Mysterious Fog in the US , Canada and UK: A dense, eerie fog with a "burning chemical-like smell" has spooked a good part of North America and parts of the United Kingdom and Canada. With social media amplifying all concerns, this phenomenon has sparked attention across all social media platforms. However, at the heart of this mysterious fog are a conjunction of natural events, social psychology, and environmental conditions that culminated in all the conspiracy theories and public health fears. Here's a closer look at the mysterious fog, its potential causes, and the societal response it has triggered.

Fog that Feeds Fear

The first reports of this "mysterious fog" came in from Florida where a resident said that they experienced respiratory symptoms, feverish warmth, and stomach cramps after contact with the fog. Similar stories started flooding social media, and within a day or two, a sinister force seemed to sweep across the United States, Canada, and parts of the UK. From Texas to Minnesota, people reported weird odors and health issues that they thought were linked to this bizarre atmospheric event.

Some witnesses were said to see "white particles" swirling through the air; theories ranged from a chemical attack or experimental weapon to drone-related chemical dispersals and references to historical military experiments, such as the infamous 1950s "Operation Sea-Spray."

Fuel to the fire were added when videos and posts, hundreds of thousands in number, began circulating on social media sites like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) speculating on the origin of the fog. Hashtags like #ToxicFog went trending for days. Hysteria created a self-reinforcing loop in which every post spurred further scrutiny and fear.

Scientific Explanation of the Dense Mysterious Fog

1. What is Fog?

Fog is essentially a low-lying cloud formed when the air temperature cools to its dew point, causing water vapor to condense into tiny droplets or ice crystals. Several types of fog—advection fog, radiation fog, and valley fog—can form depending on conditions such as warm, moist air moving over cooler land or when temperatures plummet rapidly under clear skies.

2. Why the Chemical Smell?

Such chemical-like smell as reported during the occurrence of fog events is sometimes attributed to air pollution. It acts like a sponge, where it absorbs these pollutants, which include sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, among others, that emit from industries. This mixture, therefore, leads to a stench that could be mistaken as unnatural or even toxic.

Also Read: Health Concerns Rise As US, Canada, and UK Come Under The Blanket Of Thick, Dense, Toxic Fog

3. What are the Health Concerns?

High moisture levels from fog can significantly exacerbate symptoms related to respiration, but especially in already predisposed asthmatics and allergy patients. The connection of these symptoms with actual fever, stomach cramps, and puffy eyes is too remote. Experts assume that the irritating effects of entrapped pollutants trapped in fog tend to affect more the eyes and throat rather than the rest of the body affected by some report.

Psychological Effects of Mass Panic Caused by Social Media

Social media amplified a natural weather event into a health epidemic. It made the personal experience of individuals become a cause for fear and speculation, a domino effect.

According to psychologists, this is a concept of selective perception, wherein once people's attention is drawn to environmental anomalies, they begin to notice them. This mirrors earlier panics, such as the Seattle windshield pitting panic of 1954. Then, atomic bomb testing caused fear in many and started to have people looking at their windshields for small marks that they had not seen before. Likewise, postings on the strangeness of the fog probably increased public awareness and suspicion, with people looking to attach unrelated symptoms to the phenomenon.

The fog hysteria shares a commonality with other instances of mass panic, such as the "drone sightings" of recent years or the Cold War-era fears of biological warfare.

Also Read: Mysterious Fog Is Making Americans Sick

These events underscore how fear can cloud judgment, especially when amplified by social media and sensationalist headlines. While historical cases, such as "Operation Sea-Spray," offer concrete evidence of the existence of unethical experiments, the jump from a natural weather condition to theories of chemical attacks exemplifies a more modern trend of connecting unrelated dots, all wonderfully seeded in distrust and anxiety.

Despite the swirling rumors, meteorologists and scientists are in agreement that the mysterious fog is not as alarming as it seems. It is well known that fog traps and amplifies pollutants, especially in urban and industrial regions. Moreover, winter months are the most conducive for fog formation, so its recent prevalence is unsurprising.

On the other hand, environmentalists advise that the fog should wake everyone up to increased levels of pollution. The reported odors and health irritations could be just symptoms of far deeper systemic issues like industrial emissions and lack of control over air quality.

The authorities must be transparent in their communication to combat misinformation and allay public fears. Governments and environmental agencies must provide timely updates on weather phenomena, air quality, and health risks. Initiatives like real-time pollutant tracking and public education campaigns can help demystify natural occurrences while addressing valid environmental concerns.

The mysterious Canada fog is a compelling case study in how environmental events intersect with psychology and societal dynamics. While rooted in natural phenomena, the fog became a vessel for collective fears, amplified by modern technology and historical anxieties.

