Science for the People
Science for the People - Magazine
Science for the People is dedicated to building and promoting social movements and political struggles around progressive and radical perspectives on science and society. We are workers, educators, and students in science and technology-related fields committed to the democratic practice of science for the benefit of humanity and the planet…
About
A lot has changed in the worlds of science and publishing since Volume 21, Number 2 of Science for the People came off the presses in 1989. Since that last issue, the absence of such a leading voice for radical science has enabled the dominance and distortion of science by liberal technocrats on the one hand and creationists and climate change deniers on the other.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
A Note on Science for the People’s Return to Publishing
by Christopher Dols & Emily Glaser
Science for the People is back. It’s been nearly three decades since Volume 21, Number 2 became the last issue of the magazine’s first incarnation. It was an impressive run. It was born out of opposition to the Vietnam War as an activist newsletter published by organizers of left-wing caucuses within mainstream professional associations, many of which were complicit with the war.
By the late 1970s the magazine had become an established moral and political authority for a whole generation of progressive and radical scientists. And throughout the 1980s, Science for the People sustained its reputation and deepened its influence as a school for radical science, some students of which included giants of their fields: Stephen Jay Gould, Ruth Hubbard, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Richard Lewontin, Dick Levins, Rita Arditti, and more.
…For us, at a minimum, a true science for the people would be set up to meet the needs of humanity and the planet, not to proliferate weapons, surveillance, or theories of biological determinism. But beyond that, we also recognize that science ought not be quarantined among so-called experts…
Though we will often seek and value thoughtful expertise, we also see the spirit of radical science in the worker-intellectual who takes ideas and politics seriously enough to embrace the full world as her jurisdiction rather than some narrow sliver of it. We take inspiration from the commitment of the original Science for the People to be accessible, but never trivial, and to invite and embrace debate, disagreement and reflection.
Our return to publishing this summer begins with a collection of essays, largely from academics and policy experts, on the subject of climate engineering. Rather than soliciting contributions from “all sides,” the assembled editorial collective—of which we were active participants—chose to step into this passionate controversy with an argument in mind, holding close to Rachel Carson’s wisdom that “the human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves.” (See Erik Wallenberg and Ansar Fayyazuddin’s lead editorial.)
That is, we largely reject any large-scale manipulation of the environment (e.g. the very problem we are attempting to address) in favor of a critique of the science and interests behind various “geoengineering” proposals. As John Bellamy Foster put it in his contribution, “Geoengineering under the present regime of accumulation has the sole objective of keeping the status quo intact.” But we also understand the scale of the damage done and the culprits responsible for it. So we eagerly include Holly Jean Buck’s “A Best Case Scenario for Putting Carbon Back Underground,” a call for extracting carbon capture technologies and infrastructure from the very companies least likely to use them responsibly…
Despite the inevitable influence carried by such a (re)inaugural edition, we do not mean to prescribe any political or editorial model for all future collectives to follow. We expect not to personally participate in all such collectives, but will empower each with their own editorial control, solicit supplementary content, and facilitate the publishing process (not unlike how the original SftP rotated editorial responsibilities during some periods of its publication).
To the extent that we are responsible for upholding the politics and commitments of radical science, we are accountable to the body that elected us, the Steering Committee of Science for the People. For more about the activist commitments, chapters and working groups of Science for the People, the organization, check out scienceforthepeople.org; Stick around here (magazine.scienceforthepeople.org) for more on geoengineering and the archives as we digitize and upload features from the back issues.
Yours in struggle,
Christopher Dols & Emily Glaser
SftP Publisher & Managing Editor
P.S. Science for the People encourages thoughtful, critical discussion of the topics we publish. Do you have an opinion on geoengineering or the climate crisis we face? …
Science for the People - Organization
ABOUT SFTP
The original Science for the People arose in 1969 out of the anti-war movement and lasted until 1989. With radical analysis and non-hierarchical governing structure, Science for the People tackled the militarization of scientific research, the corporate control of research agendas, the political implications of sociobiology and other scientific theories, the environmental consequences of energy policy, inequalities in health care, and many other issues.
Its members opposed racism, sexism, and classism in science and above all sought to mobilize people working in scientific fields to become active in agitating for science, technology, and medicine that would serve social needs rather than military and corporate interests. They organized in universities and communities, published a magazine offering sharp political analysis, and sought meaningful scientific exchange internationally in Vietnam, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other countries.
Some of the issues we face today have changed in important ways, but fundamental questions of power, ideology, and democracy in science remain. The time is ripe to revitalize Science for the People and to organize scientists, activists, students, and scholars to face these issues head-on in research institutions, universities, and communities. Since 2015, SftP veterans have collaborated with a new generation of SftP members to explore the history of radical science and to rebuild the movement for today.
MISSION
Science for the People engages in research, activism, and science communications for the betterment of society, ecological improvement, environmental protection, and to serve human needs. Members of Science for the People consist of STEM workers, educators, and activists who are socially and ethically focused, and believe that science should be a positive force for humanity and the planet.
