The Trump administration has cut off funding to Harvard University’s science programs, citing issues like antisemitism and discriminatory practices. Harvard’s response acknowledges some of these claims but insists they still produce valuable scientific work. However, evidence suggests their contributions to hard sciences, particularly in medical and physics fields, have been detrimental.
For instance, claims of Harvard’s breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease research have been questioned, with accusations that their alignment with the “Amyloid Mafia” has stalled alternative hypotheses for a cure. Additionally, Harvard’s role in promoting harmful dietary guidelines is cited as a factor in the obesity and diabetes epidemic.
In physics, the preference for string theory over experimental approaches has led to a stagnation in legitimate research, according to critics like Sheldon Glashow. The article argues that Harvard’s approach has diverted federal funding into unproductive areas, calling for a return to private patronage for science funding.
The author, Frank J. Tipler, posits that Harvard is more concerned with ideological conformity than with the pursuit of truth, arguing that the university has strayed far from its original mission to seek truth.
