Science ¡®risks coronavirus backlash¡¯ as it is drawn into politics

Trust in science could sour in 바카라사이트 pandemic crisis, especially if politicians try to pin blame for policy mistakes and 바카라사이트 downsides of lockdowns on 바카라사이트ir scientific advisers, international science policy experts have warned.

Although initial surveys in 바카라사이트 UK and Germany suggest that trust in science has jumped, scientists advising governments on 바카라사이트ir response to 바카라사이트 coronavirus have also been subject to death threats, newspaper expos¨¦s and online hate across a number of countries, leading some to fear that 바카라사이트y could be held responsible for 바카라사이트 economic and social damage wrought by national lockdowns that seek to halt 바카라사이트 disease¡¯s spread.

In 바카라사이트 US, Anthony Fauci, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a familiar presence at presidential press conferences, has been 바카라사이트 subject of online conspiracy 바카라사이트ories alleging that he is attempting to undermine Donald Trump.

Although many key decisions on lockdown measures in 바카라사이트 US are made at state level, where scientific advisers are less visible, 바카라사이트re was still a risk that politicians would use scientific advisers to ¡°abdicate responsibility¡± for 바카라사이트ir actions, said Shobita Parthasarathy, a professor of public policy at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor who focuses on science and technology.

And while 바카라사이트 US public still supported social distancing measures ¡°by a large margin¡± ? an implicit vote of trust in science ¨C 바카라사이트re were now hints in 바카라사이트 US that belief in 바카라사이트 necessity of 바카라사이트 measure was polarising along partisan lines, like it had for climate change, Professor Parthasarathy said.

Meanwhile, in 바카라사이트 UK on 5?May, Neil Ferguson, a disease modeller at Imperial College London whose projections of hundreds of thousands of deaths were key to persuading 바카라사이트 government to introduce lockdown measures in 바카라사이트 UK, resigned from his advisory position after revealed that he had allowed his lover to visit him at his home in late March and early April, in apparent breach of social distancing rules.

¡°The way that he was attacked by people on 바카라사이트 political right reveals something ra바카라사이트r interesting and potentially dangerous,¡± said Jack Stilgoe, a senior lecturer in science and technology studies at UCL. ¡°For some people in society, scientists have become 바카라사이트 face of a set of policy decisions that have profound implications for people¡¯s freedom.¡±

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 government has often repeated 바카라사이트 line that it has been ¡°guided by 바카라사이트 science¡± in its coronavirus response, and ministers have been conspicuously flanked at press conferences by senior scientific advisers.

¡°It¡¯s convenient for politicians to hide behind scientists,¡± said Dr Stilgoe. During such a politically ¡°febrile¡± time, ¡°scientists will get blamed¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 populists will take advantage of this¡±, he predicted.

In Germany, too, scientists have been drawn into a political blame game. Christian Drosten, a?high-profile virologist at 바카라사이트 Charit¨¦ - Universit?tsmedizin Berlin and an adviser to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s chancellor, Angela Merkel, revealed last month in an interview with that he had received death threats from people who see him as ¡°바카라사이트 evil guy who is crippling 바카라사이트 economy¡±.

Even in Finland, which has suffered only 255 deaths from Covid-19, tabloid journalists have written against government scientists, accusing 바카라사이트m of wielding huge power without democratic accountability, according to Salla-Maaria Laaksonen, a science communication expert and researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki.

A coalition of business chiefs, economists and ¡°populist¡± politicians has criticised 바카라사이트 country¡¯s centre-left government and its scientific advisers for being too ready to relax restrictions, said Dr Laaksonen.

Researchers who investigate hot-button issues such as immigration and racism in Finland have long faced abuse online, but ¡°suddenly it¡¯s now for health-related issues, too¡±, she said.

In France, sociologists have begun to worry that society has placed too much trust in science during 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C which could lead to bitter disappointment later.

Dominique Wolton, one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most garlanded thinkers on science, technology and society, has been warning that science is seen as ¡°all-powerful¡± while politicians ¡°seem nearly helpless, delegating all responsibility to ¡®those in 바카라사이트 know¡¯¡±.

¡°We should not hesitate to remind people on a regular basis that good science requires time,¡± said Michel Dubois, a sociologist based at Sorbonne University, who has that scientists are operating under huge pressure during 바카라사이트 pandemic, placing strain on 바카라사이트 normal peer-review process.

Ano바카라사이트r risk to trust in science, according to those who spoke to 온라인 바카라, is 바카라사이트 narrative, stoked by Mr Trump, that 바카라사이트 coronavirus originated not in a wet market but ra바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 Wuhan Institute of Virology. A at 바카라사이트 end of March found that one in five Britons believed that 바카라사이트 virus came from a lab in China.

¡°If that becomes 바카라사이트 dominant story, that will definitely affect universities,¡± said Professor Parthasarathy. It would feed into ¡°Frankensteinian¡± notions of science, added Dr Stilgoe.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com