Royal Society Keeps Elon Musk as a Member Despite Resignations and Letter by 3500 Seeking His Removal

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After a meeting of the Royal Society, which is the oldest scientific academy, Elon Musk remains a fellow despite two resignations and an open letter signed by 3500 seeking his removal for breaching its code of conduct.

It has been 250 years since the last time the Society expelled a fellow. Germany’s scientist and writer Rudolf Erich Raspe was expelled after being accused of theft and fraud.

Over the past six months there has been increasing disquiet within the Society over Musk’s membership. Dr Dorothy Bishop of Oxford University and Prof Andrew Millar from University of Edinburgh resigned from the Society in protest of Musk’s membership. Over 3300 scientists jointly put a letter to the Society urging Musk’s expulsion for actions contrary to the Society’s code of conduct.

After learning of the Royal Society’s decision, another fellow resigned from it. Kit Yates resigned publicly in his Guardian column, writing “I will be resigning my position as associate editor at the Royal Society’s journal Open Science with immediate effect. I will no longer submit my research to Royal Society journals or act as a peer reviewer for them. I would urge my colleagues to do the same.”

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