News hit last week that Saurabh Singh, a 17-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, India had achieved the highest score in the history of NASA's International Scientist Discovery Examination. Pretty impressive stuff, right? Well the Indian government thought so when they awarded him half a million Rupies. The Prime Minister must have agreed when he authorized a visit with the boy and his father. Then it all went bad when some nosey reporter decided to actually ask NASA about the exam.

'"I have not been able to confirm that such an examination exists. I have checked all appropriate offices of the NASA and based on our investigation, it can be said that it (examination) does not exist,' NASA spokesperson Debia Rahn said over phone from Washington."

The story was reported far and wide, and all without comment from NASA. Details such as the placement of other Indian student's scores and a list of noteworthy In dians to have taken the test in the past seem to have been entirely fabricated. Google it and it won't be difficult to find stories like this, where it was reported that "the Class 12 student even bettered his idol, Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, who finished seventh in the test in 1960."

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