Scientific American 201905

88 Scientific American, May 2019

AK

WA MT ND MN WI MI

ME

OR NV CO NE MO KYWV VA

ID WY SD IA IN OH PA CT

VT NH

CA UT NM KS TN NC

TX FL

SC

AZ OK LA MS AL

NY MA RI

MD DE

IL NJ

AR

HI

DC

GA

1 7 11

State and Local Incidents (112)

Gray indicates climate cases

Impede study on formaldehyde

health hazards

Star indicates state or local action

Censorship

Scrub Web sites, hide data, forbid scientists to speak publicly

Bias and Misrepresentation

Discount studies in policy making, mischaracterize papers

Budget Cuts

End program funds, cancel grants

Personnel Changes

Remove scientists from agency positions, fail to fill openings

Interference with Education

Limit teaching of theories, prevent use of materials

Research Hindrance

Destroy data, prevent publication,

pressure researchers to alter findings

Self-Censorship

Voluntarily suppress or distort information

Government Actions

Close science adviser office

Deactivate water-level gauges

Environmental

Protection

Interior

White House

Health and

Human Services

Energy

Commerce

Agriculture

Congress

NASA

Homeland Security

National Science

Foundation

Transportation

Amtrak

Defense

Justice

Labor

Government

Accountability Office

State

Treasury

U.S. Agency for

International Development

All agencies

51

35

25

17

16

12

12

6 6 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1

Incidents (195) at Federal

Departments and Agencies

(some involve

multiple entities)

GRAPHIC SCIENCE

Text by Mark Fischetti | Graphic by Pitch Interactive

SOURCE: COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Silencing

Science

A tracker reveals more than

300 government attempts to

suppress knowledge

Journalists and whistle-blowers have exposed
some alarming moves by federal and state gov-
ernments to restrict science research, education
or communication. But the Silencing Science
Tracker, updated continuously online, shows
just how pervasive the attempts have been since
the 2016 U.S. national elections. Tactics run the
gamut from censorship and funding cuts to de-
stroying data, twisting studies and removing
scientists from advisory boards ( main graphic ).
Some deeds have been “really outrageous,”
says Romany Webb, a senior fellow at Columbia
Law School, who runs the site. Actions by states
have been rising recently ( map ), especially to
manipulate education. “It’s concerning to imag-
ine a generation of schoolkids not learning basic
principles such as climate change and evolu-
tion,” Webb says. But she thinks committee
leaders now in the House of Representatives are
ready to push back on federal abuses, which she
finds “very encouraging.”

Attempts to malign science fall into several categories.

Certain actions involve more than one category ( multicol-

ored dots ); for example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture

prevented government scientists from presenting work at

a key conference (censorship), which also limited collabora-

tion at the meeting (research hindrance). Entries are culled

from media reports, as of February 20, 2019. The tracker*

notes when a case is later rectified—a rarity.

*http://columbiaclimatelaw.com/resources/

silencing-science-tracker

© 2019 Scientific American