Royal Society Gathers For Crisis Talks On Concerns Over Elon Musk
Elon Musk sparked the crisis talks at United Kingdom’s elite and oldest science academy, the Royal Society. The last gathering of 150 members of the Society held a crisis meeting, which was reportedly convened amidst growing campaign urging the society to expel Musk, its most controversial member.
The tech-giant was given the royal fellowship in 2018, for his achievements. However, for the past nine months, many scientists have raised concerns over the billionaire’s behaviour.
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A recent addition to Musk’s alleged worrying moves was when he cut an unprecedented amount of fund to scientific research in the US. The X owner was also accused of sharing misinformation on his social media platform X.
The Royal Society did not comment on Musk. It said the meeting was a discussion of “the principles” around public pronouncements and behaviours of Fellows, media reports.
In a statement released after the meeting, it said, “(Those who) attended tonight’s meeting were united in the need for the Society to step up its efforts to advocate for science and scientist”.
Though the Royal Society had previously stayed away from making any political comments, in the latest statement released, it said that particular concern was expressed among members who attended the meeting. The concern were said to be about “the fate of colleagues in the US who are reportedly facing the prospect of losing their jobs amid threats of radical cutbacks in research funding”.
In a statement published last week on its website, the Society said science was “under threat” and that “ideological agendas” were being used to “suppress research, threaten academic freedom and to cut funding”.
The rift within the Society could mark history. The last time the elite scientific academy ejected a member was 150 years ago, when German scientist and writer Rudolf Eric Raspe was accused of theft and fraud.
Dr Dorothy Bishop of Oxford University and Prof Andrew Millar from University of Edinburgh, two of the eminent scientists if the Society resigned their fellowship, protesting against Musk’s fellowship. Both the scientists suggested that the Tesla owner’s actions were “incompatible” with the society’s own code of conduct.
Reportedly, more than 3,300 scientists also put their names in a letter, written by Prof Stephen Curry, emeritus professor of structural biology at Imperial College London, expressing “deep concern” about the billionaire’s fellowship and the society’s “continued silence and apparent inaction” with regard to the controversy. Stephen Curry is not a fellow of Royal Society. More than 60 of the signatories are Royal Society fellows.
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Speaking to BBC, Prof Curry said that “As a private individual, he is free to say what he likes, but as a member of this club, he has a responsibility to promote excellence and promote the pursuit of truth”. Though he had not called for the removal of Musk explicitly, he remarked that a more open debate needs to be held.
Dr Dorothy Bishop was the first scientist to resign the fellowship. She told BBC that she complained to the Society twice last year. “On both occasions they consulted lawyers, and it may well be the case that the lawyers are concerned about the prospect of legal action”, she said.
There are more than 1,700 fellows in Royal Society. Apart from the more than 60 who had signed in Prof. Curry’s letter, many more have expressed their concern about Musk’s behaviour. At the same time, there are many academics, and researchers at the Royal Society fellows who are against the revoking of the tech-giant’s fellowship.
Nobel prize-winner Prof Sir Andre Geim from Manchester University said: “Musk is certainly an eccentric, but his achievements beat those of any of his critics in the Royal Society. Very few can say that they achieved similar in their lives”, as quoted by media.
(With inputs from agencies)
