Today the Royal Society will meet to discuss “Fellows’ behaviour”. Without doubt the fellow they will primarily be discussing is Elon Musk. The behaviour may range from his public dissemination of unfounded conspiracy theories to his attacks on the science 🧵 1/38 - ThreadSky

kityates.bsky.social • 12 hours ago

Today the Royal Society will meet to discuss “Fellows’ behaviour”. Without doubt the fellow they will primarily be discussing is Elon Musk.
The behaviour may range from his public dissemination of unfounded conspiracy theories to his attacks on the science
🧵
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Comments

prsadjt.bsky.social•28 minutes ago

📌

kityates.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Musk is also an important figure (some would argue the most important) within a US administration that is laying siege to science and to scientific inquiry itself.
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https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-world-2025-2-noaa-turmoil-under-trump-alarms-climate-scientists/

kityates.bsky.social•12 hours ago

The new administration’s executive orders have restricted research, silenced climate scientists and cut funding, as part of a systematic targeting of the scientific community.
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https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/02/03/how-trumps-executive-orders-are-disrupting

kityates.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Last week I wrote about the importance of the Royal Society and other scientific institutions taking a stand in the face of the attacks that are facing US science.
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https://substack.com/home/post/p-157379347

kityates.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Some commentators have responded by arguing that scientists should not speak out about politics; that science should be apolitical and that by discussing political issues scientist damage their ability to communicate their science.
Fortunately this is nothing new for me.

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kityates.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Throughout my time as a member of Independent SAGE my colleagues and I have been told much that same thing – that scientist should “stay in their lanes” and that scientists should not share views on the potential ramifications of scientific evidence.

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https://independentsage.org/

kityates.bsky.social•12 hours ago

That is not to say that I dismiss these suggestions outright, but rather that I have thought long and hard about these issues and come to a different conclusion: Science is inherently political.

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bikeengineer.bsky.social•7 hours ago

📌

scullingmonkey.bsky.social•12 hours ago

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freerangestats.info•10 minutes ago

I believe that *scientists* should strongly speak out on political issues regarding science use, implications and funding; but the Royal Society should nearly always not - exceptions when member interests and views are nearly unanimous. But I also think code of conduct should be properly enforced.

janemick.bsky.social•5 hours ago

hope they kick him out

patblair.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Having read the whole thread, just one thing I'd add: many more scientists could learn to speak in the language non-scientists can understand. Even difficult subjects (for me it's physics) can be made accessible. Research funding, via politicians or public, depends on science-communicators.

luckyloo.bsky.social•11 hours ago

📌

jandel.bsky.social•11 hours ago

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jgreen63.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Maybe his plans to end the viable planet should come up.

janlooksup.bsky.social•8 hours ago

Sorry for repeating myself - but if you are at this key forum for exploring change I want to reiterate - I believe the way to fight disinformation is to make peer-reviewed source material easily available. Schools teach children to evaluate sources - but if we have no access this fails.

smreprophys.bsky.social•1 hour ago

Schools don't really teach kids to do that, anymore. You'd be surprised how many college students at R1 universities don't know what a primary source is nor how to cite one.

janlooksup.bsky.social•1 hour ago

This is why disinformation is proving effective. Very sad.

janlooksup.bsky.social•8 hours ago

The www was created to facilitate scientists sharing data and info I believe, yet scientific outcomes are published in peer reviewed journals inaccessible to most. Peer review is essential - but once accomplished could scientific research source material be made more accessible?

markels.bsky.social•8 hours ago

guyharvey70.bsky.social•11 hours ago

38!

heppy111.bsky.social•8 hours ago

📌

heppy111.bsky.social•8 hours ago

Excellent thread!

standingup.bsky.social•5 hours ago

📌

polariton.bsky.social•10 hours ago

The criteria to be elected is that they: “must have made 'a substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science”. Perhaps it’s time to review that as well because I don’t see that here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8qD8mxQAAAAJ

calenhad-social.bsky.social•9 hours ago

I don't suppose Nazi salutes on live TV broadcasts seen by billions of people will go down all that well either.

looftsabine.bsky.social•11 hours ago

@skyview.social unroll

timobetcke.me•12 hours ago

Where can we get information about the outcome? As long as Musk remains in the @royalsociety.org I refuse to do anything for their grants or journals, no refereeing, panel work or anything.

laurencepearl.bsky.social•11 hours ago

I’m sure anything that is not explicitly confidential will be made public 😇

martinrubey.bsky.social•11 hours ago

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calmerfuture.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Musk said this in 2014

He believes life on Earth now should be sacrificed to populate Mars and then the stars

This is beyond rational objectivity in science, poses an existential threat to us all - starting with the people currently dying from his unilateral USAID cuts

https://bsky.app/profile/djbelieve.bsky.social/post/3ljhdndt4rk2b

misc-loose-unit.bsky.social•8 hours ago

F*ck Musk

calmerfuture.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I'd really prefer not to

brian-robinsonbsky.bsky.social•10 hours ago

It was what was wrong with the basic premise of the film Interstelkar. Not rescuing Earth but all moving to…?

calmerfuture.bsky.social•10 hours ago

it is so crazy, it makes me sound crazy to say it — and it doesn't get enough serious coverage

but it's a clear consistent thread in what passes for ideology in his ketamine, eugenics and misinformation fuelled world view

https://bsky.app/profile/monicamarks.bsky.social/post/3lie7wykrf22h

gillmh.bsky.social•5 hours ago

A long thread, but well worth reading. Thank you.

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