In this information era where communication occurs at an almost lightning pace, the fog becomes a metaphor that reminds everyone about scientific literacy, environmental responsibility, and an effective balance when considering public concern. Whether perceived as a marvel of nature or as a tale that serves to teach, it left a very powerful mark in people's minds.

Law on assisted dying will soon be passed in Jersey as politicians approved the principles to allow the same. On Wednesday. States member approved the draft law that would enable people with a terminal illness and experiencing incurable suffering to end their life with the help of a medical professional.

The Assisted Dying Review Panel said that they would need to take a closer look at the details before the law is finalized. The law is expected to be debated again on February 24 after the scrutiny panel is done with reviewing the details.

The draft law has been approved with 32 votes for and 14 votes against. This was similar to the result when the first details of the assisted dying law was given a green light in May 2024. The vote also followed the approval of an end of life care law, which was passed on Tuesday. This required the island's health minister to prove end of life care for the last 12 months of anyone's life.

Read: Supreme Court Steps In For 31-year-old's Passive Euthanasia Plea Who Has Been In Vegetative State For 10 Years

Law For Assisted Dying: What Does It Mean For Jersey?

Humanists UK chief executive Andre Copson said, and as is reported by the BBC, "This vote in favour of the draft law represents a historic moment for Jersey, and a huge step forward for compassion, dignity and choice at the end of life. The proposals contain strong safeguards and reflect the clear wishes of the public, who have spoken through citizens' juries and repeated surveys. Today, members of the States Assembly have listened to those voices and are one step closer to bringing choice and compassion to those facing the hardest of circumstances."

As a rebuttal, Christian leaders on Sunday led a prayer outside the States building. Organizers of Walk for Life said the prayer was attended by 200 people who were there to share their "great concern for the unintended consequences of the introduction of assisted dying, that has been expressed over the last few years."

Read: Can Right To Die Be Practiced By Non-Terminally Ill Patients?

Law For Assisted Dying In Jersey: What It Proposes?

As per the official government website of Jersey, the law is for those with a terminal illness, who is experiencing or is expected to experience unbearable physical suffering. Under such scenario the person "chooses to end their life with the help of a medical professional". The website notes that it is not same as suicide. It is a "service provided to people in certain limited circumstances that will be set out in law".

Also Read: Uruguay Becomes The First Catholic Latin American Country To Legalize Euthanasia

The website also notes that this does not replace palliative care and end of life care services. As person approaching the end of their life or living with serious illness should be provided the care and treatment they need to maximize their quality of life and minimize any suffering or distress. "Assisted dying is an additional choice that some people may make because they want more control over the manner and timing of their death," notes the website.

Assisted Dying or Euthanasia Vs Assisted Suicide

The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide depends on who is administering the lethal dose. In an assisted suicide, the patients administer a lethal dose themselves.

The bill furthermore places no time limit on life expectancy, unlike similar laws do in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

Read More: The Kessler Twins Die By Assisted Suicide in Germany; How It Differs From Euthanasia

The bill states that anyone with an incurable illness that cause them "unbearable suffering" can request euthanasia, even if the illness is not terminal. The catch is, applicants must be mentally competent, and two doctors must be required to rule that they are psychologically fit enough to take the decision for themselves.

What Is Euthanasia?

The term has Greek origins, which means "good death", and refers to the practice under which an individual intentionally ends their life, painlessly. However, there are various types of Euthanasia, which are as followed:

Active Euthanasia: Where a patient is injected with a lethal dose of the drug, also known as "aggressive" euthanasia.

Passive Euthanasia: Where the patient's artificial life support such as a ventilator or feeding tube is withheld.

Voluntary Euthanasia: This happens when the patient consents to it.

Involuntary Euthanasia: This happens when the patient is not in the state to consent to euthanasia. In such cases, the patient's family makes the decision.

Lori Coble died of brain cancer at 48. Mom of teenage triplets, who had lost her first three children in a car accident died on Wednesday, January 21, confirmed a family friend to PEOPLE. She told PEOPLE "Lori passed away last night surrounded by her family."

In 2007, Lori lost her three children Kyle Christopher, 5, Emma Lynn 4, and Katie Gene, 2, in a car crash. While she and her husband Chris spent months coping up, they had triplets the year after the accident. Each carried an older sibling's middle name: Jake Christopher, Ahley Lyn, Ellie Gene.

Lori Coble's Brain Cancer Diagnosis

In June 2025, Chris noticed something was wrong with his wife, as she was "getting more clumsy". She would run into walls, stub her toe on chairs, or drop drinking glasses on the floor. By early July, stroke like symptoms too appeared. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, he said, "Her mouth started to droop a little bit. It became too much to ignore."

