The Ideological Capture of Our Scientific Institutions Accelerates
Denying research opportunities because they do not align with an agenda is inane and potentially destructive.
Earlier this year, I wrote about the alarming progress in the ideological capture of our scientific institutions, especially as news related to discoveries, research, and theories were coming from journalists and pundits who often had little to no advanced education in physical or life science, statistics, engineering, or other technological areas.
Professor Jacobson recently asserted STEM is “DEIing,” reviewing a report issued by the National Association of Scholars on how DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) identity-group ‘social justice’ ideology is taking over STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).
Today, I offer some more disturbing examples of how race-based theories and social justice priorities negatively impact real research and hinder science.
James Lee, a behavioral geneticist at the University of Minnesota, says that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) now blocks access to an important database if it thinks a scientist’s research may enter “forbidden” territory. Lee makes an important point that taxpayers paid for the Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP), which combines genome scans of several million individuals with extensive data about health, education, occupation, and income.
My colleagues at other universities and I have run into problems involving applications to study the relationships among intelligence, education, and health outcomes. Sometimes, NIH denies access to some of the attributes that I have just mentioned, on the grounds that studying their genetic basis is “stigmatizing.” Sometimes, it demands updates about ongoing research, with the implied threat that it could withdraw usage if it doesn’t receive satisfactory answers. In some cases, NIH has retroactively withdrawn access for research it had previously approved.
Note that none of the studies I am referring to include inquiries into race or sex differences. Apparently, NIH is clamping down on a broad range of attempts to explore the relationship between genetics and intelligence.
What is NIH’s justification?
…The federal government was under no obligation to assemble the magnificent database that is the dbGaP. Now that it has done so at taxpayer expense, however, it does have an obligation to provide access to that database evenhandedly—not to allow it for some and deny it to others, based on the content of their research.
The capture isn’t only impacting American science. Across the Atlantic, the British Royal Society of Chemistry claims chemistry is racist, as only one in 575 professors is black.
The RSC report also shows that ethnic minority students are interested in studying chemistry at university, but they are put off by what they perceive to be an unwelcoming atmosphere of academic research. This is especially true of black students and researchers.
Official figures show that at undergraduate level 4.9% of students studying chemistry-related subjects identify as black, significantly higher than the national 3.0% of the UK population. But most choose not to enter research. Those who do fall away at every stage of the career ladder: 1.4% of postgraduate chemistry researchers identify as black, 1% of lecturers and 0% of professors.
Academic science research is unwelcoming, hard, and soul-grinding. As I worked toward a doctorate in chemistry, I saw the struggles to get grants, do research, and publish papers up close and personal. I preferred a different life, so I left graduate school and never looked back.
There are many reasons for people selecting the careers they do. Smearing a scientific field as racist because it doesn’t meet a quote is senseless.
Distributing grants based on race, or gender identity, or current narratives is no way to fund meaningful science that will lead to useful results or innovative discoveries.
Denying research opportunities because they do not align with an agenda is inane and potentially destructive.
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Comments
If you’re wondering why humanity isn’t advancing this post tells you everything you need to know.
Government “science” isn’t science nor does it help anyone but it’s sponsors in the government.
Humanity isn’t advancing because the weight of government is shackling everyone to it, and not just in science. The more we ask the government to help the more we destroy advancement until that advancement turns to retreat which is where we are now.
Sadly everyone has to understand this for humanity to move forward. It is easy to ask men with guns to step in and bring your pet project to life. We will never understand that men with guns can never create anything.
We are again left with the impressions that blacks are entitled to their own science, and others may not detract from the hypothesis posited by a black., even if it is a scientist of the most mediocre rank. Thus encouraging mediocrity among black students.
When we were hiring a chemist at my college, our committee was told that our search would be terminated if any of our top three candidates were a white male. We had to take our best candidate (by far) and move him down to fourth position.
Colleges and universities seem to think that being allowed to consider race in admissions “for diversity” means that they can also consider race in hiring. That’s not true, but you’re not allowed to say that.
I left with an MS in Med Chem, because I didn’t want to spend my time writing grant applications. In my 30+ years we came across very few minorities that wanted to do the difficult job of research
Patterns are patterns for a reason.
The ghost of Lysenko smiles.
You beat me to it!
I’m just glad that someone else sees the parallel
The latest news from the perennially demoralizing, intrinsically dishonest and utterly corrosive, “Everything under the Sun is ‘racist!’ ” category, promoted 24/7 by the vile Dumb-o-crats.
Great job, Ms. Eastman!
and where do these mediocre ” scientists ” often land ? working for the government
as the majority of adults with even a mote of common sense know ” in practically any human endeavour, you cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong ”
one of the reasons that “equity” as a concept throughout the human race is a total and demonstrable farce
It instructive to read Eisenhower’s farewell address. He talks about government funded research, and the capture of govenment by experts.
The last president of the America I wish we still had. Kennedy had the country feeling pretty darn good about itself, but once he was put down and LBJ installed, we went into a decline from which we will not – at least as a 50 state nation – come back.
I’m glad I’m old.
If all test are racist, then there can be no tests, and everyone should get the same grade- an F.
The 17th century mathematician and astronomer, Johannes Kepler, famously stated that the art of science is merely thinking God’s thoughts after Him.
However, when culture does not believe in God it will believe anything – particularly the evil and destructive.
They do not want to share a culture with us. We are post-argument. It’s either us or them. Choose wisely.
Lysenko 2.0
Another screeching woman in man-glasses and the constant look of anger. I wonder if she lives in Asheville?
They get away with this because the scientistians decline to state the case for science-y science.
“Be wrong, as long as it doesn’t make anyone feel bad.” is good when there’s surplus. Its the moral rubric of people who have plenty, and always expect to.
Someone introduce these clowns to Maslow.
This is very painful to read. I studied science and math in school and I appreciatednthat I was mostly separate from the evolving stupid politics that was overtaking everything else, Now it is all being replaced with garbage.
We have seen this before. Arabs were progressive in science of all types and made much headway in fields of medicine, mathematics and astronomy but were captured and neutered by religious zealots remaining in the backwaters today. Our “leaders” fealty towards climate cultists, lbtq+-eieio and gender denying nonsense is leading western civilization right down the same path into obscurity.