In Washington, many demonstrators have refused to share their names publicly, for similar reasons. A woman, who wore a surgical mask and a long white laboratory coat with the words “crazy scientist” on the back in red letters, described herself only as a researcher financed at the federal level “who is trying to make things go on in these difficult times”. His field was planetary science, hence his sign: “Good luck to get to Mars without science”.
Elsewhere, three young women, all students, have joined a sign that said “science is apolitical”. One said: “I didn’t tell my parents who are here” and they all laughed. He added: “I should be home to do my research. But I can’t, because we could be deceased. It shouldn’t be political, but because they are doing it in this way, we have no choice. “
The discord continued in the afternoon. Bill Nye, The Science Guy. Fred Upton, former republican representative of Michigan. Bill Foster representative, Democrat of Illinois and the only PhD. physicist to the congress. (“It is not only the science that is under attack, they are made,” said out of the stage.) Dr. Allison Agwu, a specialist in infectious grace at Johns Hopkins University. Denali Kincaid, a doctoral student in Geochimica and a Tiktok communicator. They reminded the public (unnecessarily, they admitted) of the value of scientific skills: making vaccines, accurate weather forecasts, agricultural discoveries; monitor only 150 volcanic systems active only in the United States.
From the margins, Mary Doyle, a retired researcher for public health, complained of the depth and apparently indiscriminate the nature of the work and the financing cuts. Indoor university departments “will leave, because they are so strongly dependent on federal funding,” he said. Her husband, Scott Nainis, an engineer, said: “We saw a sign that said:” Science is made better with scalpels and microscopes, not with chainsaws “.
Both had participated in March 2017; This seemed different. “It’s a darker mood,” said Mrs. Doyle.