By July, Lori was diagnosed with a large and aggressive stage 4 glioblastoma or brain cancer. "I was hoping we were done with the life changing, life altering disasters when life as you knew it yesterday is gone," Chris said. He said he started mourning loss of his wife the day she got diagnosed.

"I didn’t have a lot of hope at the outset — and that weighed heavily on me. I was really upset, mad, angry. How could this be happening to us again?”

While Lori had two surgeries to remove the tumor in the period of next few months, the second surgery was invasive and caused her to lose control of her left side. Few days after, she had a stroke and was placed in a medically induced coma. She was in the hospital for 40 days. After she regained her strength, she returned home, and started radiation and chemotherapy. The treatment however made her more tired and impacted her speech. She was getting worse by every passing day.

It was in mid-November when Lori was again in the hospital, this time in the ER, and doctors discovered a brain infection and advised on surgery. "You feel like she's just being tortured. I'm not sure that the treatment for cancer in this situation is any better than the disease itself.”

She also suffered with a lung infection and pneumonia and was brought back in the hospital. She was finally brought home for hospice care.

What Is Glioblastoma?

As per MD Anderson Cancer Center, glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. In US, every year, around 12,000 new cases are detected. All glioblastomas are classified as grade IV tumors, which means they contain the most abnormal looking cells that grow rapidly.

Glioblastoma develops from star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes, which play a key role in nourishing the brain and shielding it from harmful substances in the bloodstream.

Astrocytes belong to a larger group called glial cells. These cells support the brain’s structure, supply nutrients, protect neurons, and help maintain a stable chemical balance in the brain.

The tumour most often forms near the front of the brain or close to its lower regions, though it can arise anywhere. The frontal lobe controls speech, movement, behaviour, and memory, while the temporal lobe is involved in memory formation, language, and processing sensory information such as sound and sight.

Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in American under 50. A new study from the American Cancer Society revealed that while the deaths by various cancers in Americans under age 50 have fell overall, a notable exception rose in colorectal cancer deaths. The study analyzed over 1.2 million deaths from cancer between 1990 and 2023. The researchers found that colorectal cancer deaths increased a little over 1% annually. This has made it the top cause of cancer death in men and women combined. The findings are published in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA.

Other causes of cancer deaths in people under 50, including leukemia and breast cancer, decreased up to 6% annually. The chief science officer of the American Cancer Society, also an oncologist, Dr William Dahut said better treatment is helping people live longer. Speaking to ABC News, he said, "My sense is, if you would break down the improvements, more than half of it is certainly due to better therapies."

Decrease In Tobacco Use = Decrease In Lung Cancer

He also said that there has been a decrease in tobacco use, which has helped drive a 5.7% annual decline in lung cancer deaths. In 1990, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50, but now it ranks fourth.

What Other Cancer Deaths Decreased

While the study showed that more women are diagnosed with breast cancer, the deaths have decreased by an average of 1.4% per year. However, it continues to remain the leading cause of cancer death in younger women.

Cervical cancer deaths too decreased about half a percentage every year. This is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in young women.

“I think there’s a good chance we see dramatic decreases [in cervical cancer deaths], assuming vaccination rates continue,” Dr. Dahut predicted

Read: Colon Cancer Is The Third Most Common Cancer In Men: Symptoms, Treatment And Prevention

What Is Colorectal Cancer?

The American Cancer Society notes that colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. Colorectal cancer impacts around 1.9 million people every year, noted the World Health Organization (WHO) as per its 2022 data.

It is a disease of large bowel and a type of cancer that originates from the rectum or colon. A person's colon, cecum, rectum and anus make up the large intestine.

The ileocecal valve that is located at the opening between the ileum and the large intestine controls the flow of chyme from the small intestine to the large intestine. It happens when abnormal cells invade the wall of the rectum and neighboring tissue. These are called polyps or growths in the inner lining of the colon.

Experts are concerned about the rising colorectal cancer deaths in young Americans, mostly because they are unsure of why is this happening. However, Dahut said, "It didn’t totally surprise me, although I would have to say it’s moving a little more quickly than I anticipated. It’s going to be linked to either environmental [causes] or a lifestyle.”

Also Read: An Oncologist's Food Guide To Lower Your Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

Dahut also noted that doctors should regularly recommend screening for the disease and following up with the symptoms, even in middle-aged parents. This is more important as more than 75% of new colorectal cancer diagnoses in young patients are found in later stages. “Lots of folks in their 40s do not necessarily have a primary care doctor telling them to get the screening – men in particular,” he said.