The publication Scientific American recently faced ridicule online for claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris would infuse a scientific viewpoint into the presidency, citing her mother’s career as a cancer researcher.
The article gained traction on X, with conservatives and other detractors of the potential Democratic presidential contender mocking the assertion.
The article’s headline stated: “What a Kamala Harris Presidency Would Mean for Science.” The subheadline elaborated: “As the daughter of a cancer researcher, Kamala Harris would bring a lifelong familiarity with science to the presidency, experts assert.”
“This is fantastic news. My dad served in the Air Force, so I guess I’m a veteran now,” conservative commentator Charles Cooke tweeted on Friday.
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“Scientific American” was recently ridiculed for suggesting that Vice President Harris would apply scientific expertise to the presidency due to her mother being a doctor.
The publication released the article earlier this week, claiming that Harris would bring some scientific experience to the White House, as “her mother, Shyamala Gopalan—cited by Harris as a significant influence—was a prominent breast-cancer researcher who passed away due to cancer.”
To demonstrate Harris’s commitment to scientific pursuits, Scientific American highlighted her advocacy for diversity initiatives in the sciences during her career.
“As a senator, Harris co-sponsored initiatives to enhance diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) workforce. She introduced laws to support students from underrepresented backgrounds in securing jobs and gaining experience in STEM sectors.”
The article, authored by Max Kozlov, Mariana Lenharo, Jeff Tollefson & nature magazine, continued, “As vice-president, Harris has overseen the National Space Council, which advises the president on U.S. space policy and strategy. Under Harris’s guidance, the council has prioritized international collaboration, particularly in the Artemis mission, aimed at sending astronauts back to the Moon.”
One of Harris’s more noted contributions to astronomy and space exploration was a widely-discussed video from 2021, where she engaged with children about the cosmos.
In the viral clip, intended to inspire children’s interest in space, Harris enthusiastically told child actors, “You’re literally going to see the craters on the moon with your own eyes!” and expressed, “I just love the notion of exploring the unknown.”
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US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on July 18, 2024. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
At that time, critics condemned her for appearing “inauthentic” and “awkward.” Donald Trump Jr. remarked on the footage, tweeting, “Her dedication to awkwardness is remarkable.”
Scientific American’s article on Harris’s scientific credentials triggered further mockery on X this week.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s communications director, Christina Pushaw, lampooned the article, stating, “Your parents’ education and careers are passed down through your DNA – Science.”
Indie journalist Christina Buttons expressed her regret, stating, “I’m ashamed to admit I used to subscribe to this magazine.”
Writer Jennifer Sey criticized the publication, tweeting, “I’m the daughter of a pediatrician. Nobody seemed to care when I argued that children were suffering due to Covid restrictions. Nor should they have. My father’s expertise had nothing to do with my sensible views on the impacts of severe isolation on children.”
GOP communications staffer Matt Whitlock countered the publication’s claims, referencing Harris’s “awkward” space video, asserting, “We already witnessed Kamala Harris’s ‘lifelong familiarity with science’ when they hired child actors to engage with her about space.”
Conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg quipped, “Hey @sciam, what’s your take on Trump claiming he grasps science because his uncle was a physicist at MIT?”
Ophthalmologist and PhD research scientist Dr. David Hemmati remarked, “An odd puff piece by Scientific American suggesting that because her mother researched cancer, Kamala Harris would ‘bring a lifelong familiarity with science to the presidency.’ This overly polished NASA video with paid child actors (and many more) suggests otherwise.”
He added, “This magazine sacrifices a lot of credibility with such claims. Let’s adhere to facts rather than politics.”
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