Analysis & Opinions - Optics and Photonics News

Science and Activism

| February 2015

Viewpoint

Does campaigning for social change have a place in the scientific identity?

Last September, I was one of 400,000 participants in the People's Climate March in New York City. It was the largest march I had ever attended, though it wasn't my first foray into activism. For more than two years I'd been working with students, university faculty and others to build the fossil fuel divestment campaign at Harvard University.

Being a scientist and an activist is often seen as an unusual combination—many scientists see a conflict between the two identities. Some colleagues have told me that they will not engage in activism because they believe it will undermine their objectivity. Others have cautioned me to distance myself from activism when acting as a scientist and vice versa....

Continue reading (log in may be required): http://www.osa-opn.org/home/articles/volume_26/february_2015/departments/science_and_activism/

For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation: Franta, Benjamin.“Science and Activism.” Optics and Photonics News, February 2015.

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