My review of Simon Parkin’s new book, The Forbidden Garden, is out in Science Magazine today. It might not seem like the story of botanists working to protect a seed bank in 1940’s Leningrad has much current relevance, but it is a pretty good illustration of the ways that dedication to their research both produces important outcomes and allows a kind of willful blindness in scientists.
Otherwise, I am hardly the person to provide fresh takes on the results of the 2024 election. I can offer a few calm and grounding pieces from people I trust enough to refer to them by first name only.
Wendy at College Sanity “ . . . here are some of the things I’m most concerned about as we prepare for a second round with a . . . Vice President elect who has publicly stated that he believes we need to “honestly and aggressively attack the universities . . . “
Jocelyn at Science Magazine. “Trump won. Is NIH in for a major shake-up?”
Tressie at NYT Opinion (gift link). “The anger that Americans feel can not be directed toward the truth.”
Holden in Science Magazine. “Winning back this disaffected group will require science leaders to foster and promote a more inclusive scientific landscape for all Americans and lay out how science can be successful under Trump. But it will also require the entire scientific enterprise to change behaviors that make science and its practitioners suceptible to persistent and future attacks.”
Pauline in Scientific American. “With frozen grief, you could be immobilized. That’s the danger. Don’t be immobilized. You need to do something active in order to deal with a situation you can’t control. Be active in your neighborhoods at the grassroots level. It will help to be active, not just to sit back and grumble and not just to lash out either. Action is psychologically what helps when you’re feeling helpless.”
Terry at Science Forever. “I've given a lot of thought lately to how we as academics can carry on. And I've identified four responsibilities we face as members of the academic community.”
Long ago Noam Chomsky stated the responsibility of intellectuals: "to speak the truth and expose lies." The intellectuals include scientists and the responsibility hasn't changed with Trump's victory.