Scientists Are Tweeting Their Research in Opposition of Trump’s Inauguration

As one of the most anti-science presidents in recent memory is sworn into office, scientists on Twitter are fighting back. Using the hashtag #USofScience, researchers are flooding Twitter with their work today in an effort to remind the public that science is essential to America's future:

In 1962, marine biologist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring which raised awareness about humans' impact on the environment Katherine O'ReillyJanuary 20, 2017

Running a gel! checking yesterday's PCR products (that's polymerase chain reaction, fyi) GingerJanuary 20, 2017

Meanwhile on Mars, the nearly 13 year old rover Opportunity drove 25.6m on Sol 4618 continuing exploration of Endeavour Crater Mike SeibertJanuary 20, 2017

"A lot of people are feeling hopeless with President-elect Trump's stance on science, and this is sort of an uplifting way to get people to share their science and let people know scientists are here, we're watching, and we're ready to fight for what we believe in," said Ashley Hall, a naturalist and science educator, who came up with the idea Thursday morning.

Jacquelyn Gill, an assistant professor of Paleoecology & Plant Ecology at the University of Maine, suggested the hashtag in response to Hall's suggestion, and soon both tweets racked up hundreds of retweets.

Read more: Researchers Are Preparing for Trump to Delete Government Science From the Web

Trump and his cabinet picks have raised concerns in the scientific community for their anti-evidence stances on everything from climate change to vaccines. Some climate change scientists are even working to store publicly available scientific research for fear that the Trump administration might start removing evidence from government sites. There are worries that government funding for scientific research could be slashed, or that scientific organizations within the government might be downsized.

Hall told me the Twitter blitz is an attempt to engage the public with the work scientists do and garner support in the face of these uncertainties.

"People really need to realize that science is important, and I think a lot of people do," Hall said. "Research is not going away anytime soon."