Scientists of the world, stand up for diversity!
Arthur Caplan, an American ethicist and professor of bioethics, wrote an op-ed in the British journal Nature in defense of diversity. He demonstrates its fundamental role in science, both in research and in patient care.
“Eppur si muove.” “And yet it turns.” These words are said to have been whispered by Galileo at the end of his trial in 1633 – he was accused at the time of supporting the Copernican “heresy” that the Earth revolves around the Sun – have long guided scientists’ attitudes toward ignorance, intolerance, and supposedly infallible ideologies. They come to mind today, at a time of all-out war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the United States.
At the end of his trial, Galileo was asked to swear that he did not believe in the Earth's rotation. Under house arrest, he was forbidden to write anything about the supposed movements of the planet. If he had had funding and a website, I'm pretty sure the Roman Catholic Church would have had the former suspended and the latter shut down.
Yet, far from being courageous in stepping forward, most scientists and administrators today seem to believe that the best response to the anti-DEI crusade is to lie low and grit their teeth for four years.
The American Society
Courrier International
