Abstract

Recent examples of attacks on science-such as climate change denial and anti-vaccination movements-demonstrate the danger of attacks on science. However, the negative impacts of these attacks must be weighed against other considerations, including the freedom of speech and religious expression and the assertion that some criticism is healthy for the scientific field. The viewpoints in this title consider the impacts of attacks on science, whether these attacks can be stopped, and how they can be prevented. It also examines the role of the internet in propagating and legitimizing these attacks.