I don't really agree with that. I don't have any real love for HBD, but IMO science is about the pursuit of truth. People should be free to advance theories, no matter how implausible or distasteful I may find them, if they can provide the proof to back them up. If it turns out they're right, then we need to face that with our eyes open rather than trying to shut them down by saying "ha you can't have the data, sucks to suck".
On top of that, as @Conservautism pointed out the NIH is a branch of the federal government. As a taxpayer, I don't want them to have any ability to deny access to their datasets. I paid for that, and I expect it to be publicly available.
People should be free to advance theories, no matter how implausible or distasteful I may find them
But should they be required to advance theories? Because that is what this is ultimately about. HBDists' anger at the NIH for declining to help them push their agenda.
That is not at all what is happening here. If the NIH lets people use data, it isn't "helping them to push their agenda". It's simply providing neutral access to a public resource. And yes, a public agency should be required to provide anyone access to this public resource.
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Notes -
I don't think that NIH wants to be in the Eugenics business, so they're taking steps to avoid it.
Indeed, and in complaining about it I think people are revealing more about themselves than they they are their opposition.
I don't really agree with that. I don't have any real love for HBD, but IMO science is about the pursuit of truth. People should be free to advance theories, no matter how implausible or distasteful I may find them, if they can provide the proof to back them up. If it turns out they're right, then we need to face that with our eyes open rather than trying to shut them down by saying "ha you can't have the data, sucks to suck".
On top of that, as @Conservautism pointed out the NIH is a branch of the federal government. As a taxpayer, I don't want them to have any ability to deny access to their datasets. I paid for that, and I expect it to be publicly available.
But should they be required to advance theories? Because that is what this is ultimately about. HBDists' anger at the NIH for declining to help them push their agenda.
That is not at all what is happening here. If the NIH lets people use data, it isn't "helping them to push their agenda". It's simply providing neutral access to a public resource. And yes, a public agency should be required to provide anyone access to this public resource.
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