Friday 9 October 2026 · Edition of the day

The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories: 2
Average plausibility: 72%
How to read the score: It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.

RegionAll Global Africa North America South America Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East

TopicAll Politics Conflict & Security Business Science Health

01ScienceSouth America

New giant waterlily species reported in Colombia

The Guardian describes a discovery prompted by social media and says the plant is already considered critically endangered.

A social media encounter led to the discovery of a new giant waterlily species in Colombia's jungle, the Guardian reports. The item describes leaves large enough to be seen from space and says conservation plans are being developed for the plant, which is already considered critically endangered.

What holds up

✓The Guardian explicitly reports a new species discovery in Colombia.
✓The same item reports conservation planning and a critically endangered assessment.

What doesn't yet

?No scientific paper, species name or formal conservation assessment is included in the supplied extract.
?The claim about visibility from space lacks imagery or a definition of the observing conditions.

Ask before you share

→What published evidence establishes the plant as a distinct species?
→Who assessed its conservation status, and what population and habitat data support that assessment?

Sources & original reporting

[1]The Guardian · Published 9 Oct 2026 · theguardian.com

02ScienceSouth America

Residents airlifted after Mapocho river floods in central Chile

The BBC reports evacuations after unusually heavy recent rainfall caused the river to burst its banks.

Residents have been airlifted to safety after flooding in central Chile, the BBC reports. Its summary says the Mapocho river burst its banks following an unusually large amount of rain in recent days.