Matt D’Antuono on Misinformation, Science, and the Church

"Students came into my high school class on Monday claiming that it was the only day a broom would stand on its own because of the moon's position. Since I am their physics teacher, they thought they should let me know about the phenomenon they had discovered and the proof that was flooding social media. Pictures and videos of people standing brooms on end (#broomstickchallenge) flooded the internet. My students asked me to explain how the moon could bring about such a fascinating result.

"When I was first asked about it, I was perplexed because I understand the physics behind gravitational pulls and the phases of the moon. I thought briefly about it, and then I told my student I didn't quite know how to make sense of it. I would have to check it out and get back to her.
It came up again the next day in another class. I took the time to look it up right then. . . . . I quickly realized that it was a hoax. I asked my students to find the original statement from NASA, which they were unable to do. Thankfully, scientific authorities also started correcting the misinformation and news channels explained the error. Brooms can be stood on end any time of the year because of the base and the low center of gravity, and it has nothing to do with the moon.

"But someone HAD in fact claimed that NASA said it. And a whole population of social media users were convinced of the statement's veracity. Most of my students probably never would have seen the response statements from NASA and other news outlets if I had not alerted them to them.

"This event reminded me of how easily bad information can become a part of 'what everyone knows.'"

In a recent commentary, writer Matt D’Antuono reflected on misinformation about the relationship between science and the church.

To access Mr. D’Antuono's complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Blogs: Matt D'Antuono: The Broomstick Hoax and the Truth About Galileo (12 FEB 20)