Before you go changing the past, it might be good to know what it was.

Ah, 'alternative facts'. How we hate them in our headlines. The number-one cause of headaches and grumbling about our politicians these days. But were these altfacts real or not? Check true or false, and we'll explain later.

True or false?

1. Before Columbus, everybody believed the Earth was flat.
2. In the 18th Century, leading scientists did not believe meteorites were real.
3. Astronomer William Herschel believed in extraterrestrials.
4. The discovery that germs caused disease immediately revolutionised medical practice.
5. Aristotle wrote that men had more teeth than women.
6. The discovery of the platypus was originally dismissed as 'fake news'.
7. Prester John was a real king who ruled over a fabulous kingdom in Mongolia.
8. The island of Krakatoa is east of Java.
9. The last Romanov rulers of Russia, along with their children, are canonised saints in the Russian Orthodox Church.
10. People on Earth have always believed that their solar system has the same number of planets.

Ah, another quiz that makes your head hurt. Find out how gullible people used to be. Click on the picture for answers.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

19.06.17 Front Page

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