For decades, scientists were told to stay neutral, stay professional — and stay in the lab. But today, as U.S. researchers rally in the streets and lawmakers slash science budgets, one thing is clear: science can’t stay in its ivory tower anymore.

In March, over 2,000 researchers, students and supporters gathered across the United States to protest sweeping science and technology budget cuts. The Trump administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 — dubbed by some as a “skinny” or “beautiful” budget — proposes a 47% cut to NASA’s science budget and a staggering 56% cut to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Funding for climate change research has been virtually eliminated. Unless Congress intervenes, the U.S. faces the most severe science and technology budget cuts in modern history.

In response, scientists across the country are beginning to speak out. NASA employees held peaceful protests opposing the proposed cuts, while nearly 2,000 leading U.S. scientists — including over 30 Nobel laureates and numerous members of the National Academies — signed an open letter warning that the nation’s scientific enterprise is being “decimated” and issued an “SOS” to the public. The American Association for the Advancement of Science — the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society — also urged scientists to speak publicly and engage policymakers. As its CEO Sudip Parikh warned, “If enacted, the FY2026 budget request would end America’s global scientific leadership.”