Musk Should Stay in Science Society Despite Controversy, Says Chief

The president of the UK's Royal Society has stated that Elon Musk should not be expelled from the prestigious science academy over concerns about his personal conduct. In an interview, Sir Paul Nurse said the 400-year-old institution should avoid "making judgments" about the "character" of its fellows. His comments come amid ongoing debate about Musk's public statements and behavior. The Royal Society is a historic group of leading scientists. Its members, called Fellows, are elected for their exceptional contributions to science. Nurse emphasized that the society's focus should remain on scientific achievement. "We’re not a political organization," he told the Financial Times, suggesting that removing a fellow for non-scientific reasons would set a difficult precedent. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was elected a Fellow in 2018 for his engineering work in advancing electric cars and private spaceflight. He has since faced criticism for various political and social media comments. Nurse's position highlights a central question for elite institutions: whether membership should be based solely on professional merit or also on personal conduct. The Royal Society president has argued firmly for the former.