Ground Truths Peter Hotez & Eric Topol - Discuss “Science Under Siege” book
Sep 8, 2025
Peter Hotez, a renowned vaccine scientist and pediatrician, explores the dire implications of anti-science sentiments alongside Eric Topol. They discuss their co-authored book which unveils a troubling nexus of the climate crisis, COVID-19, and organized misinformation. Historical parallels, such as Stalinist-era science, highlight current challenges. Hotez emphasizes the need for proactive political engagement and the crucial role of research universities in restoring public trust while advocating for effective communication in combating misinformation.
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Anti-Science As An Existential Threat
- Hotez frames anti-science as a third existential threat alongside pandemics and climate change.
- He argues disinformation is organized, politically and financially motivated, not random internet junk.
Overlapping Attacks On Different Sciences
- Hotez and Mann found substantial overlap between actors attacking climate science and those attacking biomedical science.
- Shared tactics and funders create mutually reinforcing assaults on different scientific fields.
Lysenkoism And Science Suppression
- Hotez recounts Lysenkoism in the USSR where politics crushed genuine genetics and caused famine.
- He uses this historical example to warn about state-driven anti-science and authoritarian control.
