Bogus No. 9 · Tuesday, November 10, 2026

The five fakes

What was fake, and the truth.

EARTH

1Pumice sinks like a stone the moment it hits water.Fake

2Pumice is full of gas bubbles and floats.

1Volleyball was first called Hoopball.Fake

2It was first called Mintonette.

1The Hoover vacuum was invented by a Harvard professor.Fake

2It was invented by James Spangler, a department store janitor.

1The Hawaiian islands are drifting toward California.Fake

2The Pacific plate carries Hawaii to the northwest, away from California.

1Uranus's rings were first seen by Voyager 1 in 1980.Fake

2They were discovered from Earth in 1977, during a stellar occultation.

Five new rounds every day at midnight.