NASA Debunks Conspiracy Theory About Earth 'Losing Gravity'
The international space agency has issued an official statement refuting a viral conspiracy theory claiming that Earth would lose its gravity for seven seconds on August 12, 2026. The rumors, which spread rapidly across social media, have no scientific basis.
NASA has been forced to debunk a conspiracy theory claiming that today, August 12, 2026, at 14:33 GMT (17:33 Israel time), Earth would lose its gravity for seven seconds. The theory alleged that this event would result in the deaths of 40 million people. According to the fact-checking site Snopes, the American space agency confirmed there is no basis for the claims regarding a so-called "Project Anchor" or any leaked secret documents.
"The Earth will not lose gravity on August 12, 2026," a NASA spokesperson stated. They explained that Earth's gravity is determined by its mass. The only way for Earth to lose gravity would be if the entire Earth system—including the core, mantle, crust, oceans, and atmosphere—lost its mass.
These theories have been circulating since late 2025 but gained significant momentum this week. Google reported a 60% increase in searches for the term "gravity" compared to last week. The viral claims originated from an Instagram account known for AI-generated content, which alleged that NASA had allocated $89 million to a secret project and that the government had prepared bunkers for key personnel.
The theory attempted to use pseudo-science, citing the intersection of gravitational waves from black hole collisions. However, investigations found no evidence of any leaked documents or official mentions of "Project Anchor." The accounts spreading the story are known for publishing fabricated reports.
The panic was fueled by a combination of celestial events occurring on August 12: a solar eclipse, planetary alignment, and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. NASA clarified that a total solar eclipse has no abnormal effect on Earth's gravity. Dr. William Alston, a black hole expert at the University of Hertfordshire, explained to the Daily Mail that gravitational waves from black hole collisions are too weak to be felt on Earth, noting that their impact is smaller than an atom and entirely imperceptible.
