The Tragedy of American Science: From Truman to Trump

FEATURING CLIFFORD D. CONNER – The coronavirus pandemic has drawn scrutiny and even pity from the international community toward the United States. How is it that a nation that has for decades boasted of its scientific prowess and innovation has so badly bungled its response to an entirely predictable health emergency?

The backstory is a lengthy one and is the subject of a new book by my guest Clifford Conner, who lays out chapter by chapter what he calls “The Tragedy of American Science.”

Clifford D. Conner, historian of science at the School of Professional Studies, CUNY Graduate Center. He is the author of A People’s History of Science and his latest book is called The Tragedy of American Science: From Truman to Trump.