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How Misinformation on Social Media Fuels the Tension Between India and Pakistan

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An unseen conflict unfolded earlier this month as missiles and drones flew through the night sky separating India and Pakistan.

Following the Indian government’s announcement of Operation Sindoah, rumors of Pakistan’s defeat rapidly circulated online, fueled by military strikes on Pakistan and extremist assaults in Kashmir, which prompted condemnation from Delhi towards Islamabad.

What initially started as a mere assertion on social media platforms like X quickly escalated into a cacophony boasting India’s military strength, labeled as “breaking news” and “exclusive” on one of the country’s leading news channels.

These posts and reports claimed that India had downed several Pakistani jets, captured pilots and Karachi ports, and taken control of Lahore. Additional unfounded claims suggested that the powerful chief of the Pakistani military had been arrested and a coup executed. A widely shared post stated, “We’ll be having breakfast in Rawalpindi tomorrow,” referencing the Pakistani city housing the military headquarters amidst the ongoing hostilities.

Many of these assertions included videos of explosions, collapsing buildings, and missiles being launched from the air. The issue was that none of these were factual.

“Global Trends in Hybrid Warfare”

The ceasefire on May 10th momentarily steered both nations away from the brink of full-scale war after an intense escalation in decades, triggered by extremists targeting tourist sites in Indian-controlled Kashmir—resulting in the deaths of 26 individuals, mostly tourists from India. India swiftly condemned Pakistan for the atrocities, while Islamabad denied involvement.

Even with the cessation of military hostilities, analysts, fact-checkers, and activists have meticulously tracked the surge of misinformation that proliferated online during this conflict.

In Pakistan, misinformation also spread widely. Just before the conflict erupted, the Pakistani government lifted a ban on X, which researchers later identified as a source of misinformation, albeit not at the same magnitude as in India.

A fabricated image intended to depict fighter planes engaging in combat in Udangh Haar, India. Photo: x

Claims of military victories from Pakistan circulated heavily on social media, paralleling an uptick in recycled AI-generated footage that was amplified by mainstream media outlets, prominent journalists, and government officials, leading to false narratives about captured Indian pilots, military coups, and dismantling India’s defenses.

Additionally, fabricated reports circulated that claimed Pakistan’s cyber attacks had largely disabled India’s power infrastructure, and that Indian troops were surrendering by raising white flags. Particularly, video game simulations became a favored method of disseminating misinformation about Pakistan that portrayed India in a favorable light.

A recent report on social media conflicts surrounding the India-Pakistan situation, released last week by the civil society organization The London Story, elaborated on how platforms like X and Facebook have become fertile grounds for spreading wartime narratives, hate speech, and emotionally charged misinformation, leading to an environment rich in nationalist fervor on both sides.

In a written statement, a representative from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, claimed to have implemented “significant steps to combat misinformation,” including the removal and labeling of misleading content and limiting the reach of stories flagged by fact-checkers.

Joyojeet Pal, an associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Faculty of Information Studies, remarked that the magnitude of misinformation in India has “surpassed anything seen previously,” impacting both sides of the conflict.

PAL has noted that misinformation campaigns have outstripped the typical nationalist propaganda prevalent in both India and Pakistan.

Fraudulent images purporting to show the Narendra Modi Stadium in India on abandoned islands have circulated and been debunked on X. Photo: x

Analysts argue this exemplifies the emerging digital battleground of warfare, where strategic misinformation is weaponized to manipulate narratives and heighten tensions. Fact-checkers point out that the proliferation of misinformation, such as old footage and misleading military victory claims, mirrors earlier patterns seen in Russia’s initial stages of its conflict.

The Hate Research Centre (CSOH) based in Washington, D.C., has tracked and recorded misinformation from both nations, cautioning that the manipulation of information in the recent India-Pakistan conflict is “not an isolated occurrence but part of a larger global trend in hybrid warfare.”

