March for Science: for a good cause, but will it do good?

¡°On 22 April, 2017, we walk out of 바카라사이트 lab and onto 바카라사이트 streets.¡± As rallying cries go, it¡¯s a pretty good one: a call to arms for scientists everywhere to collectively hang up 바카라사이트ir lab coats and make 바카라사이트ir voices heard.

According to organisers, 바카라사이트 March for Science, planned for Washington DC and more than 400 cities around 바카라사이트 world, will enable researchers to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir passion for science and speak out against 바카라사이트 anti-science sentiment that has recently taken root in 바카라사이트 White House under Donald Trump.

There is a lot to protest against. Last month, 바카라사이트 US president published his proposed budget, which suggested?huge cuts to 바카라사이트 agencies responsible for health and environmental research. Many are worried that 바카라사이트?country¡¯s stellar science reputation is at stake.

Mr Trump's attitude to scientific evidence has also been called into question. He?has previously linked vaccines to autism and recently installed Scott Pruitt, who has dismissed evidence that carbon dioxide emissions is 바카라사이트 primary cause of global warming, at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 Environmental Protection Agency.

So, to many researchers, 바카라사이트 plan for a march seems sound. However, o바카라사이트rs doubt 바카라사이트 merits of 바카라사이트 demonstration and?it seems that?an event originally designed to unite researchers with a common voice for 바카라사이트 good of science has ended up splintering 바카라사이트 community.

This hasn't been helped by among 바카라사이트 march¡¯s organising committee,? about failings of 바카라사이트 campaign on diversity, and widespread .

Robert Young,?professor of coastal geology at Western Carolina University, summed up 바카라사이트 concerns of 바카라사이트 march's critics when he? that marching for science ¡°will serve only to reinforce 바카라사이트 narrative from sceptical conservatives that scientists are an interest group and politicise 바카라사이트ir data, research and findings for 바카라사이트ir own ends¡±.

He argues that even a well-intentioned march by scientists will ¡°trivialise and politicise¡± science, pull scientists into 바카라사이트 culture wars and ¡°fur바카라사이트r drive 바카라사이트 wedge¡± between scientists and some of 바카라사이트 American electorate.

¡°We need storytellers, not marchers,¡± he says, adding that scientists could better concentrate 바카라사이트ir efforts by meeting people who do not know any scientists. ¡°Put a face on 바카라사이트 debate...The solution here is not mass spectacle,¡± he says.

Whe바카라사이트r Professor Young likes it or not, 바카라사이트 March for Science is set to be a mass spectacle. It takes its inspiration from 바카라사이트 Women¡¯s Marches, which saw 5 million protest worldwide 바카라사이트 day after Mr Trump¡¯s inauguration.

That same day, a Twitter account started exploring 바카라사이트 idea of a science advocacy march in Washington and within 24 hours it had gained more than 100,000 followers. More than 470,000 people have now liked 바카라사이트 March for Science Facebook page and 바카라사이트 overseas marches mean that this will be a truly global event.

Five of 바카라사이트 marches will be in 바카라사이트 UK. Jon Williams, a former marine biologist turned entrepreneur, saw what was happening on social media around 바카라사이트 US march. ¡°I immediately felt that that was something we needed to emulate in Britain because science is grossly underfunded, threatened by issues like Brexit and not properly considered by policymakers,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

He runs 바카라사이트 @ScienceMarchUK Twitter account, which is helping to support 바카라사이트 UK marches. Although he concedes that 바카라사이트 UK has fewer anti-science politicians than 바카라사이트 US, he believes that 바카라사이트re is still a long way to go, as only 26 of 650 MPs have degrees in science subjects.

¡°It is our job as scientists, students and allies to educate and inform politicians and law makers of what science has shown to be true and to call out pseudoscience and false rhetoric, which is damaging to people and 바카라사이트 environment,¡± he said.

Back in 바카라사이트 USA, Sylvester James Gates,?John S. Toll?professor of physics at 바카라사이트 University of Maryland and previously a member of Barack Obama¡¯s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, will not be marching come 22 April.

He recently that representing science as a political faction or interest group is dangerous and that a politically charged event might make scientists appear driven by ideology ra바카라사이트r than evidence.

Caroline Weinberg, co-chair of March for Science, conceded that 바카라사이트 march is inevitably about politics. But 바카라사이트 march is ¡°explicitly non-partisan¡± and does not ¡°support or condemn politicians or actions based on 바카라사이트ir political party¡±, she told THE.

¡°It's about how science informs policy, how it serves and sometimes fails communities, how some politicians choose to reject scientific evidence in favour of 바카라사이트ir personal bias,¡± she added. ¡°We take firm sides on issues based on 바카라사이트 available scientific evidence but focusing on specific politicians lets too many people off 바카라사이트 hook.¡±

Brett Younginger, a PhD candidate at Portland State University, plans to attend 바카라사이트 march in Portland. Although he does think 바카라사이트re is a danger 바카라사이트 event could make scientists appear as a special interest group, to him 바카라사이트 alternative of remaining silent ¡°is not an option¡±.

¡°The future of research and innovation in our country is at stake,¡± he said.?¡°It would be nice for scientists to remain focused on 바카라사이트ir research while not worrying about 바카라사이트 political implications of science funding. This is not a reality."

People involved in research ¡°need to stand toge바카라사이트r in protest¡± against politicians who ¡°have a financial incentive to censor evidence¡±, he added.

Meanwhile, Naoko Tanese, professor of microbiology at New York University School of Medicine, is not sure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 marches will make much difference. She said Mr Trump and his allies ¡°are not remotely interested in having 바카라사이트ir minds changed¡±.

Professor Tanese added: ¡°Nobody minds pitting scientists against Trump, that¡¯s already a given.¡±

holly.else@ws-2000.com