copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2024-06-17): The Devils Tower, also known as the Bear Lodge Butte, is a laccolithic butte composed mainly of igneous rock and is located in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills in Crook County, North-eastern Wyoming, in the United States of America. The height of this monument is 867 feet from base to summit with its summit rising to a height of 5,112 feet above sea level. The Devils Tower was the first US national monument established by President Theodore Roosevelt on the 24th of September 1906. [...] Roots Beneath Devils Tower In July 2017, a Facebook page claimed that the Devils Tower was actually the remnants of a giant tree. The article was posted by ‘Casper Planet’, claiming that the Wyoming State Parks Department had discovered a large network of roots beneath the base of the Devils Tower. The article went on to say that the parks department released a statement saying, "We have discovered, what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower. The root system has been measured at 4 miles deep by 7 miles wide. We are currently conducting studies and tests to confirm that this is actually a root system and not a coincidence." The following picture was posted by the page along with this post:
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2021-07-06): "Scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower," the post says. "The parks department released a statement saying, ‘We have discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower. The root system has been measured at 4 miles deep by 7 miles wide. We are currently conducting studies and tests to confirm that this is actually a root system and not a coincidence’." [...] The false information originated on a satire site, said Gary Schoene, public information office manager for Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. The department has released no statement about a possible root system. Plus, Schoene said, because Devils Tower is a national monument, it’s part of the National Park Service system — not the state parks system. [...] Snopes, Was a giant system of roots discovered below the Devil’s Tower rock formation?, Aug. 1, 2017
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2017-08-01): On 31 July 2017, the Facebook page "Casper Planet" posted a message with the claim that the Wyoming State Parks Department had discovered a large network of tree roots beneath the base of Devil's Tower (which, if you have never been, you may recognize from the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind): [...] A huge and startling discovery has been made at the Devils Tower in Wyoming. Scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower, when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower. The parks department released a statement saying, "We have discovered, what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of The Devils Tower. The root system has been measured at 4 miles deep by 7 miles wide. We are currently conducting studies and tests to confirm that this is actually a root system and not a coincidence." This discovery is on the edge of rewriting history and science as we know it. [...] In this case, "Casper Planet" is mocking a conspiracy theory, which springs out of flat-earth theory, holding that most mountains are simply the remains of ancient, gargantuan trees. Although "Casper Planet" did include a genuine photograph of Devil's Tower, the pictured root system has little to do with the famous igneous rock formation in Wyoming. The image is actually a diagram showing how the roots of sweet corn have developed after eight weeks:
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2019-07-30): - Devils Tower National Monument. "Proposals to change the name." National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, accessed July 31, 2019 at https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/historyculture/devils-tower-proposals-to-change-the-name.htm.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2019-08-19): At the base of the Tower, one will see the evidence of the changes it has undergone throughout its geologic history. Massive rocks, some large as a bus, form a 13-acre field. Predominantly around the west and south faces of the Tower, this field of giant rocks was created as pieces of the Tower weathered off and eroded down. [...] The west and south faces of the Tower are the most exposed to sunlight and storm systems. These forces also contribute to the weathering and erosion process. The sun's heat results in thermal expansion, causing the rocks to shift or crack over time. Rain, hail, and lightning all have gradual impacts to the Tower. Once the rocks have broken off, or weathered, from the Tower, erosion does the work of moving the giant boulders. Gravity is the primary force at work, pulling down loose rock. They may break again when impacting things or rolling, and today pieces of the Tower can be found over a quarter mile from the formation.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2018-06-15): Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Devils Tower, Wyoming Devils Tower is a National Monument situated in Wyoming and featured in the climax of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Devils Tower, located in Crook County, Wyoming, was the first natural formation in the United States to be declared a national monument in 1906. Part of the Black Hills mountain range, the monolith was formed from cooled magma exposed through erosion and stands at 1,267 feet tall.