---
title: "Science for the People"
chunk: 3/3
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_for_the_People"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:30:27.934052+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== International relations ===
From its inception SftP condemned the use of technology and science to oppress and colonize other countries. The organization gave the examples of both Vietnam and Cuba where, it stated, the US technological and scientific superiority was being used to both militarily and economically repress the smaller nations. In response to the US policy, in 1971, a group of SftP members in Cambridge, Massachusetts collected and shipped large amounts of scientific books and journals to Vietnam and Cuba to aid in science education there. The same year, molecular biologist Dr. Mark Ptashne and zoologist Dr. Bert Pfeiffer went to Hanoi and lectured to Vietnamese scientists and physicians.  There were also successful efforts of networking with scientists in China, and, in the 1980s, with the scientific and technological community in Nicaragua.

== 2014 revitalization ==
Since the fall of 2014, an effort to revive and reorganize SftP has been underway. The SftP revitalization efforts emerged from the convention held April 11–13, 2014, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At the 2014 conference various topics including the history of the SftP, health care, climate change, social justice, science education, gender and racial bias and militarization of science were discussed. Since then, inspired by the original 1970s-1980s group, this new formation has dedicated itself to building a social movement around progressive and radical perspectives on science and society.
Several local chapters of the SftP participated in the first annual March for Science on April 22, 2017.  The revived SftP also published a statement titled "Which Way for Science?".  The statement hailed the March for Science as "an exciting first step," but it also criticized the "apolitical" nature of the event and for their lack of attention to the experiences of scientists from historically marginalized groups such as women, people of color and others. "Which Way for Science" called attention to science's historic ties to U.S. capitalism and militarism, and called for a radical shift in its practice.

== 2018 National Convention ==
The national convention, held at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus in February 2018, brought together close to one hundred scientists and activists to formalize the group's bylaws and structure.  During the three days the attendees discussed the history and future of SftP, heard from local chapters that included representatives from Atlanta, Mexico City, New York and seven other North American locations. The organizational structure of SftP was explored and these discussions served as a guide to developing an inclusive, radical and democratic political movement for scientists and STEM workers. There were a dozen presentations on variety of topics related to SftP's mission.
In addition to the call to organize more local chapters a number of working groups was also developed during the meeting. These included groups dealing with Climate Change, Reproductive Justice, Science education and others. Plans to participate in the second annual March for Science on April 14, 2018, were also initiated at the convention.

=== Local chapters ===

Ann Arbor
Atlanta
Boston
Canada
Knoxville
Madison
Mexico City
New York City
Urbana Champaign
Washington, D.C.
Western Massachusetts
Twin Cities

== Magazine ==
From 1969 to 1989 the original SftP published a quarterly, then bimonthly, magazine, that has been digitized and available on the organization's website.
On July 28, 2018, at Caveat in New York City the publication was relaunched online with a special issue dedicated to geo-engineering. The event also featured the premiere of a documentary on the organization. The first regular issue of the relaunched magazine was published online and in print on May 1, 2019.

== Notable members ==

Jon Beckwith
Chandler Davis
Anne Fausto-Sterling
Douglas J. Futuyma
Stephen Jay Gould
Joseph L. Graves, Jr.
William A. Haseltine
David Himmelstein
Ruth Hubbard
Richard Levins
Richard Lewontin
Karen Messing
David F. Noble
Alvin Francis Poussaint
James A. Shapiro
John Vandermeer
Joseph Weizenbaum
Steffie Woolhandler

== See also ==
Science Wars
Evolutionary psychology controversy
Nature versus nurture controversy
Sociobiology Study Group
British Society for Social Responsibility in Science
New World Agriculture and Ecology Group

== References ==

== External links ==
Official website
Science for the People Discussion List - discussion archives
"Towards A Science For The People" - theoretical outline, dated 1972
"Science for the People, a revived movement of radical scientists, to meet this week in Ann Arbor" - segment on Michigan Radio's Stateside program, February 1, 2018