#ScienceUnderSiege: The Orlando Research Conference Fallout

Something alarming is happening in the #ScientificCommunity, and it’s not getting the attention it deserves. A recent #NIH-backed #neuroscience conference in #Orlando turned into a disaster. Research sessions were canceled after being mistaken for “#DEI” initiatives, and funding was pulled.

One session on the diversity of afferent firing in the cochlea (how nerve cells transmit sound) was targeted because people saw the word “#diversity” and assumed it was political. #MAGA hat-wearing attendees reportedly vandalized posters.

The nescient reaction of the MAGA hat-wearing attendees to the word “diversity”—mistaking a scientific discussion on neural firing patterns in the cochlea for a political agenda—exemplifies a dangerous blend of #ignorance and ideological rigidity. Their inability to differentiate between linguistic context and #partisan buzzwords not only disrupted legitimate research but also underscored the broader issue of anti-intellectualism undermining scientific progress.

Worse, researchers discovered their already earned funding was revoked, postdoc opportunities disappeared, and the conference felt like a #funeral for the field as careers crumbled in real time.

Meanwhile, the NIH was banned from attending due to a new administration-imposed blackout on communications and travel, delaying critical #research on #Cancer, #HeartDisease, and #Diabetes.

#Science depends on open inquiry—but now, #political interference is gutting #research. This isn’t just about one conference. It’s a direct attack on scientific progress. If we don’t stand up now, what’s next?

Science must remain free from political control.

#ScienceUnderAttack #ResearchMatters #SaveScience #FreedomOfInquiry #ScienceNotPolitics #AcademicFreedom