Current Twitter CEO Elon Musk declared that Twitter will promote “reasoned” skepticism of scientific data.
“New Twitter policy is to follow the science, which necessarily includes reasoned questioning of the science,” Musk wrote.
Many Twitter users rallied and suggested that the policy promoted actual pursuit of scientific truth.
Evolutionary Behavioral Scientist Gad Saad appeared to sarcastically joke about the dogmatic way scientific experts were treated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elon Musk’s Twitter profile displayed on a phone screen and Twitter logo displayed on a screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on September 15, 2022.
(Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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“The science is anything that His Eminence Lord Fauci says it is,” Saad quipped. “His Excellency is science.”
Musk responded by observing, “Anyone who says that questioning them is questioning science itself cannot be regarded as a scientist.”
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton tweeted, “Bad news for transgender extremism, covid totalitarians, and climate alarmists.”
Journalist David Martosko called upon followers to recognize Musk’s announcement has massive implications.
“Isn’t it remarkable that this is a departure from what we’ve seen for many years?” he asked. “I hope it also means it will be acceptable to examine who’s funding science and what kind of restrictions that places is on scientists.”
Mathematical physicist, economist, and the managing director of Thiel Capital, Eric Weinstein expressed hope that the change could be a major shift across a variety of subjects.
“This. Changes. Everything. If true,” he wrote. “Is that a 1000% commitment to biologists that they can stop *lying* about biological sex, healthy reproductive development, ‘herd immunity’, genetic differences between geographically separated populations, horse paste, Wuhan Inst. GoF, etc.?”
Twitter Headquarters building in San Francisco with sign on windows low angle view
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NASA Earth Cartography & data visualization lead Joshua Stevens tweeted, “This is fair and reasonable. And if any scientist tells you otherwise, never let them wax poetic about curiosity and wonder ever again.”
Some Twitter users appeared to condemn Musk’s statement.
New York Times contributor Wajahat Ali tweeted that Musk’s post was, “Something a really dumb person would tweet.”
Journalist Ashton Pittman tweeted, “By ‘reasoned questioning,’ Elon Musk means batsh*t clown car conspiracy theorist drivel.”
Elon’s post appeared to be a veiled criticism of dogmatism amid the COVID-19 pandemic, especially toward National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) head Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, admitted that the COVID-19 lockdowns were “draconian” but necessary. He said he wants to use his experience to inspire a younger generation od scientists.
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That same day, Musk announced that the Twitter platform’s staff previously”had an internal Slack channel unironically called ‘Fauci Fan Club.’” This comes amid an ongoing series of “Twitter Files” showing the public the inner workings of Twitter before Musk acquired the platform.
Musk also tweeted a statement that put Fauci’s institutional accountability in question.
Almost no one seems to realize that the head of bioethics at NIH – the person who is supposed to make sure that Fauci behaves ethically – is his wife,” Musk wrote.
Earlier in December, Musk appeared to joke, “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci.”
