Review: Science Under Seige

 Science Under Siege is the account of the authors' experience working as researchers in both climate science and vaccines, both of whom have suffered death threats (both authors have needed police protection at their houses), widespread industry attempts to discredit them and attempts to intimidate them (not to mention online smear campaigns and publicity aimed at causing them to lose their jobs).

As you can imagine, this is a depressing book to read, and it took me many days and multiple pauses because it was distressing. The book points out that there are several actors that have to get rid of the professional science/educated class in order to achieve their goals (which are largely to retain their wealth):

• plutocrats (rich people)
• petro-states (Russia, the Arabic states, and obviously oil producing states such as Texas, Alberta)
• propagandists (who make their money off being paid by the above as well as by hawking alternative medicines)

It's very interesting to me that after hearing Carl Sagan and Neil Degrasse Tyson continually dispasraged by science snobs, these are the first two bona-fide scientists who referred to Carl Sagan as "great." I agree with them. In a world where the public has little to no science education in school (even in Singapore, the science education was abysmal), TV shows like Cosmos was what got me into science and enthusiastic about science. Science communications and education is essential or the electorate will lose their support for science, given how much more powerful these other agents of society are.

The details in the book are pretty telling, where the one of the authors were accused of making money off selling vaccines even though their vaccines were given away for free for no commercial return. And obviously climate denial has been a thing for ages. The authors do point out that despair is not an appropriate reaction --- that's what the opponents want you to do --- is to give up and do nothing. They also point out that mainstream newspapers like the New York Times have in recent years gone from caring more about accuracy and correctness to only caring about "balance." As a result, the lab leak theory (which apparently does not have much support from real scientists) for COVID19 was given more credence than it should have been.

The end of the book has the authors showing off their geek creds by analogizing their battle against misinformation and anti-science with the plot of The Lord of the Rings --- except in this case they're not expecting the white wizard to come in and save them.

On reflection, ultimately the reason science will eventually win is that nature doesn't care whether you believe in scientific theories. The consequences of ignoring climate science is already being felt today, and the consequences of not getting vaccinated are going to be pretty severe as well. The American public that has bought into anti-vaccine and anti-climate propaganda are going to be in for a very painful few decades.

You should read this book. It's not going to be fun reading but it's essential.