The Japan Times - UK's Royal Society of top scientists debates call to expel Elon Musk

Founded in 1660, the Royal Society describes itself as a "fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists" and is a key voice in the global scientific community.

Past members have included Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Dorothy Hodgkin, Benjamin Franklin and Stephen Hawking.

But after members raised concerns about X owner Musk, who was elected a fellow in 2018, the organisation said it would now discuss "the principles around public pronouncements and behaviours of fellows".

Nobel prize winners were among more than 3,000 people who signed an open letter published last month arguing that Musk had broken the Society's code of conduct by promoting "unfounded conspiracy theories".

Researchers say changes Musk made to X after his 2022 takeover of the social media site, formerly known as Twitter, have led to a spike in misinformation.

The 53-year-old has also repeatedly used his own account to spread falsehoods including inaccurate claims about Covid-19, vaccines, miscarriages and heart problems.

"This is not about policing political views, this is not about enforcing some kind of political conformity," said the author of the open letter Stephen Curry, professor of structural biology at Imperial College London.

"I think the main charges that are troubling to many people is that Elon Musk has not shown respect for evidence.

"He's widely reported to be one of the most active disseminators of misinformation on Twitter and that's not something that is consistent with the code of conduct."

The Society, which has 1,800 fellows and foreign members including 85 Nobel laureates, says it aims to encourage the use of science "for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet".

Its website lists SpaceX and Tesla owner Musk's work on space travel and electric vehicles.

Monday's meeting comes as Musk holds increasing sway in the White House through his role as an advisor to US President Donald Trump.

"This discussion comes at a time when science and scientific integrity is under attack in the US and elsewhere," Curry said in a post on X rival BlueSky, on Monday.

"I hope today the Fellows will have the wisdom and courage to demonstrate that the Royal Society can mount a public defence of its values."

The meeting, to which all members have been invited, is set to take place in the evening behind closed doors, but it was not clear what action the Society might take.

In a statement to AFP, the Society said that "any issues raised in respect of individual fellows are dealt with in strict confidence".

Y.Watanabe--JT