The videos for the Academic Freedom Conference, held at Stanford on November 4 and 5, have now been collected at one YouTube site. There are 17 of them. At the time, I though I’d write a lot about the various talks, but somehow I wasn’t inspired to do so. I was suffering from insomnia (still am), and had very little energy. But you don’t need my commentary, for you can watch all the videos, which include Q&A sessions, and in effect attend the conference vicariously. I’ll put up the video of the one panel I was in, about (the lack of) academic freedom in STEM, and excuse me for self-aggrandizement, though I was far from the best speaker in this group.
The speakers below include Mimi St. Johns, a Stanford undergraduate in computer sciences, who gave a great talk, as well as my friends Anna Krylov (physicist, USC), Luana Maroja (evolutionary biologist, Williams College), and me. Bari Weiss was there and got Luana to write up her talk for publication on Bari’s Substack. Luana and I have similar views on the infiltration of biology by ideology, and are collaborating on an article about the issue.
Other talks you might find interesting—even if you dislike the speakers or their politic—include Douglas Murray and Jordan Peterson’s discussion about “The War on the West” (Murray was on Zoom from the UK), “Academic Freedom and What is it For?” with Greg Lukianoff, Nadine Strossen, Rick Shweder, and Hollis Robbins, “Rationality and Academic Freedom” with Steve Pinker, and the last panel, which comprised four academics who had suffered professionally for speaking out: “The Cost of Academic Dissent,” with Amy Wax, Joshua Katz, Elizabeth Weiss, and Frences Widdowson. (I’ve given links to the talks and discussions.)
I attended virtually and appreciated Jerry’s, Pinker’s, Douglas Murray’s, JP’s, and Weiss’s talks. I was greatly disappointed by the dean (Hollis Robbins) who attended, spoke, and then actively praised and encouraged a far-left demon on Twitter, who attended online in order to report the speakers. This psychopathic troll has motivated many online mobs. Robbins supported her efforts.
I have the link to Robbins’ praise of the troll. However, since the troll will likely stalk these comments, I do not want to feed her obsession by linking to her media.
In the Douglas Murray – Peterson discussion Jordan nearly keeps on a sane leash for most of it.
It came out on youtube today so I rewatched it:
To wit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaoQjzceEAU
Douglas Murray is my favorite conservative. He’s wrong on some things but his attack on the woke and his critique of “The War on the West” is spot spot on. Do read his recent book of that name if you can.
D.A.
NYC https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2020/06/10/photos-of-readers-93/