AAP FactCheck Articles
Socrates’ ‘slander becomes the tool of the loser’ quote is false
A Facebook post claims to be a quote from ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.”
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Motivational "before you act, listen" quote is not Ernest Hemingway
A Facebook post features a quote falsely attributed to American author Ernest Hemingway.
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No evidence to link Churchill to caring about what people think quote
Winston Churchill was a decorated statesman, politician, orator and author who led the British army to victory in World War II under his prime ministership. Researchers who studied his life told AAP FactCheck the quote attributed to 1953 Nobel Prize winner in the post was not accurate.
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Does New Zealand have 60 million sheep, each producing 30 litres of methane daily?
“New Zealand has over 60 million sheep. Sheep produce about 30 litres of methane a day. If (New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda) Ardern was serious about addressing "climate change" shouldn't she start by culling the entire sheep population of NZ?” One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts. August 14, 2019.
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Does metallurgical coal comprise 65 per cent of Australia’s coal exports?
Pat Conroy stated on ABC Radio National that 65 per cent of Australia’s coal exports are metallurgical coal.
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Figures for 2019 mass shootings list inconsistent
A Facebook post, titled “Mass shootings, 2019.”, lists the US with 249 mass shootings, Mexico three, Canada, Brazil and The Netherlands with one each while Australia, Spain, Saudi Arabia and France had none.
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Mark Twain "evidence" quote is false
A Facebook post attributes Mark Twain with a quote that reads: “No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot”.
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Capsicums do not have genders
Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry horticulturist Dr Elio Jovichich told AAP FactCheck, “ Fruits do not have a gender… Any quick search into botany and biology aspects of capsicums will confirm that fruits formed after pollination do not have specific sex.”
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Claim that drought-affected farmers get less in government assistance than Manus Island detainees is false
A class action on behalf of Manus Island detainees was brought against the Australian government and two subcontracted service providers in the Victorian Supreme Court in 2017. The class action claimed detainees were illegally detained and kept in conditions that did not meet Australian standards.
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Is Australia the only OECD country that does not use nuclear power?
“We are the only OECD country that doesn’t utilise this type of technology (nuclear power).” Federal Liberal National Party MP Keith Pitt. August 7, 2019.
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Einstein quote that technology will create idiots is false
A Facebook post attributes Albert Einstein with the quote: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots”
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Is only 12 per cent of plastic waste recycled in Australia?
“Twelve per cent of our plastics are recycled in this country. I think we’re breaking the faith with Australia.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison. August 2, 2019.
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Claim about pensioners living in poverty is inaccurate
The link in the caption is for the OECD’s Pensions at a Glance 2015 report which analyses a number of statistics, including on page 171 of the report, the proportion of over 65s living in relative poverty .
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Claim there have been zero Jewish and Christian terrorist attacks since 9/11 is false
The image posted by Fair Dinkum Mate 2 does not include a source for its figures on the number of Jewish, Christian and Islamic terrorist attacks since September 11, 2001.
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Giant huntsman spider image is a fake
A Facebook post claimed a 32cm huntsman spider had been captured in the town of Hotham, east of Darwin.
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Do mass shootings occur more often in France, Switzerland and Finland than in the United States?
Pauline Hanson claims that mass shootings happen more often in France, Switzerland and Finland than in the United States.
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Henry Kissinger’s claim about using vaccinations for social and population control is false
A Facebook post containing a quote about using vaccinations to control the population was falsely attributed to former US Secretary of State Dr Henry Kissinger.
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Julie Bishop never said Aboriginal culture shouldn't be taught in schools
The text in the body of the article does not include the quote attributed to Ms Bishop on her picture posted on Facebook.
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Claim doctors were murdered over cancer-vaccine discovery is fake
A Facebook post claims to show a research team who were murdered after discovering cancer enzymes in vaccines.
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"Can you hear me" phone scam is fake
AAP FactCheck could not find a source for the original print story pictured in the Facebook post, but found a similar story in the Queensland newspaper the Sunshine Coast Daily on page five of the April 28, 2017 edition.
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