"Any pleasure I may take in the distinction of the honour of an FRS is diminished by the fact it is shared with someone... who has immeasurable wealth & power which he will use to threaten scientists who disagree with him." I do hope the RS is engaging with this🧪 www.theguardian.com/technology/2... - ThreadSky

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joshlukedavis.bsky.social • 90 days ago

"Any pleasure I may take in the distinction of the honour of an FRS is diminished by the fact it is shared with someone... who has immeasurable wealth & power which he will use to threaten scientists who disagree with him."

I do hope the RS is engaging with this🧪
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/25/oxford-scientist-resigns-from-royal-society-over-elon-musks-continuing-fellowship

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democritus3.bsky.social•84 days ago

Can anyone tell me what contribution Musk has made to science or to human knowledge in general? I understand that he has a talent for lining his pockets on the back of the ingenuity of others, but does this merit a Fellowship?

joshlukedavis.bsky.social•90 days ago

I'm not massively hopeful that the Royal Society is going to do the right thing here. As often in these cases it is (relatively) easy to make someone a fellow of these things, but difficult to unmake them.

But surely the RS has to acknowledge that the ways of the past no longer suit the future.

joshlukedavis.bsky.social•90 days ago

Even if the procedures to strip someone of a fellow are complex then... how about reforming them to make them less so?

I'll hold my judgement until there is something more official said, but it shouldn't take people resigning from a life's achievement to make this happen.

dtipson.bsky.social•90 days ago

Sometimes you need someone to behave in ways so comically outrageous that it clarifies the real state of an institution's standards/the ways they may have been compromised. If Musk's near daily behavior doesn't violate the code of conduct then nothing can and there's no code at all.

joshlukedavis.bsky.social•90 days ago

true! although I would also totally believe that past fellows have done terrible things, but general expectations and standards have shifted and the RS has simply not caught up

hellsop.ninehells.com•90 days ago

I'm a little surprised he's got time to even be involved in this, what with his other two full time jobs, volunteer government position and 20 hours a day tweeting.

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