Science and Anti-Science

We live in a paradoxical moment of both scientific renaissance and burgeoning assaults upon the legitimacy and credibility of science.

Photo Credit: PAVEL GOLOVKIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Overview

We are in the midst of an accelerating revolution in the life sciences, an Age of Biology. The bioeconomy has moved front and center in U.S. national security priorities and policies. This momentous shift will create new opportunities for gains in public and global health, along with challenges of equity and access and increased risks in biosecurity and biosafety.

At the same time, the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation has weakened public trust and confidence in science and public health institutions. The misuse and weaponization of social media has helped to fuel a resurgence of vaccine preventable disease and will significantly impede the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines, both domestically and globally.

The Commission will strive to illuminate these trends, assess what the implications are for global health security, and identify what new U.S. policies, capacities, and programs are required.