Watch the video: Rain of worms in China – what the incredible viral video is all about.
This video caused a stir on social media in March 2023.
The clip is said to show that it rained worms at an unspecified location in China.
The recording went viral and was viewed millions of times.
But what does it mean?
Contrary to claims made on social networks, the supposed “worms” in the video are not invertebrates, but poplar blossoms.
Numerous experts told the Reuters news agency that the alleged worms were so-called kittens.
“They resemble caterpillars, and are often described as such, or as ornate, worm-like entities (…) So you can see how the untrained eye would describe these as worms.” – Claire Thomas Federici, botanist at the University of California, Riverside
The license plates in the video indicate that the footage was taken in northern China’s Liaoning Province.
A fact that confirms the suspicions of the experts – because North China is known for its large number of poplar species.
The case shows how easily the perception of a recording can be influenced by a wrong context.
Poplar blossoms lying on cars supposedly become a spectacular rain of worms.
How do we check videos for manipulation in the editorial office? It is important to look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We take a close look at each image and enlarge individual sections. Indications of a fake are, for example: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or editing errors. The general rule at stern is: Seriousness before speed. We always double-check facts and material thoroughly before publishing them. For this we work with the cross-editorial “Team Verification” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, Radio NRW.