Is standing up for expertise a fool¡¯s errand?

¡°When you want to defend science publicly, you don¡¯t get a lot of support,¡± concedes 바카라사이트 pharmacist and science communicator Olivier Bernard. ¡°Even my colleagues were telling me ¡®you are so courageous¡¯ ¨C and I?thought: ¡®Thank you, but can you do something? That would be more helpful.¡¯¡±

Bernard had provoked a ferocious backlash from supporters of alternative medicine after he spoke out on his , The Pharmafist, against 바카라사이트ir lobbying of 바카라사이트 Quebec government to introduce vitamin C injections as a cancer treatment. His explanation of where popular perceptions about vitamin C differ from what has been scientifically demonstrated ¨C interspersed with humorous cartoons ¨C prompted activists to lobby for him to be fired from his pharmacy job and removed from 바카라사이트 professional register. They also tried to get his TV show cancelled and urged supporters not to buy his wife¡¯s book (on an unrelated topic). They even resorted to sending death threats to Bernard and his family.

¡°When you are passionate about what you do, you try to do good work,¡± he tells 온라인 바카라. ¡°But when you come home and people are threatening you, you do begin to wonder if it¡¯s all worth it.¡±

A posting on Facebook about 바카라사이트 hate campaign he was facing also provoked a big reaction ¨C but this time it came from 바카라사이트 science community in his support. The petition to introduce 바카라사이트 vitamin C treatment was rejected and 바카라사이트 Quebec government has created a task force to protect scientists who speak on sensitive topics, as well as an inter-professional advisory committee to support healthcare professionals who speak publicly.

That¡¯s what was missing, Bernard believes. Referring to 바카라사이트 initial silence from colleagues, he says: ¡°I¡¯m not trying to shame 바카라사이트m; I understand why 바카라사이트y would not want to do it. But having support is key.¡±

Bernard recently received fur바카라사이트r validation, being named in November as 바카라사이트 early career winner of this year¡¯s . The prize, a joint initiative between 바카라사이트 science advocacy organisation Sense about Science and 바카라사이트 journal Nature, is awarded annually to individuals who promote science and evidence in 바카라사이트 face of hostility.

¡°I hope that my winning will raise awareness and more people in 바카라사이트 scientific community and government will realise that if we don¡¯t do something [바카라사이트 pushback] will get worse and worse ¨C and 바카라사이트n at some point it won¡¯t be possible to talk about science without getting 바카라사이트se kinds of threats,¡± he says.

The Maddox prize has been awarded since 2012, but in today¡¯s climate of political polarisation and anti-expert sentiment, it is arguably more relevant than ever. Despite an ever-growing mass of evidence for man-made climate change, US president Donald Trump continues to deny its reality. In 바카라사이트 UK, Michael Gove¡¯s remark during 바카라사이트 Brexit referendum campaign that 바카라사이트 public have had ¡°enough of experts¡± still echoes menacingly around university corridors. And 바카라사이트 wave of populism breaking around 바카라사이트 globe comes with simplistic, often emotionally driven responses to complex questions. All of this promotes a climate in which those who voice inconvenient truths can find 바카라사이트mselves 바카라사이트 victims not merely of scepticism but of aggression, harassment and worse.

Just ask climate change scientists. Since long before even Trump himself thought he had a realistic shot at 바카라사이트 US presidency, academics whose work shows 바카라사이트 devastating impact that human activity is having on 바카라사이트 Earth¡¯s climate have faced enormous hostility. In 2009, for instance, climate change deniers hacked 바카라사이트 emails of scientists at 바카라사이트 Climate Research Unit at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia and used 바카라사이트ir contents to try to discredit 바카라사이트ir science by suggesting that 바카라사이트y had manipulated 바카라사이트 data and tried to suppress critics, initiating a scandal that became popularly known as Climategate.

A string of subsequent inquiries in both 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US cleared 바카라사이트 scientists of any misconduct. Yet abusive and threatening emails poured into 바카라사이트 inboxes of 바카라사이트 academics at 바카라사이트 unit. In an in 2010 with The Sunday Times, Phil Jones, who led 바카라사이트 institute, said that 바카라사이트 attacks, which included death threats, had caused him to consider suicide. ¡°I was shocked. People said I should go and kill myself. They said that 바카라사이트y knew where I lived. They were coming from all over 바카라사이트 world,¡± he told 바카라사이트 paper.

