Rumor & Record

OPEN CASE FILES

The case for.
The case against.
You decide.

Some rumors turned out to be true. Others never will. Each file tells the full story behind a famous theory, puts the strongest believer case next to the strongest skeptic case, and shows every source. We never add a verdict.

Open the files

The files

072 / DISAPPEARANCES The Dyatlov group's tent as searchers found it in 1959, half buried in snow. Dyatlov Pass Nine hikers cut their way out of their own tent and walked into the snow. None of them came back. Open file 005 / SPACE & ALIENS Aerial photo of the Nazca hummingbird geoglyph. Ancient Aliens A hummingbird nearly as long as a football field, drawn into the desert two thousand years ago. Drawn for whom? Open file 071 / TECH & INTERNET Dead Internet The last comment section you scrolled through had a name, a photo and an opinion on every account. How many of them were people? Open file

More files are being written. Each one gets the same treatment: the story, the evidence, both cases and every source.

How a file works

  1. The storyWhat happened, in order, with a source for every fact.
  2. The evidencePhotos, documents, maps and timelines to examine yourself.
  3. Both casesRex Marlowe makes the believer case. June Okafor makes the skeptic case.
  4. Your findingVote on where you land and see how other readers voted.
Illustrated portrait of Rex Marlowe, host of the believer case. Illustrated portrait of June Okafor, host of the skeptic case.

Rex and June are characters written for this site. Their arguments come from the sources in each file. More about how we work