FactsReef

A reference library that writes itself, one question at a time

Ask anything. Get the answer, footnotes included.

Type a question or paste a claim. FactsReef reads the open web, weighs what it finds and writes a verdict-first brief you can check line by line, usually in about ten seconds. Every brief becomes a permanent page in the library.

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Briefs in the library
27
Subjects
12
Typical wait
About ten seconds

The best of the library

Chosen by how well each brief is sourced and researched, and how many people have read it.

Technology

SmartPostly website review: legit, but still young

SmartPostly looks like a real AI social-media tool, but its review history is still thin, so it is promising rather than proven.

Explained3 min read8 sources1 read
Science

Are polar bears dangerous?

Polar bears can be extremely dangerous to people, but serious encounters are rare and mostly happen in remote Arctic areas.

Explained3 min read8 sources
Health

Coffee does not stunt growth

Coffee does not make kids shorter; genetics and nutrition matter far more, while caffeine’s real risks are sleep and appetite.

False3 min read8 sources
Politics

India is secular in law, but the reality is contested

India is constitutionally secular, but its secularism is often disputed in practice.

Mixed3 min read8 sources1 read
Health

You do not lose most body heat through your head

You do not usually lose most body heat through your head; the head matters, but mostly when it’s exposed and the rest of you isn’t.

Mixed3 min read7 sources
Everyday life

How many bones are in the human body?

Adults usually have 206 bones; babies start with far more, and the exact count can vary a little by how bones are counted.

Explained3 min read8 sources
Everyday life

Does reading in dim light damage your eyesight?

Reading in dim light usually causes temporary eye strain, not permanent eye damage, though children’s myopia risk is a separate question.

Mostly false3 min read7 sources
Browse the library →

How a brief gets written

Four steps, all of them visible while they happen. You watch the searches run and the sources land before the first sentence appears.

  1. Read

    The engine works out whether you asked a question or made a claim, and what would count as an answer.

  2. Search

    It runs several live web searches and favours primary sources: studies, statistics, filings, court and government records.

  3. Weigh

    Sources are compared and dated. Disagreements are reported, not smoothed over, and the strongest counter-case gets a hearing.

  4. Write and file

    You get a verdict, the reasoning and numbered footnotes. The brief gets a permanent address so nobody has to ask twice.

Browse by subject

Or by who and what the briefs are about: people, organizations, places and topics.

Straight about what this is

Every brief here is written by software, from searches it ran the moment you asked. That is a strength (it is fast, tireless and shows its work) and a limit (it can misread a source or miss one). So each brief carries its date, its sources and a verdict scale that says how strong the evidence is. Read the footnotes. That is what they are for.

How verdicts and evidence strength work →

The verdict scale

  • TrueThe best available evidence supports the claim.
  • Mostly trueAccurate in substance, with a caveat worth knowing.
  • MixedPartly right, partly wrong, or it depends on what you mean.
  • Mostly falseA kernel of truth wrapped in a misleading claim.
  • FalseThe evidence contradicts the claim.
  • UnverifiedThe record is too thin, or too contested, to call it.
  • ExplainedA question rather than a claim, answered with sources.