In case you missed it, a few weeks ago someone tweeted that (according to NASA!), on February 10th only, your broomstick would stand up all on its own, possibly due to something to with gravitational pull.
The #BroomstickChallenge was born, and the urban myth joined a similar one about eggs balancing on their ends on the spring and fall equinoxes – science (and Snopes) dispelled this one, too, because apparently with a little practice and a cooperative egg, you can do that any time, too.
https://twitter.com/mikaiylaaaaa/status/1226959129157259266
You don’t even have to be a witch, though if you are, I’m sure it won’t hurt.
Despite the original tweet being attributed to NASA, a recent tweet from their verified account stated that no matter what day it is, you’ll have the same results with your broom, if you do it right.
“Today is the day – the only day – your broom can stand up on its own. And watch this,” said the video poster. “No strings, nothing!”
“It’s just physics,” said Astronaut Alvin Drew. “This is another social media hoax that exemplifies how quickly pseudoscience and false claims can go viral. While this hoax was harmless, it also shows why it’s important for all of us to do some fact-checking and research.”
https://twitter.com/tim_king651/status/1227482306530742272
That’s right, folks – there’s no “special gravity that only affects brooms.”
Womp-womp.
https://twitter.com/_Nefertitixo/status/1227408677239508992
This is a good reminder for all of us to check the source of your internet information, since unlike this one, many of them can have harmful or lasting consequences (see eating Tide Pods or not vaccinating your kids).
This time, go ahead and take a stroll through all of the posts on #BroomstickChallenge – I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
