Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist, warns that the US’s anti-science stance poses an “existential threat” globally and could jeopardize the nation’s scientific leadership. He criticized a recent executive order allowing political appointees to control federal research grants, claiming this could mark the decline of American scientific dominance.
In his new book, Science Under Siege, co-authored with Peter Hotez, Mann discusses a well-funded anti-science movement that hinders efforts to combat climate change and prepare for pandemics. The authors identify five forces fueling this movement: plutocrats, authoritarian petrostates, contrarian professionals, social media propagandists, and mainstream media outlets. They argue this collective “antiscience superstorm” is resulting in significant loss of life and poses a global threat.
Mann urges scientists to unite against political pressures on research, stating that the rise of anti-science represents a “cancer” affecting nearly all scientific areas, including public health. He emphasizes that misinformation may be the greatest threat to humanity, undermining efforts to tackle critical global challenges.
