Mobilization for Truth, or Survival?

Scott Frickel, of my own university, and Fernando Tormos-Aponte of the University of Pittsburgh,have recently reviewed  studies of what they call " science activism " and find that it is " surging, " which they refer to as a " culture shift " among scientists. They write:Science activism has long been considered taboo, as many in the field fear thatpoliticizing science undermines its objectivity. Even so, scientist-activists have still managed to shape the U.S. political landscape throughout history. Over the past century, for example, scientists have protestedthe atomic bomb,pesticides,wars in Southeast Asia,genetic engineering and the federal response to theAIDS epidemic.  I find their definition of this phenomenon imprecise; they ' re conflating at least two different phenomena, although there is overlap between them. One reason we ' re seeing more public engagement by scientists is precisely the politicization of science, or more precisely the politicization of pseudo-science, with politicians and entire political parties and movements denying firmly established scientific conclusions. Denial of evolution and climate science is of course nothing knew, but the resurgence of Christian fundamentalism and Biblical literalism, on the one hand; and the growing urgency of climate change have provoked more and more scientists to enter the public sphere. The preposterous disinformation about Covid-19, and vaccination, and other lunacy have essentially placed an obliga...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs