A number of Republican House members say scientific research proves a 20-week-old fetus can feel pain. But the ability to feel pain at that specific point in gestation is unproven.
Does a Fetus Feel Pain at 20 Weeks?
SciCheck
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. It was launched in January 2015 with a grant from the Stanton Foundation. The foundation was founded by the late Frank Stanton, president of CBS for 25 years, from 1946 to 1971.
FlackCheck Video: Warmest Year
Was 2014 “the planet’s warmest year on record,” as President Obama has said? This FlackCheck video uses an April 20 report from our SciCheck feature to examine that claim.
FlackCheck Video: Marijuana
This FlackCheck.org video looks at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s claim that marijuana is a “gateway drug.” The video is based on an April 23 report from SciCheck.
The Extreme Weather-Warming Connection
Rep. Lamar Smith made several incorrect claims in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece regarding connections between climate change and severe weather.
Is Marijuana Really a ‘Gateway Drug’?
Though there are correlations between marijuana use and other drugs, there is no conclusive evidence that one actually causes the other. The science on this topic is far from settled.
Obama and the ‘Warmest Year on Record’
President Barack Obama says that 2014 was “the planet’s warmest year on record.” But that’s not entirely accurate.
Santorum and the EPA’s Mercury Rule
Rick Santorum misrepresented the Environmental Protection Agency’s impact analysis of a new agency rule that would reduce power plant emissions of mercury and other toxins.
Cruz on the Global Cooling Myth and Galileo
Sen. Ted Cruz cited a 1975 Newsweek article on “global cooling” to question the evidence of global warming, and in the process made several incorrect and unsubstantiated claims.
Inhofe on Fracking, Water Contamination
Sen. James Inhofe says there has never been “an instance of ground water contamination” caused by hydraulic fracturing — fracking — for oil and natural gas. But drilling operations that involve fracking include other actions that have caused contamination.
Cruz Distorts NASA’s Mission, Budget
During his critique of NASA’s spending on earth and atmospheric sciences at a recent committee hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz made some misleading claims regarding the agency’s budgets and the science that it conducts.