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (1998-09-01): If it was meant to scare off these white explorers and those to follow, it did not. The new wave of American settlers did not believe that natural objects held supernatural powers. No matter how awesome or unusual, science had an explanation for everything in nature, or would eventually. Devils Tower was determined to be the core of an ancient volcano, an obelisk of volcanic trachyte, with sides so straight that one "could only look upward in despair of ever planting his feet on the top," as one geologist in Dodge’s expedition put it. [...] Even if you have only time for a half-day visit to Devils Tower, it’s time enough for a hike around the tower. Tower Trail is only 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) long and traverses fairly 71 level ground. It stays in forest shade while it skirts the jumbled mass of boulders lying at the base of the Tower. It is the only trail in the park with formal wayside markers and benches where you can stop and look at the Tower from close up. [...] Devils Tower, Wyoming 82714.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2023-03-01): Being a fan of all things fossilized and fantastic, I’m sure you’re interested to find out that one of Wyoming’s most famous landmarks, Devil’s Tower, is actually the remains of a fossilized tree. DEVILS TOWER US…ORIGINALLY A GIANT TREE. [...] - https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm - https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-devils-tower-not-tree/fact-checkdevils-tower-is-not-a-tree-idUSKBN25H2EL - https://kgab.com/help-spread-wyomings-new-myth/
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2021-07-03): A huge and startling discovery has been made at the Devils Tower in Wyoming. Scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower, when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower. The parks department released a statement saying, "We have discovered, what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of The Devils Tower. The root system has been measured at 4 miles deep by 7 miles wide. We are currently conducting studies and tests to confirm that this is actually a root system and not a coincidence." This discovery is on the edge of rewriting history and science as we know it. We will continue to update you with any new information, as at this time information is very limited.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2022-01-19): Day 7 – Custer State Park, SD to Thermopolis, WY (Devil’s Tower) [...] The weather improved as we drove, and we were back in vast openness again for a while. We headed to Devil’s Tower, which really is always neat and beautiful to see in person, but also oddly frustrating as you can see it from like 20? 40? Miles away and you think "yay, we’re almost there" but you really aren’t and have another 30 minutes of twisting through the hills and countryside before you get there.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2017-08-03): You've heard of petrified wood, right? Well, that is what you are looking at when you see the mighty Devil's Tower, here in Wyoming. That's right, it was once a giant tree. Look again. Doesn't that look like a huge tree stump to you? Sure it does. The Facebook page "Casper Planet" posted "scientific evidence," that a large network of tree roots has been discovered beneath the base of Devil’s Tower. The roots go miles deep and miles wide. That proves that the tower was once a massive tree in what must have been a forest of massive trees. [...] A huge and startling discovery has been made at the Devils Tower in Wyoming. Scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower, when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower. The parks department released a statement saying, "We have discovered, what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of The Devils Tower. The root system has been measured at 4 miles deep by 7 miles wide. We are currently conducting studies and tests to confirm that this is actually a root system and not a coincidence." This discovery is on the edge of rewriting history and science as we know it.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2020-08-29): Devils Tower, in fact, resembles a tree stump. It is a high-rise formation with grooves that appear like a tree bark. It's flat top also looks like a tree that has been cut down. The bottom of the formation also is similar to an above-ground root system. [...] Casper Planet's 2017 post on Devils Tower stated: "The Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower, when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower." It does not explicitly make the claim that the popular, mystic rock structure was a giant tree at one point; it leaves it up to readers to make the extrapolation. [...] - Casper Planet Facebook page - Casper Planet, Aug. 1, Facebook post - National Park Service, Dec. 5, How the Tower Formed - KISS 104.7 FM, Sept. 12, 2017, There Is No Giant System of Roots Under Devils Tower – Despite What Facebook Says
