The letter says that the lack of any statement on the issue by the society ‘increasingly looks like a failure of moral courage’
The Royal Society is convening a meeting in response to an open letter urging the expulsion of Elon Musk, a fellow of the Society. The letter, authored by Emeritus Professor Stephen Curry, criticizes the Society's inaction regarding Musk's alleged breaches of its code of conduct, including promoting conspiracy theories and his role in Donald Trump's administration. Over 2,400 individuals signed the letter, which was also sent to the Society's president, Sir Adrian Smith. Professor Curry emphasized that Musk's actions conflict with the Society's values and called out the Society's silence as a failure of moral courage. The Royal Society acknowledged the difficulty in judging fellows' views, particularly political ones, and plans to discuss concerns about fellows' public pronouncements and behaviors at the meeting. Professor Curry welcomed the meeting but stressed the need for the Society to explain its inaction. The meeting is scheduled for March 3.
