'Sir Isaac Newton is laughing': Memes flood social media after 7-second gravity blackout conspiracy theory fails during August 12 solar eclipse

NASA was right. There was no Project Anchor and no gravity blackout happened on August 12, 2026, as a conspiracy theory circulating on social media had claimed.

Earlier this year, conspiracy theories started gaining ground online, claiming that Earth would lose gravity for seven seconds on August 12, 2026, allegedly because of a secret NASA project called “Project Anchor.”

“On August 12, 2026, the world will lose gravity for 7 seconds. NASA knows. They’re preparing but won’t tell us why.”


The post also claimed that the alleged project had an $89 billion budget and that the supposed gravitational event would occur at 14:33 UTC.

Another viral post made similar claims, suggesting that NASA knew about an impending seven-second gravitational anomaly but had not informed the public.

The theories continued to spread on social media even after NASA denied the existence of any such secret programme.

NASA officially clarified that the viral claims had no basis in reality.

The space agency explained that Earth’s gravitational force is determined by its mass. For Earth to suddenly lose its gravitational pull, the planet itself, including its core, mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere, would have to lose its mass or disappear entirely.


NASA also noted that astronomical events such as a total solar eclipse involve the Moon passing between the Sun and Earth. While an eclipse changes the amount of light reaching Earth and can produce predictable tidal effects, it does not cause an unusual change in Earth’s overall gravitational field.

And, as it turned out, nothing happened at 14:33 UTC.

Following the passing of the predicted time, social media users began sharing memes mocking the failed prediction.



“Did anyone get to be weightless? Gravity was supposed to have turned off about 30 minutes ago (10:30 EST). Unfortunately, I didn't get to float in zero G for 7 seconds,” one X user wrote.

“Ope, there goes gravity. Why didn’t we notice?” another user wrote.

“Survived the highly anticipated 7.3-second gravity blackout. Still standing on solid ground like a complete sucker. Somewhere, Sir Isaac Newton is laughing his powdered-wig off and muttering ‘I told you so,’” a third user wrote.