When Elon Musk, one of the most influential public figures, who should theoretically be a staunch advocate for the efficacy of science due to his role in advancing space technology, recklessly casts doubt on the effectiveness of approved vaccines for various diseases, we are dealing with something far beyond mere personal opinion.
During the pandemic, Musk argued against lockdowns by claiming they harmed businesses and suggested that vaccination was a government plot to suppress the people. He continues to fuel this narrative, recently sharing a meme asking, “Weren’t all the unvaccinated supposed to be dead by now?”
Elon Musk likely knows—or at least has access to resources that can remind him—that the same laws and principles that allow him to land rockets with millimetre precision and send his space capsules to the International Space Station are also at work in modern medical diagnostics. However, he and many others prefer to tie this issue to their political and economic agendas. Suppose the opposing party claims to adhere to science and the medical consensus—at least in rhetoric—to defeat the rival. In that case, they must show that what they advocate is fundamentally rooted in a hidden conspiracy.
The World Health Organization recently warned about the potential spread of a new variant and the emergence of monkeypox. This variant has been developing since last year and has been detected in several parts of the world. Europe has reported cases, and there have been confirmed cases in Pakistan. With the upcoming Arbaeen pilgrimage and the unstable situation at the country’s eastern borders, the virus has already entered Iran or could do so in the coming days.
In this scenario, seemingly contradictory voices echo the same message. On some Telegram channels and in circles with more significant influence than reputable media outlets, it is claimed that the WHO’s warning is out of fear of the massive Arbaeen pilgrimage and that they want to reduce the number of participants. On the other side of the ocean, influential users argue that this warning is a WHO conspiracy aimed at suppressing Donald Trump’s supporters in the upcoming election by imposing quarantine rules and mandatory vaccination. One supporter writes, “Be vigilant, resist, and don’t listen to the recommendations.”
This is one of the most effective tactics of conspiracy theory promoters. This narrative invites you to join a freedom-loving resistance against a dark and sinister entity, turning every recommendation into a revolutionary act.
Of course, these brief snapshots are just glimpses of a more significant global phenomenon. Peter Hotez, a prominent American virologist, explains in his book The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science that this trend, which extends beyond public health to include issues like climate change, has become part of the political ideology of a group of far-right conservatives in the United States.
Across the ocean, opposition to scientific processes is also rising in a tangled network in a country like Iran. These are political hardliners in Iran who see a global disease outbreak as a conspiracy to influence or prevent participation in Iran’s elections, to a wave of relativist philosophy that seeks to undermine the roots of modern scientific processes.
However, science is not a sacred path. It is not only possible but essential to question it at every stage. But the key issue is knowing who to ask these questions—especially when lives are at stake. Believing that humanity never landed on the moon and that it was all a Hollywood fabrication, while mocking the foundation of critical thinking, may not have deadly consequences. However, when refusing vaccination is promoted as a freedom-fighting act against a tyrannical system, people lose their lives. Yet, in this case, no one will take responsibility for the lives lost. It’s up to us, as a society, to critically evaluate the influence of politics on public health and take responsibility for our actions.
Science is not perfect, but when it comes to the mechanisms that govern this world, it offers the best possible answers we currently have. A war on science has no winners. Trusting in the scientific process, and the experts who dedicate their lives to it, is crucial for our collective well-being and progress. It’s a beacon of hope in a world filled with uncertainty.