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petersuber
petersuber
@petersuber@fediscience.org  ·  activity timestamp 8 months ago

Update. Kudos to Andrea Sella for returning his 2014 Faraday Prize to the #RoyalSociety because the society refuses to expel or discipline Fellow Elon #Musk.
https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/why-i-returned-the-faraday-prize-to-the-royal-society/4021668.article

From Sella: "Musk has amplified wild conspiracy theories, repeated racist and eugenic ideas, and spread calls for harming of one of his fellow Royal Society members, Anthony Fauci. The Royal Society stayed silent, declining to take disciplinary action against Musk even after resignations and petitions. Acting for the US administration, this past spring Musk embarked on a rampage…gutting science-based agencies, shutting down scientific databases, shredding public health programmes."

Also see the ( #paywalled) coverage at the Financial Times.
https://www.ft.com/content/877853df-1687-4d1f-940b-9eefc0cf69c0

Client Challenge

Chemistry World

Why I returned the Faraday prize to the Royal Society

Andrea Sella explains how inaction over Elon Musk's membership motivated him to act
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petersuber
petersuber
@petersuber@fediscience.org  ·  activity timestamp 7 months ago

Update. In March the president of the #RoyalSociety, Paul Nurse, asked Elon #Musk to “step in and reverse" the #Trump administration attacks on US science. Musk played dumb and asked for details on those attacks. In May Nurse "suggested" that Musk resign as an RS fellow. Musk did not reply and that seems to be that. Nurse shared the "substance of the correspondence" with members but stands by his position not to discipline Musk for violating the RS code of conduct.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/17/royal-society-elon-musk-resign-science-fellowship-tesla

the Guardian

Royal Society suggested to Elon Musk he consider resigning science fellowship

Exclusive: Fellows called on academy to act over Tesla owner’s role in Trump administration’s attacks on research
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petersuber
petersuber
@petersuber@fediscience.org  ·  activity timestamp 5 months ago

Update. Next month the #RoyalSociety will reopen the question of expelling #ElonMusk. This time the provocation is Musk's "violence is coming" address to a far-right rally in London last week.
https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-royal-society-to-debate-throwing-out-elon-musk/

More on the rally itself.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/elon-musk-tommy-robinson-london-protest-b2826032.html

The Independent

Elon Musk calls for change of UK government at Tommy Robinson rally

Elon Musk spoke with Tommy Robinson via a video link to the thousands of people at Saturday’s ‘unite the kingdom’ rally
The New World

Exclusive: Royal Society to debate throwing out Elon Musk

One of the most prestigious scientific bodies in the world is considering expelling Musk after his appearance at Tommy Robinson’s extremist London rally
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petersuber
petersuber
@petersuber@fediscience.org  ·  activity timestamp 5 months ago

Update. Adrian Smith, President of the #RoyalSociety, has decided to criticize #ElonMusk rather than expel him.
https://royalsociety.org/news/2025/10/statement-from-president-royal-society/

Smith's criticism focuses on Musk's "language of violence, and narratives of division and polarisation" and says nothing about Musk's violation of the Royal Society code of ethics or role in pillaging US science agencies.

A statement from the President of the Royal Society | Royal Society

A statement from Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, regarding threats to the values that allow science to flourish.
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petersuber
petersuber
@petersuber@fediscience.org  ·  activity timestamp last month

Update. In a new open letter, UCambridge prof #RachelOliver criticizes #PaulNurse, president of the #RoyalSociety, for proposing to change the society's code of conduct so that Fellows (like #ElonMusk and #TimHunt) could only be expelled for scientific misconduct, and not (e.g.) for sexual misconduct.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18poQruZ9oImg-4SUH-P-1JAdqFdf1HCx/view

Google Docs

letter to paul nurse re royal soc code of conduct.pdf

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petersuber
petersuber
@petersuber@fediscience.org  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

Update. @StephenCurry just wrote an excellent piece reminding the #RoyalSociety of the many ways that #ElonMusk violated its code of ethics. Expelling him needn't be based on political disagreements. Citing the principle that fellows should be free to disagree about politics willfully misses the point.
https://occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2026/02/11/year-of-inaction-royal-society-hollowed-out-musk/

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Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry
@StephenCurry@mstdn.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@petersuber thanks Peter

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