(New York Times) – Science is a method for formulating and testing hypotheses, not a fixed set of facts. It should work alongside other ways of knowing, but it must also be protected from political or commercial capture. Perhaps I’m naïve to think that such preservation is possible, but when it fails, people manipulate facts, trust collapses and public decisions lose their anchor in a shared understanding of reality. This undermines the very goals of public health policy, which is meant to be a collective endeavor.

It should not be partisan to say that political violence is wrong, that corrupting science and manipulating data is wrong and that public service is patriotic. (Read More)