness at the Khao Yai National Park.

According to the official statement, she was taken to the Pak Chong Nana Hospital for “a heart problem” where her condition “improved” and she was in a “stable condition”, before being flown to the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok for further treatment.

However, Thai royal expert Andrew MacGregor Marshall disputes that, stating that Princess Bajrakitiyabha had a stroke from a ruptured brain aneurysm that caused a massive subarachnoid haemorrhage, resulting in cardiac and respiratory arrest that was originally said to be a “heart attack”. He also claimed that she was brain dead on arrival at Pak Chong Nana Hospital, but the medical staff there took turns to keep her alive using CPR for many hours.

In the early morning of Thursday, December 15, she was airlifted by helicopter to the Chulalongkorn Hospital. There, she was kept alive using an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) life support machine. Andrew further claims that the doctors had already concluded that she was brain dead and will never recover.

Fact #2 : Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s Cause of Collapse Still Unknown

Whether she is brain dead or otherwise, the cause of Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s sudden collapse has not been publicly revealed.

However, the Thai palace released a statement on 19 December 2022, in which it stated that “no heart defect could be found“. This suggests that Andrew MacGregor Marshall may be correct in his claims that she suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

The statement also stated that “medication and tools” were being used to support her heart, lungs and kidneys – an indirect acknowledgement that she is being kept alive by an ECMO machine.

If Andrew is correct that she suffered a massive subarachnoid haemorrhage and is now brain dead, the ECMO machine can oxygenate her blood to keep her body alive, but her damaged brain won’t be able to recover.

In any case, the latest statement appears to confirm that the earlier assessment that she suffered a cardiac event is no longer true. This would dispel claims by anti-vaccination activists that she died from a vaccine-induced heart attack or cardiac arrest!

Fact #3 : Unknown If Princess Bajrakitiyabha Was Vaccinated

The Thai royal family is pro-vaccination, with Siam Bioscience (owned by King Vajiralongkorn) licensed to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The vaccine was also promoted with a public vaccination by Princess Sirivannavari Nariratan at the Chulalongkorn Hospital on March 23, 2021.

That said, it is currently unknown if Princess Bajrakitiyabha was vaccinated against COVID-19, so it would be wrong for anyone to claim that she died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

For all we know – she may not even be vaccinated! The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in Thailand, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.

Fact #4 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days

Even if Princess Bajrakitiyabha was vaccinated against COVID-19, she would have received all of her doses many months ago.

She cannot possibly have died from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.

Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.

Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.

The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.

Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.

Fact #5 : Deaths / Injuries From COVID-19 Vaccines Can Be Proven

Despite anti-vaccination activists chalking up celebrity deaths to the vaccine; death or injury from rare vaccine adverse effects like anaphylaxis, myocarditis and VITT can be proven.

Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) from Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines happens within minutes. That’s why people are asked to wait for 15-30 minutes after getting the vaccine. People who get an anaphylactic shock will require an epinephrine shot to quickly relieve it.

Vaccine-induced myocarditis has distinct histopathology findings that are different from typical myocarditis, so a pathologist will be able to determine if the myocarditis was caused by the vaccines or otherwise.

Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) is very specific to the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. It is also easily differentiated by its unique combination of blood clots in large veins of the brains, abdomen and lungs, together with low platelet counts leading to bleeding tendencies.

Fact #6 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance. Here is the latest dozen of other false celebrity claims!

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Putin Humiliate Japan With His American Dog?!

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Did Russian President Vladimir Putin just humiliate a Japanese delegation, by suggesting that Japan is like his American dog?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Putin Humiliated Japan With His American Dog!

People are sharing a video clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin humiliating a Japanese delegation with his American dog, with messages like these :

☝️draw your own conclusion…

Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed with his body language and type of diplomacy to the visiting Japanese delegation that the present day Japan is like an American training dog. And this is how he gets food from his owner.

He has given message for all those who are going with USA. The humiliation can be clearly seen on the faces of the Japanese delegation. 🤔

Putin greeted the Japanese delegation with his dog and said to the Japanese delegation, “How can I negotiate with people who follow the United States like my dog?”

Truth : Putin Did NOT Humiliated Japan With His American Dog!

This is yet another example of pro-Russian and anti-Japanese fake news by the Chinese wumao (50 Cent Army), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Incident Took Place On 15 December 2016

This incident did not happen recently, but on 15 December 2016 – more than 5 years ago!

Fact #2 : They Were Japanese Journalists

The two men were not Japanese diplomats, as the fake story claimed. They were Japanese journalists from Nippon TV and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

They were there to interview Putin, ahead of his official trip to Japan to meet with Japanese President Shinzo Abe in 2016.

Fact #3 : They Asked To See Putin’s Dog

Putin did not bring his dog to show the Japanese delegation that “present day Japan is like an American training dog”.

They actually asked to see his dog. Start watching at 2:33 in this RT video clip :

Putin : I was told that you wanted to see my dog, Yume. You can see that she is in great shape.

Journalist : Thank you very much. The dog is very cheerful indeed.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Putin-jokes-as-his-Japanese-pet-barks-at-Japanese-journalists-Yume-is-no-nonsense-dog-480p.mp4?_=1

Fact #4 : Yume Is An Akita Gifted By Japan

Yume is an Akita that Japan gifted to Putin four years earlier, in gratitude for Russia’s help during the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

That was why the Japanese journalists asked to see Yume. And that was why Putin showed Yume performing a series of tricks.

Putin certainly did not bring his dog to insinuate that “present day Japan is like an American training dog“.

Fact #5 : Akita Is A Japanese Dog Breed

Just to be clear – Yume is a Japanese Akita (or Akita-inu) from the Akita Prefecture, not an American training dog as the fake story claimed.

The Japanese journalist actually mentioned this at 3:02 in the video clip above :

This dog is an Akita from Akita Prefecture, and we are glad to see Yume happy and cheerful.

Even though there is an American Akita strain, the Akita originates from the mountainous regions of northern Japan.

Fact #6 : They Were Caught Off-Guard

The Japanese journalists were not humiliated, just caught off-guard.

Even though they asked to see Yume, they did not expect Putin to bring her to the interview.

This was actually mentioned at 3:14 in the video clip above :

Journalist : We were bit surprised and afraid (shocked) that the beginning of the meeting would be like this.

Putin : You were right to take caution. Yume is a no-nonsense dog. There are many people here, with camcorders running, lights shining and cameras clicking. She is being a guard dog.

Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this out!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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