The Royal Society is the oldest and one of the most prestigious scientific societies in the world. At 365 years old, and with past members such as Charles Darwin and Sir Isaac Newton, it has a firm reputation to uphold. While the Society adheres to a strong apolitical ethos, in this current climate which is so driven by politics, the decision to refrain from any involvement is rendered blatantly political.
It cannot be denied, in spite of his abhorrent views, that he did make world-changing contributions to science, so his fellowship, unfortunately, makes sense.
This is not to say that the Royal Society does not already have its fair share of politically contentious fellows. For an establishment founded in 1660, it would be naive to presume that Musk is the first fellow with… outdated views. James Watson, for example, one of the scientists who discovered the molecular structure of DNA, also famously believed that African people were genetically of an inferior intelligence and that women should have the right to terminate their pregnancies if they found out that the baby would be gay. It cannot be denied, in spite of his abhorrent views, that he did make world-changing contributions to science, so his fellowship, unfortunately, makes sense.
However, Musk’s sheer political lunacy is only one reason why the Royal Society should have taken a stand against him; there are a number of other reasons why he should not be a fellow that would not compromise the ethos of the society.
While other fellows have had problematic and controversial political views alongside their scientific achievements, none have been personally responsible for the complete devastation of scientific progress like Musk. His Department of Government Efficiency (which I refuse to use the acronym for) has gutted over $1 billion dollars in research and education grants, effectively forcing scientific progress in fields relating to gender, sexuality, and the climate to grind to a halt.
Sure, the Royal Society has its fair share of contentious figures, but never before have they had a fellow pose such a danger to the lives of everyone. It seems pertinent that Musk be the exception to their reticence to revoke members.
The most important reason, in my opinion, that Musk should not be a fellow of the Royal Society is that he is not a scientist...He has not made any scientific discoveries or published any papers.
The most important reason, in my opinion, that Musk should not be a fellow of the Royal Society is that he is not a scientist. The son of an emerald dealer, Musk made his billions buying tech companies such as PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla, passing them off as his own, and significantly reducing their scientific viability (for example, Tesla Cybertrucks are banned in the UK because they do not meet safety regulations). He has not made any scientific discoveries or published any papers.
When up against an undeniable rise in misinformation and fascism across the world, it’s more important than ever that institutions like The Royal Society stand up in the name of science. The only way to stop this dangerous rise is by stopping people like Musk. The Royal Society is in a unique position to change the future; I really hope it realises this and takes that opportunity.