CSOH Executive Director Raqib Hameed Naik stated that some social media platforms experienced “significant failures” in managing and controlling the spread of disinformation generated from both India and Pakistan. Out of 427 key CSOH posts analyzed on X, many garnered nearly 10 million views, yet only 73 were flagged with warnings. X did not respond to inquiries for comment.

Initial fabricated reports from India predominantly circulated on X and Facebook, often shared by verified right-wing accounts. Numerous posts openly expressed support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which is known for its Hindu nationalist stance. Some BJP politicians even shared this content.

Deepfake videos altering the speeches of Narendra Modi and other Indian officials have been disseminated on the same platforms that propagated them. Photo: x

Examples circulating included 2023 footage of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza incorrectly labeled as Indian strikes against Pakistan, and images from Indian naval drills misrepresented as proof of an assault on Karachi Port.

Images from video games falsely portrayed as real-life footage of the Indian Air Force defeating a Pakistani JF-17 fighter jet were circulated, alongside scenes from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict being claimed as “major airstrikes in Pakistan.” AI-generated visuals of purported victories for India were also disseminated, as well as manipulated videos of Turkish pilots presented in fabricated reports of captured Pakistani personnel. Additionally, doctored images were used in misleading reports about the assassination of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Many of these posts, initially generated by Indian social media users, achieved millions of views, and such misinformation was later featured in some of India’s most prominent television news segments.

“The Fog of War Accepted as Reality”

The credibility of Indian mainstream media, already diminished by the government’s strong influence under Modi, now faces difficult scrutiny. Several prominent anchors have issued public apologies.

The Indian human rights organization Citizens for Citizens (CJP) lodged a formal complaint with the broadcasting authority, citing “serious ethical violations” in the coverage of Operation Sindoah across six major television networks.

CJP Secretary Teesta Setalvad stated that these channels have completely neglected their duty as impartial news sources, turning into “propaganda collaborators”.


Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser to India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, refuted claims of governmental involvement in the misinformation efforts. He asserted that the government is “very cautious” about misinformation and has provided clear guidelines for mainstream media reporting on the conflict.

“We established a surveillance center operating 24/7 to monitor any disinformation that could have a cascading effect, and a fact check was promptly issued. Social media platforms collaborated to eliminate a multitude of accounts promoting this misinformation.

Gupta noted “strong” notifications had been sent to several news channels for broadcasting rule violations. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the chaos of war is widely regarded as a tangible reality, wherein the nature of reporting—regardless of it being an overt or covert conflict—tends to escalate in intensity.

Source: www.theguardian.com

5 Effective Strategies to Prevent Tension Headaches

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You might have heard discussions about the “headache bones” located at the base of your skull, where headaches seem to originate. However, these are not problematic bones.

This area includes the bones of the occipital region and a small group of muscles known as the inferior muscle.

These muscles facilitate head movement and help maintain proper posture. When they become tight or overworked, they can lead to tension headaches and neck pain. Fortunately, alleviating this discomfort is possible.

1. Posture

Excessive screen time can strain these muscles. Keep your head aligned with your spine and visualize a string pulling gently from above your head.

Ensure you have a supportive chair and adjust your desk’s height and position to contribute positively to your posture.

2. Sleep

An unsuitable pillow can worsen your condition. Look for one that supports your neck’s natural curve. If you sleep on your back, a contoured pillow may suit you well. You might need to experiment with a few options to find the best fit.

3. Stretch

Simple exercises like chin tucks (gently pulling your chin toward your neck and holding for 5 seconds) and slow neck rolls can help release tight muscles.

4. Massage

Applying pressure in the right spots can be incredibly effective. Use your fingers or a tennis ball to massage the base of your skull.

Massaging the skull, especially around the temples and base, can relieve tension headaches by relaxing tight muscles and boosting blood flow to the brain – Photo Credit: Getty

5. Break

If you’ve been sitting for extended periods, make sure to stand up and adjust your posture to reset. Small changes can prevent muscles from tensing in the first place.

Making minor adjustments to your sitting, sleeping, and moving habits can create major improvements. However, if your headaches persist, consulting a doctor for a more in-depth examination is advisable.

