Distortion field guide
Exaggeration
A real finding gets inflated: stronger, bigger, faster, or more certain than the evidence supports.
How it enters the chain
Usually between a measured result and its retelling. A modest effect in a study becomes a dramatic one in a caption, and each reshare rounds it up again.
How to spot it
Compare the superlatives in the claim against the numbers in the source. If the source says may help slightly and the post says transforms, you are looking at it.
Specimens on record (26)
TS-03FD0A001 Aug 2026Experimental research indicates that one night of total sleep deprivation reduces performance on laboratory tasks measuring suppression of unwanted memories, and that this is associated with reduced…TS-5D49FDA91 Aug 2026Y Combinator has publicly released, under an MIT license, an agent system called QM that it uses internally. It is cloud-hosted, works through Slack and a web app, supports scheduled and…TS-CF6735831 Aug 2026A 2022 meta-analysis of RCTs in J Obstet Gynaecol Res reported aTS-F35DFC1A1 Aug 2026Topical products marketed as fat burners (caffeine creams, capsaicin orTS-87144A4131 Jul 2026Daily supplementation with approximately 500 mg of magnesium produces the specific quantified changes listed (melatonin +35%, cortisol −8%, sleep efficiency +10%), and improves slow-wave sleep and…TS-DAB5D2AC31 Jul 2026A 2025 study by Chourasia et al. at the Weizmann Institute of Science found that deleting the MTCH2 gene in cultured cells (including a human cell line and mouse preadipocytes) increased cellular…TS-72EA51D331 Jul 2026A 2023 pilot randomized controlled trial in the journal Translational Psychiatry reported that 5 g/day of creatine reduced anxiety in women with MDD, with effects appearing in week one and…TS-533EC0C830 Jul 2026Positive expectations about future outcomes cause measurable changes in attention, motivation, persistence, and decision-making that in turn influence real-world results.TS-4C1D989F30 Jul 2026Goldfish are only able to retain information in memory for approximately three seconds.TS-2FC5C31230 Jul 2026Frozen blueberries can retain anthocyanin levels comparable to, or in some cases higher than, fresh blueberries because freezing slows degradation of these pigments during storage. Anthocyanins are…TS-F6ECCEBD30 Jul 2026PerfectAmino, an essential amino acid supplement, provides fast-absorbing protein at 99% utilization with essentially zero calories, due to its amino acid ratio.TS-0A9F65B629 Jul 2026Swimming pool operators once used copper as a water purifier, then discontinued this practice specifically because copper was too effective at disinfecting water without producing the negative…TS-4D3456AE21 Jul 2026Doing moderate incline walking after a resistance training session may increase the proportion of energy derived from fat, may avoid large acute cortisol spikes associated with high-intensity work,…TS-530AE34A20 Jul 2026English ivy has been shown in controlled chamber studies to reduce certain airborne pollutants, and it is popularly labeled an air-purifying plant, but a single houseplant cannot replace ventilation…TS-E0C7A2CE17 Jul 2026Researchers at National Taiwan University published a study showing that a topical fatty acid serum regrew hair within about 20 days in mouse experiments by triggering adipocytes (fat cells) in the…TS-CBCB893716 Jul 2026Chickpeas contain magnesium, protein, fiber, and folate. These nutrients play general roles in muscle, nerve, and inflammatory processes. Combining chickpea consumption with mobility and strength…TS-E2EABB5311 Jul 2026Multiple clinical trials show that daily creatine, added to standard psychiatric treatment, rapidly reduces anxiety symptoms (over 50% in two weeks) in women with major depressive disorder.TS-1DF68D868 Jul 2026Sumac is a spice with a very high antioxidant (polyphenol) content, and clinical research indicates it may improve markers of inflammation, glycemic control, blood lipids, and metabolic health.TS-F33E2C3A7 Jul 2026Oral pea sprout extract at 100 mg/day for 8 weeks has been shown in a human study to increase scalp hair density in people with hair loss, and its mechanisms have been characterized in a study…TS-00A61CAE7 Jul 2026A small molecule called ISRIB, discovered by UCSF researchers, rapidly improved cognitive performance in mice (aged, brain-injured, or otherwise impaired) within a few days by inhibiting the…TS-2607C9EB7 Jul 2026Russia has announced two personalized therapeutic mRNA cancer vaccines: Enteromix (FMBA, colorectal cancer, Phase I completed 2025 with 48 patients, reporting strong immune response and tumor…TS-41E999716 Jul 2026Two general assertions: (1) what a person does in the first minutes after waking can affect their attention, mood, and energy later in the day; (2) using a smartphone immediately upon waking is worse…TS-A9C8127C2 Jul 2026A clinical study using ~620 nm red light, administered for 12 minutes twice per week, produced measurable improvements in signs of aging and disease.TS-F1BD35C91 Jul 2026Eating within 3 hours of bedtime harms sleep quality and contributes to weight gain.TS-91E02D1E1 Jul 2026Recent DNA testing of skeletal remains from multiple Japanese battlefield sites shows that roughly one-third to one-half of the bodies were female, implying substantial female participation in…TS-803E96BA1 Jul 2026Daily morning consumption of celery juice reliably resolves clinical hypertension in all people within a two-week period.