On April 22, Earth Day 2017, the citizens of the world participated in a massive March for Science. The initiative was launched by U.S. scientists inspired by “new policies threatening to further restrict scientists’ abilities to carry out research and communicate their findings.”
The UK, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia as well planned solidarity marches.
“Les vertus de la science sont le scepticisme et l’indépendance de la pensée.”
“The virtues of science are the skepticism and independence of thought.” ~Walter Gilbert
Walter Gilbert (1932) is an American physicist, biochemist, molecular biology pioneer, and Nobel laureate.
The signs read:
Les faits alternatives sont the square root of – 1 (Alternative facts are the square root of negative 1)
Une petite marche pour la science – Un grand pas pour l’humanité! (A small walk for science – A great step for humanity!)
The March was a celebration of science. It proclaimed the very real role that science plays in each of our lives. The March celebrated and supported the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world.
Generally, directors of public research institutions uphold the process of science as a tool for discovery that allows constant expansion and refinement of knowledge and understanding of the universe. Facing the problem of working with restricted budgets augments the conviction that “defunding and hiring freezes in the sciences are against any country’s best interests.”
Support for the initiative of this public-spirited march for the sciences included:
Chambaz, President of CURIF (Coordination of French Research-Intensive Universities)
Alain Fuchs, President of CNRS
Yves Lévy, CEO of INSERM
Philippe Mauguin, CEO of INRA
Antoine Petit, Managing Director of INRIA
Daniel Verwaerde, Chairman of the CEA
There is no Planet B. Join the #MarchForScience.
“The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest.”
As the trend increases in attempting to discredit scientific consensus and restrict scientific opportunities for discovery, the world speaks in defense of supporting access to scientific knowledge. The Gallery below offers more interesting perspectives.