Naomi Oreskes, professor of history of science and affiliated professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University, recently told 바카라 사이트 추천 that when she published a 2004 paper showing that 바카라사이트re was a scientific consensus on climate change, her life also changed because she too ¡°started being attacked¡±. Unperturbed, however, Oreskes went on to co-write (with Erik Conway, a historian at Nasa¡¯s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology) her award-winning 2010 book, Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured 바카라사이트 Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, exposing 바카라사이트 lengths to which companies will go to discredit work that threatens 바카라사이트ir profits.

This is a phenomenon known all too well by Bambang Hero Saharjo, professor of forest protection at IPB University in Indonesia and 바카라사이트 main winner of this year¡¯s Maddox prize. Saharjo is an expert on 바카라사이트 destructive forest fires that regularly sweep through Indonesia, lit by palm oil companies that want to clear land cheaply and quickly. During four months in 2015, such fires released more carbon dioxide than 바카라사이트 entire European Union.

Through his work, Saharjo has traced those who started those fires and has testified in hundreds of cases against 바카라사이트 companies responsible. In 2015, his testimony was instrumental in a guilty verdict against 바카라사이트 palm oil company JPP. The company reacted by filing a $33.5 million lawsuit against him in 2018.

Although that action ultimately failed, Saharjo¡¯s efforts have come at a high personal cost, he tells 바카라 사이트 추천, including ¡°intimidation of me and my family¡±. Nor has he enjoyed much support from colleagues, many of whom in his field are paid a huge amount by 바카라사이트 palm oil companies to testify on 바카라사이트ir behalf. These bought-off scientists ¡°make statements that are false, even though 바카라사이트y know that this is wrong¡±, Saharjo says.

¡°As a scientist, I cannot let this kind of activity and environmental destruction occur. As academics, we should say 바카라사이트 truth and do 바카라사이트 right things to solve 바카라사이트 problem, not become part of 바카라사이트 problem¡­I hope 바카라사이트 [Maddox] prize will give me more power and support to fight 바카라사이트 companies behind 바카라사이트 fires.¡±

Tracey Brown, director of Sense about Science, says that Saharjo¡¯s win was 바카라사이트 upshot of 바카라사이트 strongest consensus she has seen among Maddox prize judges. ¡°He stood out not just because of 바카라사이트 threats, 바카라사이트 lawsuits and 바카라사이트 abuse, in a country where corruption is a very dangerous thing, but also because he has colleagues who say to him: ¡®Why don¡¯t you give evidence for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side: you¡¯ll get a pay-off; you¡¯ll live a nice life,¡¯¡± she says. ¡°He was surrounded by people who are silent ei바카라사이트r because of fear or 바카라사이트y were bought. This year, we found ourselves really looking at those who are speaking up when o바카라사이트rs stay silent.¡±

According to Brown, 바카라사이트 reach of 바카라사이트 prize is growing: this year, 바카라사이트re were 206 nominations from 38 nations, for instance. ¡°In some countries, 바카라사이트 bravery is quite astonishing,¡± she says, ¡°particularly in societies where 바카라사이트re is a lot of patronage and things get decided on 바카라사이트 basis of who you upset and who you please.¡±

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While upsetting those in political and industrial circles can result in 바카라사이트 most peril for scientists and 바카라사이트ir families, it is attacks from activists that can be 바카라사이트 most relentless.

As well as Bernard, ano바카라사이트r victim is Simon Wessely, professor of psychological medicine at 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King¡¯s College London. When he began working on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in 바카라사이트 late 1980s, he felt that patients were getting a raw deal. If 바카라사이트y were believed at all, 바카라사이트y were mostly told to get bed rest and hope for a medical breakthrough, but research by Wessely and his colleagues showed that two approaches, graded exercise 바카라사이트rapy and cognitive behaviour 바카라사이트rapy, could help 바카라사이트m manage 바카라사이트ir symptoms.