This article addresses the question posed by Petra Bell of Peterborough: “What is the bone associated with a headache? Can you ‘work’ it to reduce headaches?”

Please email us your questions at Question@sciencefocus.com or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (please include your name and location).

Check out our ultimate Fun Fact and explore more amazing science content.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Chimpanzees and bonobos engage in genital rubbing to alleviate social tension

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Male chimpanzees may have sexual contact during stressful periods

Jake Brooker/Chimhunsi Wildlife Orphanage Trust

Some chimpanzees seem to use sexual behaviors like genital rubbing to manage stressful situations. This shows that our closest living relatives – or in fact, as we thought, isn’t that different from highly sensitive bonobos.

Jake Brooker Durham University in the UK and his colleagues investigated the sexual behavior of non-human primates Rolaya Bonobo Sanctuary The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chimhunsi Wildlife Orphanage Trust In Zambia. Both sanctuaries contain a mixture of wild and captive-born apes, allowing them to roam freely and forage within them.

Researchers observed 53 bonobos (Pampaniscus) It spans three groups: Lola Ya Bonobo and 75 chimpanzees (Pantrogloid) across two groups of chimhunsi over the course of the feeding event of events, including swings distributing limited supply of peanuts to specific regions.

“Bonobos and chimpanzees both live in extremely complex social structures. Zanna Clayat Durham University. Predicting such feeding events can be stressful due to the competition for those who will first reach the food.

Researchers observed 107 instances of genital contact in bonobos and 201 instances of chimpanzees five minutes before 45 feeding events in five groups.

“This involves placing your hands or feet in another primate's biogenic area, and it could also involve the genital organs that touch each other, like the bonobo's very well-known genital friction behavior,” says Brooker.

This study revealed differences between species. “We found that sex frequency in these situations was more common in other women and female bonobos, but more common among chimpanzee men,” says Clay. It may be related to the fact that bonobos live in patriarchal groups, but chimpanzees live in patriarchal groups, she says.

“By using sex as a social tool to navigate all kinds of social issues, bonobos have given them a bit of a reputation as a kind of sexy hippie ape,” says Clay. “This study shows that the differences between the two species are not as large as previously assumed. Chimpanzees are known to be aggressive and violent, but in reality they have a truly rich repertoire of behaviors used to manage social life.”

“Chimpanzees definitely draw PR short straws compared to bonobos.” Matilda Brindle At Oxford University.

Chimpanzees use sex in ways that go beyond breeding, unlike human sexuality, but we don’t just have sex for breeding, says Clay. for example, Stress reduction It was given as a reason for people to have sex.

Kit Opie At the University of Bristol in the UK, I wonder if the same level of behavior can be seen in wild environments rather than sanctuaries.

The work may also shed light on our last common ancestors, who lived around five to seven million years ago, before humans branch out from dicks and bonobos, he says.

“If we consider that all three use sexual behaviors to navigate social relationships, it is likely that the common ancestors we share did too,” Brindle says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Webb observations provide new insights into the enigma of “Hubble tension”

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When you’re trying to solve one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology, you need to triple-check your homework. The mystery, called the Hubble tension, is that the universe is currently expanding faster than astronomers expect based on the initial conditions of the universe and our current understanding of its evolution. Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and many other telescopes are constantly discovering numbers that don’t match predictions based on observations from ESA’s Planck mission. Does this discrepancy require new physics to resolve, or is it a result of measurement errors between the two different methods used to determine the rate of expansion of space?

NGC 5468 is an image of a galaxy located approximately 142 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, combining data from Hubble and Webb. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / A. Riess, JHU & STScI.

One of the scientific justifications for building Hubble was to use its observational capabilities to provide accurate values for the rate of expansion of the universe.

Before Hubble’s launch in 1990, ground-based telescope observations were subject to large uncertainties. Depending on what we infer from the expansion rate, the age of the universe could be between 10 and 20 billion years old.

