• Question: What are your thoughts on Donald Trump? Random question, I know.

    Asked by Baileylee12 to Hannah, Lucy, Phil, rochellevelho, Stephen on 6 Mar 2017.
    • Photo: Hannah Sargeant

      Hannah Sargeant answered on 6 Mar 2017:

      As a scientist it is hard to like Donald Trump. He doesn’t seem to respect or listen to experts who have dedicated their lives to science and facts. This means that important things like climate change are now being ignored which is very dangerous for the future of the planet.

    • Photo: Lucy Kissick

      Lucy Kissick answered on 6 Mar 2017:

      I have too many thoughts on Donald Trump. I can’t check my science-focused twitter without seeing him, I can’t have a science-focused debate without hearing about him, I can’t read science-focused news without learning what other right or law or basic fact he’s burying. I shouldn’t have to think about Donald Trump at all, but he’s waging war on science: he’s the enemy of rational reasoning, and I’m very worried for the world under his leadership.

    • Photo: Phil Sutton

      Phil Sutton answered on 6 Mar 2017:

      So it turns out having no qualifications, no experience and being completely incompetent of the job you are applying for does not stop you actually getting the job. It should be inspirational for us all to go for those things we don’t think we have a chance of getting or doing.

      However, for a scientist it isn’t a random question. Unfortunately Trump isn’t really scientifically minded. With all of his plans and restrictions science will suffer. The large scientific facilities will not get the funding they need and scientists will not be able to collaborate between countries like they can now. Science is all about working internationally and sharing our ideas and research. Any kind of restrictions preventing free travel and knowledge sharing can only be a bad thing as far as science is concerned.

    • Photo: Stephen Pulker

      Stephen Pulker answered on 7 Mar 2017:

      The conduct of Donald Trump is deeply unsettling because he is so willing to lie and misrepresent the truth to achieve his ambitions and that he is so blatant with it. Whatever you think of specific policy issues that he may try to enact, his lack of respect for a rational discourse undermines the only mechanisms we have for talking together and erodes institutions that have taken many years to develop. The podcast “Waking Up with Sam Harris” (search YouTube) has some very interesting discussions about all of this if you are interested in hearing more about why Trump is such a concern.

Comments