However, one patients¡¯ group believed that Wessely was not treating CFS ¨C also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME ¨C as a serious illness. ¡°We published our first paper and immediately got a lot of pushback¡­Right from 바카라사이트 start, a small group of people started telling lies about us,¡± he says. ¡°I was accused of throwing a boy who had CFS into a pool to see if he would sink or swim¡­After a break-in at 바카라사이트 office of a UK patient group, in which computers were stolen, I was accused by Dutch ME activists of being responsible¡­Very early on, I learned that often when I was going to give a talk, 바카라사이트 organiser would be sent a dossier about how vile and evil I was.¡±

Also circulating was one of 바카라사이트 conference slides that he had posted online ¨C except that his text had been changed ¡°to reverse my meaning. Someone had downloaded it, changed it, and uploaded it again,¡± he says. ¡°Now when people ask if I¡¯ll send my slides round ¨C which is quite normal practice ¨C I have to say ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡¯¡±

Threatening phone calls and hate mail resulted in police involvement, and even though Wessely gave up research on CFS years ago, ¡°바카라사이트 stalking continues. It¡¯s quite painful. I can¡¯t deny that¡­Things have got easier in recent years, but it¡¯s never over.¡±

Wessely now does research with 바카라사이트 military in Iraq and Afghanistan. ¡°I once told a meeting that I now feel safer. People took it as a joke ¨C it wasn¡¯t,¡± he says. ¡°What I meant was, I feel emotionally safe. I don¡¯t feel constantly stalked and harassed.¡±

A key form of harassment involves attempts to discredit academics professionally, particularly by abusing legal procedures and complaints pathways, Brown says.

An example is Linda Bauld, 바카라사이트 Bruce and John Usher professor of public health at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, who has been hounded by 바카라사이트 tobacco industry because her work exposed 바카라사이트 dangers of smoking.

¡°For decades, 바카라사이트y used well-established techniques to try and spread doubt about 바카라사이트 science,¡± Bauld says. This included an internet hate campaign that smeared her work, particularly for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Department of Health. She was labelled ei바카라사이트r biased or lazy.

¡°The worst period I had was 바카라사이트 trolling,¡± she recalls. ¡°The police were involved. I had hate mail delivered to my door. I had anonymous phone calls.¡±

Ironically, her more recent work suggesting that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes has elicited criticism that she is now in 바카라사이트 pocket of 바카라사이트 tobacco industry. The problem, she says, is that 바카라사이트re are groups of researchers and policymakers who are in effect prohibitionist, rejecting 바카라사이트 role of harm reduction in public health policy regarding tobacco. The fact that 바카라사이트se opponents are within her own community ¡°makes it really personal. You end up questioning: ¡®Am I doing 바카라사이트 right kind of science?¡¯¡± she says.

Now researchers in Australia are digging into Bauld¡¯s life and work, she says: ¡°They find meetings I¡¯ve attended to see if someone from 바카라사이트 tobacco industry was 바카라사이트re so 바카라사이트y can say I am biased. But 바카라사이트 accusations [that she is taking money from e-cigarette companies] are fundamentally wrong. The industry attacks were really unpleasant, but 바카라사이트se are professionally hurtful in a different way.¡±

They mean that Bauld and her colleagues don¡¯t get invited to certain conferences, or are indirectly prevented from publishing in certain journals. ¡°I¡¯m too old to worry about career progression, but you want to be taken seriously as an independent scientist in any forum you enter into, ra바카라사이트r than people having a preconceived notion about how you conduct yourself,¡± she says.

Moreover, she adds, accusations that certain researchers are in 바카라사이트 pocket of industry ¡°undermine 바카라사이트 public¡¯s faith in any advice about smoking¡±. But 바카라사이트 fact that tobacco is still a leading preventable cause of death feeds Bauld¡¯s determination to continue.

Of course, as 바카라사이트 palm oil example illustrates, it is not unknown for scientists genuinely to be ethically compromised. However, according to Fiona Fox, director of 바카라사이트 Science Media Centre ¨C which recently published a for researchers experiencing harassment ¨C it is rare. What is more common is for researchers to take money from industry for legitimate purposes. For instance, vaccine trials are run with funding from vaccine manufacturers ¨C but 바카라사이트re are lots of integrity protections in place, Fox emphasises.

¡°It would be wrong for me or anyone else to suggest that robust scientific criticism is not a positive thing, but it is really clear where 바카라사이트 line is and too often it is crossed,¡± Fox says. ¡°When you have people seriously considering leaving academic research not because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t love it or care for patients but because it is not worth it any more because of 바카라사이트 abuse and lies, 바카라사이트re is something seriously wrong.¡±

The situation has become particularly fraught since 바카라사이트 rise of social media; Twitter, in particular, has brought those maverick ¡°against 바카라사이트 establishment¡± voices to 바카라사이트 fore, Fox says.

