According to reports by Scientific American and National Public Radio (NPR), on March 31st, nearly 2000 top American scientists jointly released an open letter, stating that the American research community is being "destroyed" by an atmosphere of fear.

The signatories of this open letter include members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, as well as several Nobel laureates. The letter points out that the signatories are expressing their opinions as individuals rather than as representatives of their institutions. Together with the signature page, the full text of this open letter spans 75 pages.

These scientists refer to the open letter as a "SOS" (Emergency Call for Help). Despite concerns that speaking out publicly might make them targets of attacks, these top American scientists warned that the Trump administration's "massive attack" on the American scientific community would endanger America's healthcare, economy, and national security.

The open letter states that under the shadow of fear, researchers worried about unemployment are deleting their names from publications, removing terms such as "climate change," which have been marked as "objectionable" by specific agencies, abandoning research projects, and rewriting grant proposals and papers.

"Science has brought us smartphones in our pockets, navigation systems in our cars, and life-saving medical services," the letter reads. "When we cross bridges or fly planes, we rely on engineers. Businesses and farmers depend on science and engineering for product innovation, technological progress, and weather forecasting. Science helps humanity protect the Earth, keeping pollutants and toxins away from our air, water, and food."

The signatory scientists believe that with the U.S. government cutting funding for scientific institutions, scientists, and laboratories, the real danger has arrived, and the country's scientific endeavors are being "decimated."

The open letter warns that other countries will lead the way in developing new disease therapies, clean energy, and future technologies. Their populations will be healthier, and they will surpass the U.S. in commerce, defense, intelligence gathering, and monitoring the health of the planet. It may take decades to reverse the damage done to America’s scientific enterprise.

NPR reported that in recent weeks, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has suspended evaluations of some new grant applications and postponed funding decisions for multiple disease studies. As of April 1st, the NIH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued layoff notices, but details remain unclear.

In addition, the Trump administration is working to eliminate initiatives it considers related to "woke" issues, including banning the use of terms like "health disparities" and "climate science."

The NIH also canceled a scientific integrity policy aimed at preventing political interference, in order to "ensure alignment with the administration's priorities."

Here is the full text of the joint open letter:

To the People of the United States

We all rely on science. Science has given us smartphones in our pockets, navigation systems in our cars, and life-saving medical services. We depend on engineers when driving over bridges or flying airplanes. Businesses and farmers rely on science and engineering research for product innovation, technological progress, and weather forecasting. Science helps humanity protect the Earth, keeping pollutants and toxins out of our air, water, and food.

For more than 80 years, wise investments by the U.S. government have fostered the flourishing of scientific research in the U.S., envied by the world. Shockingly, the Trump administration is undermining the scientific enterprise through cuts to research funding, firing thousands of scientists, depriving the public of access to scientific data, and pressuring researchers to alter or abandon their work based on ideology.

"The voice of science cannot be silenced."

The signatories at the end of this article are elected members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, representing some of the top scientists, engineers, and medical researchers in the U.S. We speak as individuals. We see a real danger here. Although we hold different political beliefs, as researchers, we stand united in protecting independent scientific research. We issue this emergency SOS to send a clear warning: the nation's scientific enterprise is being gravely damaged.

The government is cutting funds for research institutions, terminating support for scientists, canceling funding for research labs, and obstructing international scientific cooperation. These cuts force institutions to suspend research (including research into new disease treatments), lay off faculty, and stop admitting graduate students—the pipeline for the next generation of scientists.

The government is currently investigating more than 50 universities, sending a chilling message. Columbia University recently received notice that unless it adopts a "disciplinary policy" and closes a designated academic department, its federal funding will be withheld. The destabilization of dozens of universities will threaten higher education and the research they conduct.

The mission of science is to seek truth, requiring scientists to explore new questions freely, report their findings honestly, and remain unaffected by special interests. The government is implementing censorship, undermining this independence. It uses administrative orders and financial threats to manipulate the funding and publication rights of research projects, the reporting methods of research results, and the public's access to scientific data and results. The government is blocking research topics it deems "objectionable," such as climate change, or those that produce results it dislikes, including subjects ranging from vaccine safety to economic trends.

An atmosphere of fear pervades the U.S. scientific community. Researchers worry about losing funding or job security, and are removing their names from publications, eliminating accurate scientific terms marked as "objectionable" (such as "climate change"), abandoning some research, and rewriting grant proposals and papers. Despite protests from some in the scientific community, most researchers, universities, research institutions, and professional organizations remain silent to avoid angering the administration and jeopardizing their funding.

If our nation's research enterprise is dismantled, we will lose our scientific advantage. Other countries will lead the way in developing new disease therapies, clean energy, and future technologies. Their populations will be healthier, and their economies will surpass ours in commerce, defense, intelligence gathering, and monitoring the health of the planet. The damage done to our nation's scientific enterprise may take decades to reverse.

We call on the government to cease its all-out attack on American science and urge the public to join this call. Please share this statement with others, contact representatives in Congress, and help your community understand the risks at hand. The voice of science must never be silenced. We all benefit from science; if the nation's research enterprise is destroyed, we will all suffer losses.

The views expressed herein are our own and do not represent the views of the three major U.S. national academies or the institutions to which we belong.

(Signatures omitted)

This article is an exclusive contribution from Guancha Observer and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7488583154165449256/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views. Welcome to express your attitude via the 'thumbs up/thumbs down' buttons below.