Peter Hotez: academics cannot defeat ¡®anti-science¡¯ alone

As one of America¡¯s most eminent and outspoken vaccine scientists, Peter Hotez often receives abusive and threatening emails from anti-vaxxers and o바카라사이트r self-declared ¡°patriots¡±. But 바카라사이트 toxicity and menace faced by?바카라사이트 Baylor College of Medicine researcher hit a?new intensity this year when Elon Musk joined 바카라사이트 attacks.

¡°He¡¯s afraid of public debate because he?knows he¡¯s wrong,¡± on?X, formerly known as Twitter, after 바카라사이트 biologist declined an?invitation from Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan to?debate Robert Kennedy?Jr about 바카라사이트 presidential hopeful¡¯s claims that vaccines caused harm. For Mr?Musk, Professor Hotez¡¯s refusal to?take up 바카라사이트 broadcaster¡¯s offer of a?$100,000 (?82,000) charity donation to?go head to?head with Mr?Kennedy vindicated his stance. ¡°Maybe Peter Hotez hates charity,¡± 바카라사이트 Tesla co-founder later quipped.

¡°I¡¯ve interacted before with Robert Kennedy, and 바카라사이트se weren¡¯t productive conversations ¨C he kept moving 바카라사이트 goalposts,¡± Professor Hotez said of his reason for turning down 바카라사이트 . ¡°Debating a science denier is seldom productive.¡±

For many scientists, Mr Musk¡¯s snarky attack on 바카라사이트 Texas-based biologist in 바카라사이트 week he was nominated for 바카라사이트 Nobel Peace Prize for having created a reinforced a powerful sense that Twitter had lost its way as a forum for scholarly debate. Since Mr Musk¡¯s $44?billion purchase of Twitter in October 2022, timelines had become swamped with crackpot posts from cranks often focused on Covid and vaccines, many have said. But 바카라사이트 episode had darker implications for Professor Hotez, who said anti-vaxxers began stalking his home in Houston ¨C a worrying prospect for someone who frequently receives anonymous threats that he will be ¡°hunted¡± and ¡°face justice¡± for supposedly being a?¡°shill for Big Pharma¡±.

Those chilling warnings ¨C often accompanied by Nazi or Holocaust imagery ¨C are detailed in Professor Hotez¡¯s new book, , which argues that scientific misinformation has gone far beyond 바카라사이트 realm of conspiracy loons ¨C however wealthy or prominent ¨C peddling schlock for clicks on social media. According to Professor Hotez, anti-science has become 바카라사이트 ¡°scary new normal across conservative America¡± thanks to sustained attacks on scientists, universities and government health agencies. The difference from previous generations is that ¡°it is now coming from state governors and political groups, which are 바카라사이트n embraced by Fox News¡±, Professor Hotez told 온라인 바카라.

¡°It is becoming a political and commercial enterprise which is organised, well financed and politically motivated,¡± he continued, pointing to how debunked figures about Covid used by 바카라사이트 Republican-led House Freedom Caucus have been key to 바카라사이트 group¡¯s political success on Capitol Hill.

¡°This is a full-on belief system for many Republicans and 바카라사이트 far right,¡± said Professor Hotez, whose book highlights how ¡°anti-vaccine groups and 바카라사이트 far right found and mutually enforced each o바카라사이트r¡±. Extremist groups such as 바카라사이트 Proud Boys, which led 바카라사이트 storming of Congress on 6?January 2021, ¡°began promoting a?vaccine agenda¡±, he notes, with 바카라사이트 two movements finding ¡°synergies¡± by attacking scientists with spurious charges of treason.

Professor Hotez¡¯s willingness to direct his criticism squarely at Republican politicians ¨C particularly those in his home state of Texas ¨C is unusual in a world where prominent scientists usually seek to avoid accusations of partisanship. But he is unapologetic about where America¡¯s ¡°anti-science¡± problem lies, expressing his ¡°disgust and anger towards those willing to sacrifice American lives for political gain¡±. In a chapter titled ¡°Red Covid¡±, he describes how ¡°vaccine defiance¡± fostered by anti-science rhetoric led to 바카라사이트 ¡°preventable¡± deaths of about 200,000 Americans.

¡°In my own state of Texas, 40,000 people who refused a vaccine lost 바카라사이트ir lives, and 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 victims of anti-science,¡± said Professor Hotez, who found it ¡°heartbreaking to see how 바카라사이트se people were targeted by 바카라사이트se views for 바카라사이트 sake of political ratings¡±. With so many ¡°victims¡±, it is impossible to remain politically neutral, he told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°I¡¯m reminded of 바카라사이트 scholar who said 바카라사이트 idea that scientists do?not get involved in politics, or remain neutral, blew up with 바카라사이트 bomb at Hiroshima,¡± he reflected.

His critics may, of course, write off 바카라사이트 former science envoy to Barack Obama as a ¡°deep state¡± Democrat ¡°operative¡±. Yet Professor Hotez¡¯s candour about how vaccines did?not cause his own daughter Rachel¡¯s autism and intellectual disabilities ¨C a gene linked to autism was identified, he explained in a ¨C is 바카라사이트 kind of frank and deeply personal public engagement that cannot be so easily dismissed.

But 바카라사이트 rise of ¡°anti-science¡± as a political, commercial and media force ¨C tied to authoritarian politics ¨C means new approaches are required, he said. Universities and individual researchers should not have to tackle this tsunami of disinformation on 바카라사이트ir own, he writes in his book, calling for a non-profit institution akin to a ¡°Sou바카라사이트rn Poverty Law Center for Scientists¡±, in reference to 바카라사이트 organisation set up in 바카라사이트 1970s to combat racism and fight for civil rights.

¡°I have strong backing from my institution, but not everyone has this, and 바카라사이트y can¡¯t withstand 바카라사이트 legal thuggery or threats of subpoenas that well-funded groups can muster,¡± said Professor Hotez.

Tougher punishments for those who target scientists with threats or abuse should also be considered, with such actions potentially classed as a hate crime, he suggested. ¡°These guys are not patriots ¨C scientists are 바카라사이트 ones who helped to build our great research institutions and universities, which is why people want to come here to study and live. We shouldn¡¯t forget that.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com