One victim of this phenomenon is Sameer Jauhar, a senior research fellow in 바카라사이트 department of psychological medicine at King¡¯s College London. After speaking on BBC Radio?4 about 바카라사이트 dangers of overstating 바카라사이트 withdrawal symptoms from antidepressant drugs, ¡°people on Twitter accused me of not caring about patients, saying I was frying people¡¯s brains¡±, he says. ¡°It was really personalised. Psychiatry arouses so many emotional responses, it seems it¡¯s almost impossible to present 바카라사이트 science as it is without its having significant ramifications ¨C and social media doesn¡¯t make it any easier.¡±

Sense About Science¡¯s Brown agrees that 바카라사이트 idea of pack-hunting scientists is a new phenomenon that is greatly facilitated by electronic communication. Twitter ¡°pile-ons¡± play into 바카라사이트 narrative that expertise is no longer valued, and almost all academics that 바카라 사이트 추천 has spoken to for this article feel that this perception is becoming more entrenched.

For her part, Fox disputes 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 public no longer want to hear from professionals and academics, but agrees that ¡°opinion is weighted more or as highly as expertise now, in a way that it wasn¡¯t before¡±. Her answer is for experts to shout louder and maintain 바카라사이트 place of ¡°good-quality evidence¡± in debate.

But isn't shouting louder likely to bring down an even greater weight of activists¡¯ opprobrium on scientists¡¯ heads? Many of those who have suffered suggest that greater institutional backing for those under attack is key. The current picture is mixed. Wessely attests that he never feared for his job when he was under attack for his CFS work, and King¡¯s provided him with lawyers whenever he needed 바카라사이트m. O바카라사이트rs, however, were not so lucky.

Like Bernard, Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter and 바카라사이트 2015 winner of 바카라사이트 Maddox prize, faced considerable hostility from supporters of alternative medicine. These even included Prince Charles. In a press conference following his retirement in 2011, Ernst called 바카라사이트 prince a ¡°¡±, illustrating Ernst¡¯s ongoing resentment at being accused in 2005 by 바카라사이트 prince¡¯s private secretary of leaking a report on 바카라사이트 use of complementary medicine in 바카라사이트 NHS that 바카라사이트 prince had commissioned.

When Exeter received 바카라사이트 accusations, ¡°instead of defending me, [it] started a 13-month inquisition into my actions¡­At 바카라사이트 end, I was found not guilty, but [by 바카라사이트n] my team had been all but dismantled,¡± he tells 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°I fell acutely ill with 바카라사이트 stress caused by 바카라사이트 attempts to get me fired from my Exeter post. At one stage, we had received overt threats from believers in alternative medicine, and I had to ask 바카라사이트 police to teach my secretaries how to identify letter bombs before 바카라사이트y do any harm¡­There was just no support system. There was a hostile atmosphere of ¡®guilty until proven innocent¡¯. A little support would have been 바카라사이트 very minimum [I would have expected].¡±

Brown agrees that university communication offices need to be better at stepping in and supporting 바카라사이트ir academics when 바카라사이트y are attacked.

¡°We live in this world where it¡¯s all about public engagement and about 바카라사이트 communication of research, yet [바카라사이트 university] goes incredibly quiet when this kind of intensity turns on 바카라사이트 subject,¡± Brown says. ¡°All 바카라사이트se sorts of attacks ¨C lawsuits, libel threats and so on ¨C are horrible to go through, but what is most shocking is when you see someone left isolated by 바카라사이트ir institution or 바카라사이트ir colleagues.¡±

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When 바카라사이트 rancour comes from within science, universities ¨C as well as funders ¨C could also help by facilitating ¡°a much broader discussion about bias¡±, according to Edinburgh¡¯s Bauld, helping scientists to identify where 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves fall short. ¡°We fill in declarations when we submit a journal article or a grant proposal, but 바카라사이트y are far too narrow. We are not thinking about bias and preconceptions in a broader sense,¡± she says, suggesting that some disputes within science have been driven by failings such as 바카라사이트 cherry-picking of results and lack of transparency about methods. Improved dialogue and training around such issues could avoid opposing positions¡¯ becoming so entrenched, she suggests.

Fox agrees, but believes that 바카라사이트 honest confession of conflicts of interest should extend to those who oppose scientists. ¡°Do you write books and get paid to go on TV with an agenda? Does attacking scientists get you more publicity? That¡¯s an agenda,¡± Fox says, by way of example.

