NASA has been forced to publicly address and debunk a bizarre conspiracy theory that has spread rapidly across social media, claiming the Earth will experience a complete loss of gravity for seven seconds next year.
The Viral Claim and Its Supposed Origins
The outlandish theory asserts that on 12 August 2026, at precisely 14:33 GMT, planetary gravity will cease for seven seconds. Proponents allege this 'secret' was revealed in a leaked NASA document named 'Project Anchor' from November 2024, warning of catastrophic consequences including an estimated '40 million deaths from falls', infrastructure destruction, and a decade-long economic collapse.
Despite the alarming specificity, NASA confirms there is no record of any such leaked document or mention of 'Project Anchor' online before December 2024. The earliest trace appears to be a lengthy post from an Instagram user, @mr_danya_of, who wove an elaborate narrative involving colliding black holes and secret bunkers built with an '$89 billion' budget.
Why the Theory is Scientifically Impossible
In a statement to the fact-checking website Snopes, a NASA spokesperson was unequivocal: 'The Earth will not lose gravity on Aug. 12, 2026.' The agency's experts clarified a fundamental principle of physics: Earth's gravitational force is a direct result of its mass.
'The only way for the Earth to lose gravity would be for the Earth system... to lose mass,' the spokesperson explained. This means the entire planet would have to shed a significant portion of its substance—an event not just unlikely, but cataclysmic in ways far beyond a seven-second float.
Misunderstood Science and Social Media Frenzy
The conspiracy theory attempts to borrow legitimacy from real astronomical phenomena, but fundamentally misunderstands them. Some posts suggested the event would be triggered by gravitational waves from colliding black holes or coincide with a total solar eclipse also occurring on 12 August 2026.
Dr William Alston, a black hole expert from the University of Hertfordshire, told the Daily Mail that while gravitational waves are real, their effect on Earth is infinitesimally small. 'These ripples routinely pass through Earth and ourselves... many times smaller than the size of an atom,' he said. Furthermore, predicting their arrival date years in advance would require a 'physics defying mechanism'.
Regarding the solar eclipse, NASA confirmed it has no unusual impact on Earth's gravity. The gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon is constant and well-understood, influencing tides but not the planet's overall gravity.
As the theory spread, social media users added their own embellishments and soon began turning on each other, with some accusing others of being part of a 'psyop' or a Deep State plot to instigate a lockdown. This cycle of amplification and in-fighting highlights how baseless claims can evolve and gain traction in online echo chambers, despite a complete absence of factual foundation.
