A paper published in 2014 had the title ‘Identification of an iridium-containing compound with a formal oxidation state of IX’ (Nature, 2014, 514, 475), and one published in 2016 had the title ‘Oxidation state 10 exists’ (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55, 9004). Review these papers and comment on the veracity of their titles.