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→Fabrication of a newspaper headline: it might well be sensible
===Fabrication of a newspaper headline===
===Fabrication of a newspaper headline===
Tyson was also accused of fabricating a newspaper headline that he regularly uses to question the numerical illiteracy of journalists. The quote he uses in his presentations is, "Half the schools in the district were below average."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Y8tG6pJDY|title=Neil deGrasse Tyson - Fear of Numbers - 2012|last1=Tyson|first1=Neil|date=2012|website=YouTube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> He attributes that quote to "Newspaper Headline." However, extensive research using Google and Nexis records has revealed that such a headline does not exist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/10/super-scientist-neil-degrasse-tyson-doesnt-understand-statistics/|title=Super Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson Doesn’t Understand Statistics|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 10, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> Although a small handful of news articles contain similar phrases, none contains the verbatim phrase that is quoted extensively by Tyson.
Tyson was also accused of fabricating a newspaper headline that he regularly uses to question the numerical illiteracy of journalists. The quote he uses in his presentations is, "Half the schools in the district were below average."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Y8tG6pJDY|title=Neil deGrasse Tyson - Fear of Numbers - 2012|last1=Tyson|first1=Neil|date=2012|website=YouTube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> He attributes that quote to "Newspaper Headline." However, extensive research using Google and Nexis records has revealed that such a headline does not exist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/10/super-scientist-neil-degrasse-tyson-doesnt-understand-statistics/|title=Super Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson Doesn’t Understand Statistics|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 10, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> Although a small handful of news articles contain similar phrases, none contains the verbatim phrase that is quoted extensively by Tyson.
Even if such a headline did occur, it might well be sensible if it were a shortened form of saying that half the schools int he district were below the state average. But without the story, it is impossible to say whether there was some mathematical stupidity.
===Fabrication of a Member of Congress quote===
===Fabrication of a Member of Congress quote===