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2019-12-05): Most of the landscape surrounding Devils Tower is composed of sedimentary rocks. These rocks are formed from solidification of minerals or organic material, and are usually deposited by water or wind. This process, known as deposition, is common in river deltas and coastal areas. Many fossils are found in sedimentary rocks, providing us with clues about ancient ecosystems. The oldest rocks visible in Devils Tower National Monument were deposited in a shallow inland sea. This sea covered much of the central and western United States during the Triassic period, 225 to 195 million years ago. Dark red sandstone and maroon siltstone, interbedded with shale, can be seen along the Belle Fourche River. Oxidation of iron-rich minerals causes the red color of the rocks. This rock layer is the Spearfish Formation.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2016-12-12): But there is more to this area than the Tower. Life thrives around its base. Here in Wyoming's northeast corner, Black Hills pine forests merge with rolling plains grasslands. At Devils Tower you can see every phase in the process of establishing a forestfrom bare rock to pines. And because mountains and plains converge here, you may find a great variety of birds. More than 150 species have been countedincluding hawks, bald and golden eagles, prairie falcon, turkey vulture, and American kestrel. No one will miss the brightness of the male mountain bluebird, the industriousness of the nuthatches, or the feistiness of the black-billed magpie. Predominant mammals are the white-tailed deer and black-tailed prairie dog. You can spend hours watching busy, playful prairie dogs in their "town" on the grasslands below the Tower. [...] About 60 million years ago molten magma was forced into sedimentary rocks above it and cooled underground. As it cooled it contracted and fractured into columns. An earlier flow formed Little Missouri Buttes. Over millions of years, erosion of the sedimentary rock exposed Devils Tower and accentuated Little Missouri Buttes. The Tower rises 867 feet from its base and stands 1,267 feet above the river and 5,112 feet above sea level. The area of its tear-drop shaped top is 1.5 acres. The diameter of its base is 1,000 feet. [...] Devils Tower (Wyoming, USA): A lava coulée emplaced into a maar-diatreme volcano? (P. Závada, P. Dedeček, J. Lexa and G.R. Keller, extract from Geosphere, Vol. 11 No. 2, 2015, ©Geological Society of America)
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2023-03-03): It was during this expedition that the name "Devils Tower" originated. In his 1876 book, The Black Hills, Dodge called it "Devils Tower," explaining: "The Indians call this shaft The Bad God’s Tower, a name adopted with proper modification, by our surveyors." Newton, whose published work on the survey appeared in 1880, explained that the name Bear Lodge (Mato Tipila) "appears on the earliest map of the region, and though more recently it is said to be known among the Indians as 'the bad god's tower,' or in better English, 'the devil’s tower...'" Although many maps and documents still referred to the formation as "Bear Lodge," Dodge's book became immensely popular and the new name took root in the public's mind. [...] By the time Wyoming was granted statehood in 1890, "Devils Tower" had replaced Bear Lodge as the official name for the geologic formation. Knowing the new state was home to one the world's natural wonders, early conservationists endeavored to protect the site from vandalism or misuse. 1 - Standing Witness, Devils Tower National Monument A History - Jeanne Rogers, 2008
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2021-07-07): Was a massive root system discovered under Devils Tower, a geological formation designated as a national monument in Wyoming? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Wyoming State Parks confirmed that the claim originated from a satirical social media post. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published on July 6, 2021. The post featured a picture of Devils Tower and a diagram of an extensive root system. It opened: [...] A huge and startling discovery has been made at the Devils Tower in Wyoming. Scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower, when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower.
Claim: Says the Wyoming State Parks Department said it “discovered what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of the Devils Tower.” (Facebook posts, 2021-07-06)
Evidence (2024-01-01): The mystery of its formation begins with its general cone shape and a unique fracture pattern known as columnar jointing. Many lavas form hexagon-shaped columns as they cool, but none are as large as the column widths (10 feet) at Devils Tower, or as tall. The National Park Service reports, "Devils Tower is 867 feet from its base to the summit. It stands 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and is 5,112 feet above sea level."1 [...] The phonolite columns of Devils Tower and the boulder debris surrounding it are encrusted with a phenomenon that exemplifies a uniquely designed living collaboration—lichens. These systems comprise a mutualistic combination of two individuals, a photosynthetic alga (photobiont) and a fungus (mycobiont).10 The fungal species provides structure, moisture, and protection for the alga, which in turn harnesses light energy from the sun to produce food for itself and its host fungus. Neither organism can flourish without the other, pointing to unmistakable evidence of purpose in biological engineering. Together, the two organisms acquire an integrated set of adaptable properties that differ from those of each respective entity. [...] - How the Tower Formed. Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming. National Park Service. U.S. Department of Interior. Posted on nps.gov/deto, updated December 5, 2019.
