Article Reviews
“Is this article consistent with the latest thinking and knowledge in science?”
“Would experts in this field endorse the main message of this article?”
These are the types of questions our “feedbacks” are designed to answer. If the feedback is positive, you can generally assume the information you’re reading is of high credibility. If it’s negative, however, you may want to read with extra care and attention — some of the information contained and conclusions reached are not consistent with science.[1]
Scientists discuss the widely shared Huffington Post article “Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong”
in Huffington Post, by Michael Hobbes
The article failed to place the science in context and overstated scientific confidence, resulting in flawed conclusions. Reviewers also pointed out the bias present in the article which discussed only the negative aspects of obese people’s interactions with society and the medical establishment, while glossing over how both groups have worked to help promote healthy living and weight loss in the obese, such as in the implementation of sugar taxes and the development of medical interventions like bariatric surgery.
— 17 Dec 2018
Viral news article misinterprets classification of processed meat as carcinogenic in claiming it is “as harmful as cigarettes”
in Truth Reporter, by vinit
"The classification of processed meat as “Group 1” – carcinogenic to humans means that the evidence is as strong as for other risk factors included in the Group 1 category, including tobacco. It does not mean that the risk is the same. While Cancer Research UK estimates that 19% of all cancers are caused by tobacco, processed meat is estimated to cause 3% of all cancers. The presentation of the facts in this article is therefore inaccurate, confusing and misleading to the readers."
— 05 Dec 2018
Popular story on Fox2Now accurately describes 2017 global temperature, sea ice extent
in Fox2News, CNN, by Brandon Miller
"The article is factually correct. The reality that Arctic sea ice is getting younger is not so well known from the public, so such an article is welcome. The article’s title and the front video are about sea ice, but most of the rest of the text is about global temperatures."
— 04 Dec 2018
Time article accurately describes distinguishing features between influenza infection and infection by other respiratory viruses
in Time, by Markham Heid
"Generally accurate. However, the main issue is that influenza viruses can also cause a "cold", i.e. upper respiratory tract infection. A "cold" is a symptom/diagnosis whereas "influenza" is a virus that can cause symptoms such as a cold. There could be a better distinction by saying there are lots of viruses (flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), rhinovirus, coronavirus, etc.) that cause respiratory infections including 'colds' and 'chest infections'."
— 28 Nov 2018
Washington Post accurately describes ocean warming study (which has since been corrected)
in The Washington Post, by Chris Mooney, Brady Dennis
"The Washington Post article accurately reports the results and links to other topics using reliable sources. Quotations from Pieter Tans and Paul Durack add important caveats showing that this is strong new evidence but not the final say. This caution is vital for readers to interpret the findings."
— 03 Nov 2018
Guardian story accurately describes study on environmental impacts of our food system
in The Guardian, by Damian Carrington
"Although the presented facts are clear, the scientists give a personal interpretation of the priorities and needed policies, which are not covered in the source. The data give added value, but are in line with earlier studies."
— 17 Oct 2018
Guardian story conveys statement by scientists stressing role of deforestation in climate change
in The Guardian, by Oliver Milman
"The article correctly links estimates of current carbon dioxide emissions from land use and land cover change with fairly conservative estimates for potential carbon sequestration embedded in "natural climate solutions" as part of the climate mitigation strategy to avoid 1.5°C warming. Land-use and land-cover change is responsible for roughly 10-15% of total global carbon dioxide emissions. Forest management, reforestation, and afforestation where appropriate, is part of the climate mitigation portfolio assessed by Integrated Assessment Models used in the IPCC process."
— 09 Oct 2018
USA Today op-ed ignores evidence to claim climate change had no role in Hurricane Florence
in USA Today, by Roy Spencer
This op-ed in USA Today makes the claim that Hurricane Florence has no appreciable contribution from human-caused climate change. Scientists who reviewed the article found that it ignores the evidence for trends in tropical cyclone behavior, including slower movement speed and more intense rainfall. Additionally, sea level rise raised the storm surge of the landfalling tropical cyclone above the level it would have reached a century ago. The article cherry-picks data in misleading way to claim that recent storms are no different from past tropical cyclones...
— 17 Sep 2018
Guardian story accurately covers sea ice event but makes unsupported connection to weather patterns and the Gulf Stream
in The Guardian, by Jonathan Watts
"The article is clear and accurate. The authors have consulted several experts in the field to develop this story. They provide a scientifically sound overview of the current sea ice state north of Greenland, its historical context, and what has caused this anomaly."
— 28 Aug 2018
The Australian publishes “deeply ill-informed” opinion on climate by Ian Plimer
in The Australian, by Ian Plimer
"This article is an amalgamation of logical fallacies, misleading talking points, and downright factually incorrect statements regarding the physics of the climate system. Every talking point in this article has been debunked many times over and it is astonishing that this was published."
— 09 Aug 2018
[1] Note: These feedbacks do not constitute endorsements of the author’s political or economic ideology, rather they are assessments of the scientific foundations and reasoning of the argumentation contained within each article.