NASA has debunked a wild conspiracy theory claiming that at exactly 9:30 p.m. ET on August 12, 2026, the earth will lose gravity for seven seconds, leading to at least 40 million deaths from falls. This “secret” was said to have been revealed in a NASA document named “Project Anchor,” which was leaked in November 2024. The post also noted that the project had a budget of $89 billion and was responsible for building underground bunkers. Needless to say, users on social media went crazy, with some discounting the message as fake, while others bought into it. Now NASA’s experts have put the matter to rest once and for all, pointing out that the wacky theory fundamentally misunderstands how gravity works. As explained by a NASA spokesman, the earth’s gravity — or total gravitational force — is determined by its mass. The only way for the earth to lose gravity would be for the earth system — the combined mass of its core, mantle, crust, ocean, terrestrial water, and atmosphere — to lose mass. Although the exact origin of the conspiracy is unknown, there's absolutely no trace of any leaked document or mention of Project Anchor prior to December 2024. While there will be a solar eclipse on August 12, this in no way will affect the earth’s gravity.
