When some of science’s greatest figures gather to celebrate the Royal Society’s 362nd anniversary today, one of them is likely to dominate the conversation, even if it’s thousands of miles away.
Elon Musk, the billionaire head of Tesla, has tried to oust him — angering some in the Society with his skepticism about vaccines and man-made climate change and controversial political views they believe will bring the institution into disrepute.
The controversy hit the headlines this week when Oxford University professor Dorothy Bishop revealed she resigned from the Royal Society (FRS) in protest at Musk’s continued membership. Highlighting the Society’s code of conduct, which requires colleagues to treat each other with courtesy, he said: “I’m not going to be polite and nice to Elon Musk.”
In the supposedly calm, objective and calculated world of science, this is about as close to noon as you can get.
But not all FRS agree with Bishop’s decision, and some have said Telegraphanonymously that they support the Musk grant (awarded to the entrepreneur in 2018 for his technological achievements, particularly in space travel and the development of electric vehicles). They don’t voice their support publicly for fear of being ostracized — not least because of the unpopularity of Musk’s advocacy of climate change.
They also believe the Society – the world’s oldest scientific academy, whose former members include Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking – should stay out of politics. But again, they are aware that the majority of men are upset by Musk’s support for Donald Trump, and in particular his statements condemning the Labor government here in the UK.
During the summer riots, the Tycoon tweeted on the platform he owns and calls X that civil war was “inevitable” in the UK and has since repeatedly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer – on everything from immigration policy to freedom of speech.
“It just felt that him being in the Royal Society (RS) was so at odds with all the values of the Royal Society (and) I didn’t really want anything to do with it,” Bishop wrote on his blog on Monday. trying to explain his decision to quit.
“I just started to think, you know, the Royal Society seemed to be set up to make it very, very difficult to get someone to resign or really get fired, and given everything I know about Musk, it seemed mean to be honest.”
The RS Code of Conduct states that Fellows must have a “spirit of openness, courtesy and cooperation”, “uphold the reputation of the Society” and “not engage in…discrimination, harassment or bullying”.
However, Bishop is prepared to continue to be polite for now: “What I said (to RS president Sir Adrian Smith and chief executive Dame Julie Maxton) was, ‘I’m not going to be polite and nice to Elon Musk, I’m afraid, so I can’t follow the code of conduct.’
Dorothy Bishop resigned from the Royal Society in protest against Musk’s membership – AFP/Getty
The Oxford academic lists Musk’s crimes as “using social media for political propaganda… to fight a ‘virus of the awakened mind’ and attacks on free speech.”
Among other offenses, Bishop listed Musk’s climate change tweets:
“In 2023 Musk downplayed the seriousness of climate change and in 2024 engaged in a bizarre interview with Donald Trump that shocked climate experts,” Bishop wrote.
He added: “Any joy I get from the FRS honor is tempered by the fact that it is being shared with someone who seems to be modeling himself on a Bond villain, a man with untold wealth and power that he wants to use to threaten scientists who disagree with him.”
The question of Musk’s continued membership of the society was first raised in August when 74 Fellows wrote to the institution asking whether he was “a fit and proper person to bear the distinguished honor of being a Fellow of the Royal Society”.
The club is believed to have taken legal advice following this letter. But Bishop claims that “counsel determined that Musk had not violated the code of conduct.”
Bishop states that the signatories “are unhappy with this response” and pointed to a 2022 tweet by Musk — “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci” — which they said was “antivaxx,” anti-LGBTQ, and put Anthony Fauci, America’s chief immunologist. Donald Trump’s Covid task force at ‘additional risk’ after years of vaccine attacks skeptics.
Brian Foster, a former member of the RS governing council, who is a professor of experimental physics at the University of Oxford, said. Telegraph that he was not a signatory but had expressed his concern. “It was a mistake to elect (Musk) in the first place, but we elect people based on their scientific and technological achievements, not whether they’re nice people or how they behave in non-scientific or political arenas,” he says.
Royal Society members say Musk, pictured at a Trump rally in early October, threatens to bring the institution into disrepute – Reuters
“This is what I pointed out to a senior Labor politician who taxed me on this issue just after Musk was elected. Musk is not considered to have legally breached the Society’s Code of Conduct, so we can do nothing but rue the day we elected him.”
Foster, who declined to name the Labor politician in question, admits that even RS members with “non-mainstream scientific views” cannot be expelled on legal grounds. “Surprisingly, many do not believe that human-caused climate change is real. So we have to be careful, he says.
One prominent FRS, who asks to remain anonymous, suggests that members who oppose Dorothy Bishop’s view feel alienated but remain silent. “I have several friends who have been offended by this, so basically their attitude is, if it’s not in my lap, I don’t want to stick my head in the block,” the guy says.
He adds of Bishop: “I wouldn’t have divorced. I mean, I have disagreements with the Royal Society on a number of things, but I haven’t resigned. The problem is pretty clear that Elon Musk has done some pretty remarkable things as an engineer. He’s like a modern day version of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
“So, I don’t think the fact that he’s been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society is a matter of judgement. It’s pretty clear that he’s eligible and he’s done those things.
“The thing is, if a member of the Royal Society goes crazy or does something crazy or takes up some crazy cause afterwards, is that a reason to get rid of him? I think the fact that (the bishop) says he can’t live in the same (organization ), I think is his problem, not hers.”
The academic declined to comment on Musk’s views, but said: “Musk’s take on X and his take on robust debate is interesting and probably on the other end of the spectrum. And that’s probably why some people don’t like it.”
One long-time observer believes Musk’s choice reveals an inherent problem at the Royal Society.
He says: “There are two things here. One, the unnecessary absorption of celebrities like Musk, and secondly, the rewarding of individuals of no particular intellectual distinction. There was a time, not long ago, when the letters FRS after someone’s name meant that they were have made a fundamental contribution to human knowledge, this is no longer the case.
“(But) no one wants to say this, especially about Musk, who is quite a prominent figure but not an FRS intellectual. But that’s not driving this controversy, which is political.”
Former Tory science minister Andrew Griffith says: “It’s appalling that there are some within the Royal Society who seek to politicize the body and introduce a cancellation culture. If people are leaving because they can’t be polite to other members of society, that says more about them than it does about Elon Musk , whose efforts have a significant contribution to humanity.
“The Royal Society receives a significant amount of taxpayers’ money, so it is imperative that it remains objective.”
Given the byzantine process required to oust FRS, it seems unlikely that Musk will be kicked out any time soon. The last recorded deportation took place more than 150 years ago.
A Royal Society spokesman said: “The Royal Society deeply regrets the resignation of Dorothy Bishop. She is an outstanding scientist and has made a huge impact on the Society during her years as a Fellow.
“If concerns arise about the behavior of a colleague, the society has clear processes outlined in our Code of Conduct, which is published on our website along with relevant disciplinary orders.
“All questions regarding individual fellows will be treated confidentially.”
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