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Brave researchers who challenge powerful interests and angry activists cannot be left to fight alone: colleagues and institutions must support them
It is not uncommon for Hollywood to cast scientists as heroes – think Jeff Goldblum’s all-action chaos theorist in Jurassic Park.
You might think that this is hard to live up to in reality, and the bit where he lures a T. rex away from a car containing two children would be hard to replicate.
But the scientific heroism explored in our cover storyis almost as dramatic, packed with examples of resilience and fortitude from researchers who have challenged the interests of big corporations or taken on pseudoscience activists in emotive areas where misinformation abounds.
As a result, some have faced multimillion-pound lawsuits, others calls for them to take their own lives. They have stories of smear campaigns designed to take a hatchet to their professional standing, and even long investigations by their own employers.
Their crime? Following the scientific evidence without fear or favour.
One might argue that scientists are well set up to cope with such pressures.