As an organization our goals include:
Science for the People is dedicated to building and promoting social movements and political struggles around progressive and radical perspectives on science and society. We are workers, educators, and students in science and technology-related fields committed to the democratic practice of science for the benefit of humanity and the planet…
About
A lot has changed in the worlds of science and publishing since Volume 21, Number 2 of Science for the People came off the presses in 1989. Since that last issue, the absence of such a leading voice for radical science has enabled the dominance and distortion of science by liberal technocrats on the one hand and creationists and climate change deniers on the other.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
A Note on Science for the People’s Return to Publishing
by Christopher Dols & Emily Glaser
Science for the People is back. It’s been nearly three decades since Volume 21, Number 2 became the last issue of the magazine’s first incarnation. It was an impressive run. It was born out of opposition to the Vietnam War as an activist newsletter published by organizers of left-wing caucuses within mainstream professional associations, many of which were complicit with the war.
By the late 1970s the magazine had become an established moral and political authority for a whole generation of progressive and radical scientists. And throughout the 1980s, Science for the People sustained its reputation and deepened its influence as a school for radical science, some students of which included giants of their fields: Stephen Jay Gould, Ruth Hubbard, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Richard Lewontin, Dick Levins, Rita Arditti, and more.
…For us, at a minimum, a true science for the people would be set up to meet the needs of humanity and the planet, not to proliferate weapons, surveillance, or theories of biological determinism. But beyond that, we also recognize that science ought not be quarantined among so-called experts…
Though we will often seek and value thoughtful expertise, we also see the spirit of radical science in the worker-intellectual who takes ideas and politics seriously enough to embrace the full world as her jurisdiction rather than some narrow sliver of it. We take inspiration from the commitment of the original Science for the People to be accessible, but never trivial, and to invite and embrace debate, disagreement and reflection.
Our return to publishing this summer begins with a collection of essays, largely from academics and policy experts, on the subject of climate engineering. Rather than soliciting contributions from “all sides,” the assembled editorial collective—of which we were active participants—chose to step into this passionate controversy with an argument in mind, holding close to Rachel Carson’s wisdom that “the human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves.” (See Erik Wallenberg and Ansar Fayyazuddin’s lead editorial.)
That is, we largely reject any large-scale manipulation of the environment (e.g. the very problem we are attempting to address) in favor of a critique of the science and interests behind various “geoengineering” proposals. As John Bellamy Foster put it in his contribution, “Geoengineering under the present regime of accumulation has the sole objective of keeping the status quo intact.” But we also understand the scale of the damage done and the culprits responsible for it. So we eagerly include Holly Jean Buck’s “A Best Case Scenario for Putting Carbon Back Underground,” a call for extracting carbon capture technologies and infrastructure from the very companies least likely to use them responsibly…
Despite the inevitable influence carried by such a (re)inaugural edition, we do not mean to prescribe any political or editorial model for all future collectives to follow. We expect not to personally participate in all such collectives, but will empower each with their own editorial control, solicit supplementary content, and facilitate the publishing process (not unlike how the original SftP rotated editorial responsibilities during some periods of its publication).
To the extent that we are responsible for upholding the politics and commitments of radical science, we are accountable to the body that elected us, the Steering Committee of Science for the People. For more about the activist commitments, chapters and working groups of Science for the People, the organization, check out scienceforthepeople.org; Stick around here (magazine.scienceforthepeople.org) for more on geoengineering and the archives as we digitize and upload features from the back issues.
Yours in struggle,
Christopher Dols & Emily Glaser
SftP Publisher & Managing Editor
P.S. Science for the People encourages thoughtful, critical discussion of the topics we publish. Do you have an opinion on geoengineering or the climate crisis we face? …
Science for the People - Organization
ABOUT SFTP
The original Science for the People arose in 1969 out of the anti-war movement and lasted until 1989. With radical analysis and non-hierarchical governing structure, Science for the People tackled the militarization of scientific research, the corporate control of research agendas, the political implications of sociobiology and other scientific theories, the environmental consequences of energy policy, inequalities in health care, and many other issues.
Its members opposed racism, sexism, and classism in science and above all sought to mobilize people working in scientific fields to become active in agitating for science, technology, and medicine that would serve social needs rather than military and corporate interests. They organized in universities and communities, published a magazine offering sharp political analysis, and sought meaningful scientific exchange internationally in Vietnam, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other countries.
Some of the issues we face today have changed in important ways, but fundamental questions of power, ideology, and democracy in science remain. The time is ripe to revitalize Science for the People and to organize scientists, activists, students, and scholars to face these issues head-on in research institutions, universities, and communities. Since 2015, SftP veterans have collaborated with a new generation of SftP members to explore the history of radical science and to rebuild the movement for today.
MISSION
Science for the People engages in research, activism, and science communications for the betterment of society, ecological improvement, environmental protection, and to serve human needs. Members of Science for the People consist of STEM workers, educators, and activists who are socially and ethically focused, and believe that science should be a positive force for humanity and the planet.
As an organization our goals include:
- Growing an international organization of STEM workers, educators, and activists who work to serve the people — especially in poor, oppressed, and marginalized communities
- Addressing directly our responsibilities to contribute to social, economic, and environmental justice internationally
- Seeking new and radical solutions for problems of energy, environment, agriculture, public health, and workplace safety
- Resisting science that serves corporate profit and military domination
- Exposing individuals, institutions, and organizations who develop and use STEM for exploitation, oppression, profiteering, war, and environmental destruction
- Opposing racism & white supremacy, sexism & patriarchy, homophobia & cisgenderism, ageism & ableism within STEM
- Combating efforts to delegitimize, censor, and deny evidence-based scientific findings
- Establishing platforms of communication and educational tools for STEM workers, educators, and activists to develop research, strategies, and tactics to achieve these goals