Unpopular Science - 240331

University loyalty oaths waste time and make academia less fit for real science

Yet another way that personal scientists have an advantage over professionals: we don't need to be distracted by the new time-wasting and unscientific hoops it takes to get a university research job.

Back in the 1950s, would-be academic scientists were required to sign this:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office according to the best of my ability.”

And that was it. Later it was updated to include a promise not to join the Communist Party or advocate the violent overthrow of the government.

But beginning a few years ago, statements like these were ditched for something with Orwellian implications that few non-academics know about.