Polish Chemistry Textbook Features ‘Breaking Bad’ Cast?

Claim:

A Polish chemistry textbook features the characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from the hit U.S. television show “Breaking Bad.”

Rating:

False

In early August 2024, a photograph circulated on social media, allegedly showing a Polish chemistry textbook featuring characters from “Breaking Bad.” One Facebook post, captioned “Chemistry book for high school in Poland,” garnered over 6,300 reactions and 970 comments.

Google reverse-image search results, as well as TinEye search results, indicated the photograph first appeared online in early September 2022.

For example, it was shared on Reddit on Sept. 8, 2022:

Chemistry book for high school in Poland
by u/KuBr0 in interestingasfuck

Moreover, on Sept. 8, 2022, another X user wrote: “Polish Chemistry Text books straight up have Walter White cooking drugs on the cover.”

However, this claim has been rated as “False.” Neither publisher Nowa Era nor any other Polish publishing house has released a chemistry textbook featuring Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on its cover.

A viral photograph purportedly showed a chemistry textbook for Polish high school students bearing the logo of Nowa Era publishing house. The textbook’s alleged title, “Ciekawa Chemia” (“Interesting Chemistry”), was followed by a subtitle translating to “General and Inorganic Chemistry, Textbook for General Secondary School and Technical School, Extended Level.” The cover’s layout resembled that of other Nowa Era textbooks.

However, upon closer examination, it became evident that the textbook cover was doctored and likely printed by the individual who created it. The photograph of the cover was taken afterward. Below is the original photograph, sourced from Alamy.com, a stock photo website, used to fabricate the chemistry textbook cover:

A legitimate chemistry textbook titled “Ciekawa Chemia” (“Interesting Chemistry”) does exist but was released by another publisher, Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne (WSiP), for Polish students in the 7th and 8th grades. This textbook also does not feature characters from “Breaking Bad” on its cover.

This is not the first time a “Breaking Bad” rumor has been investigated. In March 2024, a claim was fact-checked that lead actor Bryan Cranston would star in a movie sequel to “Breaking Bad” titled “Heisenberg,” to be released in August 2024. Additionally, in July 2022, it was investigated whether “Felina,” the title of the final episode of “Breaking Bad,” means “Blood, meth, and tears.”

Sources:

Ciekawa Chemia. https://wsip.pl/upload/2017/05/E80180-Ciekawa-Chemia-podrecznik-Szkola-podstawowa-Klasa-7/index.html. Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.

“Ciekawa chemia. Podręcznik. Klasa 8 – w Księgarni WSiP.” Księgarnia WSiP.pl, https://sklep.wsip.pl/produkty/ciekawa-chemia-podrecznik-klasa-8,78389 . Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.

Ibrahim, Nur. “Does ‘Felina,’ Title of Last Episode of ‘Breaking Bad,’ Mean ‘Blood, Meth, and Tears’?” Snopes, 12 July 2022, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/felina-breaking-bad-blood-meth-tears/.

Limited, Alamy. Breaking Bad (Season 2 Stock Photo – Alamy. https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-breaking-bad-season-2-48429062.html. Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.

Rascouët-Paz, Anna. “Bryan Cranston to Star in New ‘Heisenberg’ Movie?” Snopes, 29 Mar. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/cranston-heisenberg-movie/.