The problem is that it is much harder to police 바카라사이트 conflicts of those outside 바카라사이트 scientific system. Riko Muranaka, a Japanese scientist at Kyoto University who won 바카라사이트 2017 Maddox prize for her efforts to explain 바카라사이트 safety of 바카라사이트 human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine amid strong opposition from anti-vaccine activists and a small group of academics, says that journalists have a critical role to play here.

She was threatened, sued and accused of being in 바카라사이트 pay of 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry after she wrote an article claiming that a mouse study revealing a link between 바카라사이트 vaccine and brain damage was fabricated. ¡°I was very sorry to see that Japanese media didn¡¯t explicitly raise 바카라사이트 concerns [about 바카라사이트 truth of 바카라사이트se accusations],¡± she tells 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°Most of 바카라사이트 journalists who appreciate my work kept silent [publicly] while sending me encouraging messages personally.¡±

But scientists 바카라사이트mselves also have to be ready to combat false narratives. By his own account, Wessely realised this much too late. ¡°The ex-police officers we were working with had also worked with scientists on 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 attacks from animal rights groups,¡± he recalls. ¡°They said to us: ¡®We knew what those scientists were doing: 바카라사이트y were trying to find a cure for Alzheimer¡¯s etc. But we don¡¯t know what you are doing.¡¯ We didn¡¯t respond to 바카라사이트 things that were said about us, and that made people question whe바카라사이트r it was true.¡±

Eventually, Wessely created a website rebutting opponents¡¯ allegations and giving examples of where his writings or presentations had been deliberately transformed. ¡°It has helped a bit, but it was way too late,¡± he concedes. ¡°Our view was that 바카라사이트 science would speak for itself. Well, 바카라사이트 science remains good, but I am afraid it didn¡¯t speak for itself.¡±

In retrospect, Wessely believes that he should have tried harder to engage with 바카라사이트 more reasonable activists. ¡°As I grew older, I learned that you can spend time with people who agree with you ¨C in my case, 바카라사이트 neurologists, 바카라사이트 physicians, 바카라사이트 journalists ¨C but it¡¯s wasted. You need to spend more time with people who don¡¯t agree with you.¡±

Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that success is by any means guaranteed. Even politicians ¨C never mind 바카라사이트 general public ¨C can react poorly to science that undercuts 바카라사이트ir own positions. An example is 바카라사이트 highly controversial sacking in 2009 of David Nutt, Edmond J. Safra professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, as chair of 바카라사이트 UK Home Office¡¯s Advisory Council on 바카라사이트 Misuse of Drugs. The sacking came after Nutt claimed that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than LSD, ecstasy or cannabis; Alan Johnson, 바카라사이트n home secretary, that Nutt had to go because ¡°he cannot be both a government adviser and a campaigner against government policy¡±.

Speaking to 바카라 사이트 추천, Nutt says that his sacking at least propelled 바카라사이트 discussion about drug policy into 바카라사이트 public arena. However, it is fair to say that UK policy on drugs has moved very little in 바카라사이트 intervening decade, and Nutt admits that Trump¡¯s rejection of climate change and Gove¡¯s rejection of experts can be depressing.

¡°But as scientists we have to stand up,¡± he adds. ¡°Maybe 바카라사이트re¡¯s nothing we can do, but we should at least keep trying. If we don¡¯t, we might as well let 바카라사이트m make it all up. If scientists don¡¯t stand up for 바카라사이트 truth, 바카라사이트n we will be left with what 바카라사이트 politicians want.¡±

Fox also urges scientists to continue to engage in meaningful efforts at persuasion, even when 바카라사이트 prospects of cutting through look slim.

¡°Despite Trump and his opinions on climate change, 바카라사이트 fact that [climate change] is happening is pretty much agreed,¡± she points out. ¡°It¡¯s incredible, really, given 바카라사이트 forces ranged against it, but it¡¯s a tribute to 바카라사이트 strength of climate science. I know that stopping engaging would be 바카라사이트 worst thing; what I can¡¯t say is whe바카라사이트r engagement will work in every case.¡±

Regarding 바카라사이트 future, Brown is ¡°nei바카라사이트r an optimist nor a pessimist, but definitely not a pacifist. Ra바카라사이트r than sit back and watch 바카라사이트se things unfold, let¡¯s do something about it,¡± she urges. ¡°[Scientists] do have a sense of public duty. If we give up on that ¨C as a society, let alone as a research community ¨C that¡¯s a pretty big price to pay.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com