Science Under Siege: A Conversation With Dr. Peter Hotez & Dr. Michael Mann

From pandemics to climate change, the world faces deeply interconnected and critical challenges. Yet efforts to confront these crises are increasingly obstructed by a powerful, organized force: rising opposition to science, often driven by political and ideological agendas. This erosion of trust in scientific expertise not only threatens effective policymaking but also undermines democratic discourse and public health.

Michael E. Mann, a leading climate scientist, and Peter J. Hotez, a renowned vaccine researcher and physician-scientist, have spent decades working at the intersection of science, policy, and public communication. Both have worked to advance evidence-based responses amid a rise in disinformation and denialism, navigating an environment where scientific consensus is increasingly politicized.

This event is a collaboration between the Baker Institute Director’s Lecture Series and the Science and Tech Policy Program's Civic Scientist Lecture Series, sponsored by Dr. Virginia Clark, with additional support from Benjamin and Winifer Cheng, Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, and Weiss School of Natural Sciences. It is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided.

A book signing and sale will follow the discussion for Hotez and Mann’s new book, “Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World” (PublicAffairs, 2025).

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Host or Publisher Rice University's Baker Institute