clipped from: thinkprogress.org   
One of the right wing’s favorite talking points to defend torture is that it could be useful in a so-called “ticking time bomb” scenario.
But in a House Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) asked three jurists who have extensively studied interrogations if they have ever heard of such a scenario.

Marjorie Cohn, President, National Lawyer’s Guild: I know of one. It’s on the show 24. And that’s the only one I know of.

Phillippe Sands, University College, London: I know none other, and I’ve never seen the show 24, so I don’t even know of that one.

David Luban, Georgetown University: I have been trying to chase down true ticking time bomb cases for a couple of years. There have been a couple that have been alleged to be ticking time bomb cases. They turned out not to be true.

Even torture proponents can’t think of a scenario.
David Rivkin, a former Reagan Justice Department official
“I personally do not have complete proof” of a particular instance.