The Lack of Scientific Freedom Conference Copenhagen; Cause Consequences and Cures - Report (part 1)

Follow the Science visited a conference “Lack of Scientific Freedom; Cause Consequences and Cures” in Copenhagen oct. 24 and 25 2022. What we heard there blew our mind: From scientists receiving death threats to scientists being attacked, fired and censored. Papers about “wrong” topics were retracted under false pretences, while papers that were clearly a candidate for retraction or even blatantly fraudulent were allowed to stay published.

Some scientists received millions of euro’s from pharmaceutical companies, raising questions about their independence. This was not only a threat to the independence of science, but false papers about for instance the safety of medicine can have real-world consequences.

What can be done about this? In this part 1 of our report you'll find impressions of the lectures and debates by scientists such as Peter Gøtzsche and Tom Jefferson, and an interview between Michaéla Schippers and Rico Brouwer in which they discuss what was said during a World Economic Forum anti-disinformation panel some time ago. The UN's Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Fleming, stated that they partnered up with Google in order to control the narrative on climate change and stated “we own the science”. Following up on this statement, Michaéla and Rico decided to visit the conference in Copenhagen.

The lack of scientific freedom conference turned quintessential after we had filmed it. We received slander and defamation. Threats even, should we dare publish our report.

We decided to proceed on a path of transparency. In the introduction to this report we show you what happened to us, after we volunteered a preview of our report to the organisation of the event.

The reports is in six parts:
- introduction
- 1 preface and impressions of day one of the conference (this video)
- 2 interview with Harald Walach
- 3 interview with Kim Witczak
- 4 interview with Nicolas Vermeulen
- 5 reflections and impressions of day two of the conference
- 6 conclusions

Links to all parts can be found on https://followthescience.nl/lack-of-scientific-freedom-causes-consequences-and-cures.html

Intimidation does not solve the lack of scientific freedom, it exposes it. Our apologies to the audience and to the speakers who asked us to publish from their sessions. We refer you to the meeting organisers who also filmed at the event. We urge them to publish as transparently, as we had set out to do. ​Conflict amongst ourselves, only has losers. Let’s choose a different path.