Science Shouldn’t Swing with the Polls
By Ahana Mandal
Eight years.
Almost a decade has passed since the last time scientists, teachers, and researchers had to march to protect their research, work, and education. Basic facts about climate change, vaccines, and even gravity have become the center of political debates — again.
And that’s exactly why Stand Up for Science 2025 is happening.
This spring, thousands of people gathered across the country,from students and researchers to healthcare workers and grandparents,not to march for their politician or political party, but to march for something more fundamental: truth. In cities like Washington, Chicago, and San Francisco, signs rose above the crowds: “Facts Don’t Have Parties,” “Follow the Evidence,” and “Science ≠ Opinion.”
The reason? Because we’ve seen what happens when science becomes a political item on a to-do list; it changes depending on who’s in the White House. In the administration eight years ago, climate change was dismissed, public health advice was silenced, and federal scientists were told to stay quiet. Now, with 2025 well underway, and the same changes being repeated by yet the same top guns, Americans are done pretending that this is normal.
But here’s the tricky part: science and politics have always been connected. The federal government funds the top research facilities at universities and goes on to set the science education standards for students. They choose what gets prioritized and what gets ignored. Some argue that separating politics from science is impossible, or even irresponsible. They say protests like these are political by nature and risk oversimplifying a complicated relationship.
And they’re not wrong. Politics does shape science policy. But that doesn’t mean science itself should become political. The boiling point comes when scientific facts, like rising global temperatures or vaccine efficacy, are accepted or denounced due to political beliefs.
That is when it starts to sound like misinformation.
Science is built on testing, refining, and retesting. It doesn’t bend with polls or campaign slogans. And when leaders treat it like just another talking point, it’s not just scientists who suffer — it’s everyone. In a story with the New York Times, Meghan Bullard, a PhD student for neuroimmunology and participant at the march, had a sign saying “Literally Just Trying to Cure Multiple Sclerosis.” Her dissertation could lead to a new cure for M.S., she said: “We’re currently funded on an N.I.H. research grant. They’re telling us that we need to prepare in case it’s not funded next year.” And this is just one example of countless lives being lost because valuable research can’t be funded with the budget cutbacks by the current administration.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of ignoring science were deadly. According to Reuters, the death toll could’ve held steady at 300,000 rather than 500,000+ if the administration in charge had implemented the WHO’s guidelines of social distancing, mask requirements, and testing protocols several months before. And as we face future pandemics, climate disasters, and technological shifts, we can’t afford another round of ignoring the cold, straight facts before it’s too late.
Stand Up for Science isn’t asking for science to be perfect. It’s asking for it to be respected. Because when we treat facts like opinions, the real cost isn’t academic — it’s affecting everyone’s lives. As Francis Collins, former NIH director, put it at one of the Standing Up for Science rallies, the American science field is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
So no, science shouldn’t swing with whoever’s in office. We shouldn’t accept policies changing every four years that directly impact our health and technological advancements. No matter what it takes, these people will march every mile it takes to make their message clear.
