Wait just a minute. It seems you have indeed "failed," but not in the way you think.
The NASA study mentioned in the PolitiFact article *supports* your original claim: plants remove toxic organic compounds from the air.
It debunks an unrelated claim that they produce enough O2 to keep one alive.
The NASA study mentioned in the PolitiFact article *supports* your original claim: plants remove toxic organic compounds from the air.
It debunks an unrelated claim that they produce enough O2 to keep one alive.
Comments
The only "failure" I see is that you immediately deferred to the perceived authority of your science-y friend and, having decided you'd been foolish for thinking you could know something they don't, you proceeded to overlook or misread the evidence.
But I think your "self-own" story becomes even MORE instructive when you realize you were right about the purifying properties of plants—which, it must be said, are always a thoughtful gift! 🪴