Oxford scientist quits UK's Royal Society, and reason is Musk
Professor Dorothy Bishop, a leading scientist from the University of Oxford, has quit the UK's Royal Society over Elon Musk's continuing fellowship. The emeritus professor of developmental neuropsychology and an authority on children's communication disorders, said she was uncomfortable with Musk's presence in the society. She called her decision a gut reaction and met the society's president and CEO after announcing her resignation.
Bishop criticizes Royal Society's handling of Musk's fellowship
Bishop also slammed the Royal Society for complicating the process of removing someone from their ranks. "I just started to think, you know, the Royal Society seemed to be set up to make it very, very difficult to ever get somebody to resign or actually get thrown out," she said. She found this especially concerning considering what she knew about Musk and his actions.
Bishop finds Musk's presence in Royal Society contradictory
Bishop said she was uncomfortable with Musk being in the Royal Society as it contradicted the organization's values. "It just felt having him in the Royal Society seemed such a contradiction of all the values of the Royal Society. And I didn't really want to have anything to do with it," she said. She also noted she couldn't follow the society's code of conduct, which asks fellows to treat each other courteously, because of her feelings toward Musk.
Bishop's resignation brings comfort despite lack of impact
In a blog post, Bishop admitted her resignation may not have any real effect but it made her feel more comfortable. She was disappointed that the honor of being a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) was shared with someone like Musk. "Any pleasure I may take in the distinction of the honor of an FRS is diminished by the fact it is shared with someone who appears to be modeling himself on a Bond villain," she wrote.
Musk's fellowship has been a subject of controversy
Musk's fellowship with the Royal Society has been controversial. In August, The Guardian reported that several fellows had written to the society raising concerns over Musk's comments on unrest in the UK, and proposed to revoke his fellowship. Despite the concerns, a Royal Society lawyer concluded that Musk had not violated the organization's code of conduct, further upsetting some members including Bishop.
