Hoax! We're not all going to float on Jan. 4

ByLA Blake KGO logo
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
(Shutterstock)
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Could a misalignment of the planets momentarily turn the world into a giant trampoline?

Absolutely not, say experts, and don't believe it if it shows up on your news feed.

One of the most popular sources of the hoax is the site Daily Buzz Live, which claims that NASA has endorsed the idea.

"If you jump in the air at 9:47 AM PST, on January 4, 2015, it should take you about 3 seconds to land back on your feet instead of the usual 0.2 seconds," the article claims.

The article even includes a photo of a NASA "tweet" attributing the phenomenon to planetary alignment.

Though Daily Buzz Live sometimes posts news, the website also includes a disclaimer that "just a few stories are works of complete fiction."

Nonetheless, that didn't stop #ZeroGDay from becoming popular on Twitter. Many chiming in, though, were ridiculing those who believed in the hoax or poking fun at its popularity.

A NASA spokesperson told AL.com that not only is the claim fake, but the image is fabricated. NASA sent no such tweet.

"Microgravity exists only off Earth," the representative explained, listing the only exception: "Temporary microgravity can be created using aircraft flying in parabolic arcs."

In addition to NASA's statement, Phil Plait, a science blogger for Slate and self-proclaimed skeptic, wrote an article explaining the scientific reasons the claim is bogus. Among them: The planets aren't even going to be aligned the way the Daily Buzz Live article claims. And Earth would have to be much, much closer to feel the gravitational pull of the planets.

As AL.com and several other sources pointed out, this hoax is not new, but it is being recirculated again this year.