Over the past 34 years, Hubble has reduced this measurement to less than 1% accuracy, dividing the difference by an age value of 13.8 billion years.

This was achieved by improving the so-called “cosmic distance ladder” by measuring important milepost markers known as Cepheid variable stars.

However, the Hubble value does not match other measurements that suggest the universe expanded faster after the Big Bang.

These observations were made by mapping the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation by ESA’s Planck satellite.

A simple solution to this dilemma would be that the Hubble observations are wrong as a result of some inaccuracy creeping into the measurements of the deep space yardstick.

Then the James Webb Space Telescope came along, allowing astronomers to cross-check Hubble’s results.

Webb’s infrared observations of Cepheids were consistent with Hubble’s optical data.

Webb confirmed that Hubble’s keen observations were correct all along and dispelled any lingering doubts about Hubble’s measurements.

The bottom line is that the Hubble tension between what’s happening in the nearby universe and the expansion of the early universe remains a perplexing puzzle for cosmologists.

“There may be something woven into the fabric of the universe that we don’t yet understand,” the astronomers said.

“Do we need new physics to resolve this contradiction? Or is it the result of measurement errors between the two different methods used to determine the rate of expansion of space?”

Hubble and Webb are now working together to make the final measurements, making it even more likely that something else, not measurement error, is influencing the rate of expansion.

Dr. Adam Rees, a physicist at Johns Hopkins University and leader of the SH0ES (Dark Energy Equation of State Supernova “This is a very real and interesting possibility.” ) Team.

As a cross-check, the first Webb observations in 2023 confirmed that Hubble’s measurements of the expanding universe were accurate.

But in hopes of softening the Hubble tension, some scientists have speculated that invisible measurement errors may grow and become visible as we look deeper into the universe.

In particular, star crowding can systematically affect measurements of the brightness of more distant stars.

The SH0ES team obtained additional observations by Webb of an object that is a Cepheid variable star, an important cosmic milepost marker. This can now be correlated with Hubble data.

“We now have the entire range observed by Hubble and can rule out measurement errors as a cause of the Hubble tension with very high confidence,” Dr. Rees said.

The team’s first few Webb observations in 2023 succeeded in showing that Hubble is on the right track in firmly establishing the fidelity of the first rung of the so-called cosmic distance ladder.

Astronomers use different methods to measure relative distances in space, depending on the object they are observing.

These techniques are collectively known as the space distance ladder. Each stage or measurement technique relies on previous steps for calibration.

But some astronomers believe that the cosmic distance ladder could become unstable as we move outward along the second rung, as Cepheid measurements become less accurate with distance. suggested.

Such inaccuracies can occur because the Cepheid’s light can mix with the light of neighboring stars. This effect can become more pronounced at greater distances, as stars become denser in the sky and harder to distinguish from each other.

The observational challenge is that past Hubble images of these more distant Cepheid variable stars show that as the distance between us and our host galaxy grows ever greater, they appear to overlap more closely with their neighbors. Therefore, this effect needs to be carefully considered.

Intervening dust makes reliable measurements in visible light even more difficult.

The web cuts through the dust, naturally isolating the Cepheid cluster from its neighboring stars. The reason is that its view is clearer at infrared wavelengths than the Hubble Cluster.

“Combining Webb and Hubble gives us the best of both worlds. We find that the reliability of Hubble measurements remains as we climb further along the cosmic distance ladder,” Dr. Rees said.

The new Webb observations include five host galaxies consisting of eight type Ia supernovae containing a total of 1,000 Cepheids, and are located 130 million light-years away, the most distant galaxy in which Cepheids have been sufficiently measured. NGC 5468 is also reached in the distance.

“This spans the entire range measured by Hubble, so we’ve reached the end of the second rung of the cosmic distance ladder,” said Dr. Gagandeep Anand, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Told.

of the team paper Published in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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Adam G. Reese other. 2024. JWST observations refute unrecognized crowding of Cepheid photometry as an explanation for the Hubble tension with 8σ confidence. APJL 962, L17; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad1ddd

Source: www.sci.news