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 • 81 days 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
🧵
1/38

Comments

prsadjt.bsky.social•80 days ago

📌

kityates.bsky.social•81 days 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.
2/38
https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-world-2025-2-noaa-turmoil-under-trump-alarms-climate-scientists/

kityates.bsky.social•81 days 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.
3/38

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/02/03/how-trumps-executive-orders-are-disrupting

mkolanda.bsky.social•80 days ago

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2020/04/01/corporate-innovation-increasingly-benefits-from-government-research/

“Nearly a third of US patents rely directly on US government funded research”

kityates.bsky.social•81 days 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.
4/38

https://substack.com/home/post/p-157379347

kityates.bsky.social•81 days 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.

5/38

kityates.bsky.social•81 days 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.

6/38
https://independentsage.org/

kityates.bsky.social•81 days 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.

7/38

bikeengineer.bsky.social•81 days ago

📌

logical1966.bsky.social•77 days ago

You have every right to say what you feel about a political policy here or where ever it’s been attacked.
Science is a powerful universal language and concept stopping that voice is an affront to everyone in the world who strives to find answers to questions asked

scullingmonkey.bsky.social•81 days ago

👏

freerangestats.info•80 days 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•80 days ago

hope they kick him out

patblair.bsky.social•81 days 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•81 days ago

📌

jandel.bsky.social•81 days ago

📌

jgreen63.bsky.social•81 days ago

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

hyrule42.bsky.social•80 days ago

I’m hoping scientists get more vocal. Too many people
think their google research equates to a doctorates and years of field research. Respect credentials again.

tmnc.bsky.social•80 days ago

@skyview.social unroll

janlooksup.bsky.social•81 days 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•80 days 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.

civetta.bsky.social•79 days ago

In the UK, schools *do* do this, it's an integral part of GCSE and A-level in a number of subjects. *Of course* it needs to be reiterated/elaborated at undergraduate level.

smreprophys.bsky.social•79 days ago

Sure, I was speaking from a US perspective, as evident by referring to R1 universities. Although, the UK (well, England, really) has been pretty anti-science w/ regard to transgender people.

janlooksup.bsky.social•80 days ago

This is why disinformation is proving effective. Very sad.

janlooksup.bsky.social•81 days 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•81 days ago

guyharvey70.bsky.social•81 days ago

38!

heppy111.bsky.social•81 days ago

📌

heppy111.bsky.social•81 days ago

Excellent thread!

billn.bsky.social•76 days ago

This is all the worse given that he has acquired an undeserved world wide reputation as a scientific innovator. His attack on climate science & promotion of discredited genetic theories appear all the more credible to his followers on the back of that reputation. His fellowship contributes to that.

standingup.bsky.social•80 days ago

📌

polariton.bsky.social•81 days 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

nellster.bsky.social•80 days ago

1/38

38?!?!

calenhad-social.bsky.social•81 days 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•81 days ago

@skyview.social unroll

timobetcke.me•81 days 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•81 days ago

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

lynnjbirds.bsky.social•80 days ago

It's not even a subject that should be up for debate. Musk is a white supremacist and an enemy of objective truth. He is certainly no fellow of anything.

kyledsilva.bsky.social•80 days ago

Lock him out

martinrubey.bsky.social•81 days ago

📌

girlonabrompton.bsky.social•80 days ago

I see the Royal Society has chosen not to eject Musk. Any self respecting member should now resign.

calmerfuture.bsky.social•81 days 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•81 days ago

F*ck Musk

tmnc.bsky.social•80 days ago

With a telephone pole...

calmerfuture.bsky.social•81 days ago

I'd really prefer not to

brian-robinsonbsky.bsky.social•81 days ago

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

calmerfuture.bsky.social•81 days 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•80 days ago

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

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