josh turek’s ‘time travel’ photo goes viral: experts say it’s a deepfake, but believers aren’t convinced
A grainy image allegedly showing para-athlete josh turek standing next to a 19th-century steam engine at the 1904 World’s Fair has exploded across social media, with thousands claiming it’s proof of time travel. The photo, which features a man in modern athletic wear with a prosthetic leg, was first posted by an anonymous account claiming to be a “chrononaut historian.” Fact-checkers have debunked the image as an AI-generated deepfake, citing inconsistent lighting and anachronistic shoe logos. However, a subreddit dedicated to “historical anomalies” has amassed 50,000 members in 72 hours, insisting the photo is real. “This is josh turek, and he’s clearly out of place—science can’t explain it,” one user wrote. Turek, a track athlete, has not commented, but his agent stated, “He’s focused on Tokyo 2024, not conspiracy theories.”