US election: 81 Nobel laureates endorse Joe Biden for president

As many as 81 Nobel laureates, in an open letter, have endorsed Joe Biden for the president, CNN reported. Biden is the US Democratic presidential candidate for the November election, in which President Donald Trump is seeking re-election.

The Nobel laureates have cited Biden’s “willingness to listen to experts” and his “deep appreciation for using science to find solutions”, as the reason behind their support.

“At no time in our nation’s history has there been a greater need for our leaders to appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy,” the letter reads, CNN reported. 

The US is the worst-hit nation by the coronavirus. It has infected over six million Americans and killed 184,689 of them.

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“During his long record of public service, Joe Biden has consistently demonstrated his willingness to listen to experts, his understanding of the value of international collaboration in research and his respect for the contribution that immigrants make to the intellectual life of our country,” the letter read.

“In the past, Joe Biden has shown a deep appreciation for using science to find solutions to America’s ailments,” said Harold Varmus, the winner of the 1989 Nobel Prize in medicine, who also served as director of the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

“His sensible, determined approach to building a cancer research initiative after his son’s death was inspiring. It illustrates the kind of thoughtful leadership that we need to tackle the current global pandemic,” he added.

“I support Biden’s pro-science agenda and sensible approach to public health decisions,” said Roger Kornberg, the winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

According to CNN, the person who organised all the Nobel laureates to endorse Biden is Illinois Democratic Rep Bill Foster, who is a physicist himself.

“Now more than ever, our country needs elected leaders who make decisions based on science,” said Elizabeth Blackburn, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine. “Joe Biden is the strong, compassionate leader we need to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added.

As Biden is being lauded for his pro-science approach, Trump has been widely criticized for his anti-science commentary. On numerous occasions, he endorsed anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients, despite the fact that there is no proof that the drug is effective for such patients.

At a White House press briefing in April, he appeared to suggest that COVID-19 patients could be injected with disinfectants and that ultra-violet light could be used for them.

He later backtracked and termed his statements as sarcasm.