Friday, September 19, 2014 | 10:58pm | GMA News
Are you worried about a message you received asking you to turn off your cellphones because of cosmic rays entering the Earth from Mars?
Then worry no more because that's nothing but a hoax.
As the website Hoax-Slayer.com notes: "Depending on their type, cosmic rays come from outside our solar system or from the sun. They do not come from Mars or any other planet. And, the Earth's atmosphere largely protects us from cosmic rays.
The site also notes that there are no news organizations reporting about the event. "There are no reports about this supposed threat on BBC news. Nor is there any evidence that cosmic rays could somehow make cell phones dangerous. Sharing this silly nonsense will help nobody," said the site.
The hoax has been going on for years, with a 2010 report by the BBC on how people in Ghana fell for it.
"The rumour began on Sunday night with a text message quoting US space agency Nasa and the BBC as saying that 'cosmic rays' were to hit the Earth," the 2010 BBC report read, before detailing how it caused mass panic in Ghana.
The hoax seems to have been going around in the Philippines since 2012. That year, a Filipino science blogger wrote about receiving a message, ending his post with a plea: "So, to anyone who will receive this kind of message, please think it over and help educate others. :) Spreading dubious and unsubstantiated warnings such as this is counterproductive and is unlikely to help anyone."
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