The co-organizer of an upcoming meeting on the subject claims that the issue of repression in the sciences is not something that can be solved by external forces. The best solution may be found in the scholars themselves.
” I think some parliamentary pressure from the bottom may help, but for the most part it is the job that researchers should do themselves”, said USC scientist Anna Krylov, who will help guide the future three-day meeting” Censorship in the Sciences: Interdisciplinary Perspectives”.
In an interview with The College Fix, she said,” You cannot have legislation fixing scientific journals.” ” It’s the medical community that may stand against repression, go on book boards, and eliminate people from organizations that are censorious”.
But to resolve the problem of repression, it must be better understood, which is why the meeting is taking an multidisciplinary approach, Krylov said.
” Censorship is very widespread today, including in extreme science. We believe that it’s a trend that is not well understood scientifically”, she said. ” When folks hear repression, they think of an autocratic plan, but what happens now in universities, often it’s repression imposed by peers. We are interested in this phenomenon]of] present censorship”.
The event, scheduled for Jan. 10 to 12 at the University of Southern California, may enjoy scientists not only from STEM but also social science, social science, philosophy, ethics and others.
We “wanted to look at this issue of censorship from various points,” Krylov said.
The meeting is open to the public. People can file on a first-come first-served foundation, but with limited ability it , will also be live-streamed and recorded.
The conference website states that” by bringing together authorities with widely varying viewpoints on censorship from within the natural science, social science, philosophy, arts, and law, we aim to foster a civil conversation regarding these diverse viewpoints and advance our understanding of what constitutes and is not medical censorship,” as well as when it may and may not be appropriate, as stated on the conference site.
The War on Truth—And How to Win It, a panel discussion centered on Jonathan Rauch, a professor of public policy and society, and” Your Paper Was Retracted.” Were You Censored, or Simply Inappropriate”? by renowned author Dr. Ivan Oransky, a skilled researcher and blogger.
Another section topics include:” Censorship and Self-Imposed Social Constraints in Research”,” Morally Concerned Science”,” Harms-Justified Censorship”,” Is Compelled Speech a Form of Censorship”,” Harms of Censorship: Covid Examples”,” Truth, Lies, and Climate Change”, among others.
A special issue of the Journal of Controversial Ideas will also contain conference proceedings.
Additionally to Krylov, Stanford Professor Ivan Marinovic, Rutgers Professor Lee Jussim, and several academics from the USC Center for Economic and Social Research are present.
” The participants include academics, public intellectuals, acclaimed authors, representatives of various organizations championing free speech and academic freedom, Retraction Watch, publishers, as well as scientists who have experienced censorship first hand”, the conference website states.
Krylov said the panelists don’t all agree on the problem, or solution — and that’s a good thing. At the end of the day, the conference will raise awareness and encourage solutions, she said.
We hope to establish the need for thorough investigation and the availability of numerous intriguing topics to discuss, she said.
Supporters of the conference include the American Academy of Sciences and Letters, Heterodox Academy, Institute for Humane Studies, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the Academic Freedom Alliance, the USC Center for Economic and Social Research, the Institute for Humane Studies, Cornell Free Speech Alliance, and MIT Free Speech Alliance.
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IMAGE: USC website screenshot
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