In recent years, Scientific American has been focusing more on social justice topics. The magazine has published articles such as “Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past” and “The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity.” However, in 2021, SciAm published an opinion essay that criticized the expansion of the DEI acronym to include “Justice” and argued that the Jedi knights from Star Wars were inappropriate mascots for social justice.
James B. Meigs, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor for City Journal, wrote this piece. Meigs is also the cohost of the How Do We Fix It? podcast and the former editor of Popular Mechanics. The content was adapted from City Journal and was originally published in The Wall Street Journal (paywall).
In this article, Meigs discussed how Scientific American had been increasing its focus on social justice topics. He pointed out that while these pieces were related to scientific topics, they were often criticized by readers who found it unclear how science was connected to these issues. Meigs argued that the JEDI acronym had been expanded to include “Justice,” which added complexity to discussions about equity and inclusion in science.
Meigs went on to discuss an opinion essay published by SciAm in 2021 that critiqued the use of Jedi knights as mascots for social justice programs. The authors argued that the Jedi knights were prone to white saviorism and toxic masculinity when it came to conflict resolution, using violent duels with phallic light sabers and gaslighting with “Jedi mind tricks.” Meigs acknowledged that while there may be some connection between these issues and science, many readers found it difficult to see how they were directly related.
Overall, Meigs suggested that while Scientific American’s increased focus on social justice topics was commendable, it was important for scientists and policymakers alike to continue working towards creating a more equitable society through evidence-based approaches.