Claim: “‘Monkeypox’ is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset." (Facebook post, 2022-07-24)
Evidence (2022-07-24): "The Great Reset" is an unsubstantiated and widely debunked conspiracy theory, which holds that a group of elites is using the coronavirus to reorder societies and economies around the world in the hopes of creating a global totalitarian regime. Monkeypox cases have been reported in countries that aren’t distributing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The monkeypox outbreak isn’t an attempt to hide cases of Pfizer "COVID-19 vaccine-induced shingles." There’s no credible evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines cause shingles.
Claim: “‘Monkeypox’ is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset." (Facebook post, 2022-07-24)
Evidence (2022-08-16): Is there enough monkeypox vaccine to go around? Maybe yes, more likely no [...] In theory there are at least three existing vaccines that could be used to protect people from monkeypox. But one is not recommended for widespread use. It's a vaccine against smallpox called ACAM2000 that the United States' Food and Drug Administration has now made available for use against monkeypox under what's called an "investigational" protocol; in rare cases it may cause dangerous side effects such as swelling of the heart. [...] The inequity is particularly stark in Africa, where monkeypox had been endemic in several countries for years before the current outbreak. For now, at least, official case numbers remain relatively low in African countries. Still that could always change – or the official counts could be missing cases – notes WHO Africa's Dr. Phiona Atuhebwe. So the lack of availability of monkeypox vaccine is galling.
Claim: “‘Monkeypox’ is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset." (Facebook post, 2022-07-24)
Evidence (2024-08-08): Monkeypox becoming established in non-endemic countries warns Tedros; calls for more testing, vaccines to end COVID pandemic [...] At a press conference in Geneva updating on both the current Monkeypox outbreak and COVID-19, WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that 29 countries where the Monkeypox virus does not usually circulate, had confirmed cases. [...] The "sudden and unexpected" appearance of Monkeypox in these countries suggests that it may have gone undetected for some time, Tedros reiterated.
Claim: “‘Monkeypox’ is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset." (Facebook post, 2022-07-24)
Evidence (2024-08-28): Hopes dashed for drug aimed at monkeypox virus spreading in Africa Monkeypox virus: dangerous strain gains ability to spread through sex, new data suggest Monkeypox in Africa: the science the world ignored
Claim: “‘Monkeypox’ is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset." (Facebook post, 2022-07-24)
Evidence (2024-09-10): Mpox is now considered a global health emergency as cases surge in Central Africa and a new, more severe subtype of the virus spreads to multiple countries — prompting concerns about lockdowns over the virus formerly known as monkeypox in the U.S. [...] "Clinicians (in the U.S.) are on guard for cases that look like monkeypox, and we will institute the appropriate isolation measures and testing, and we’re ramping up vaccinations for people we perceive to be at risk," Ogbuagu adds.
Claim: “‘Monkeypox’ is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset." (Facebook post, 2022-07-24)
Evidence (2022-08-03): Everything you need to know about the monkeypox vaccines [...] Monkeypox vaccines are already being deployed around the world, and news reports have described a "scramble" as countries desperately try to secure some of the limited number of available doses. There are concerns that poorer nations will go without. At the same time, there’s a lot we don’t know about how effective the vaccines are even likely to be. We spoke to vaccine manufacturers, virologists, and epidemiologists to get answers to the most urgent questions. [...] The WHO has called on nations that have the vaccine to share doses with those that don’t. Some scientists have pointed out that the monkeypox vaccines have not been made available to the African countries where the virus is endemic.