The word “erosion” is typically used in a scientific context — glaciers and rocks erode, as do beaches and coastlines. But today we’re using it to talk about something else: Americans’ diminishing trust in science itself. As Penn State professor of glaciology Dr. Sridhar Anandakrishnan explained when we talked over the phone at the end of January, there’s been a “steady erosion of science as an important and central part of our society,” and the belief that science is “just one opinion” has now become less of a fringe view. That scientific skepticism has been made apparent to a terrifying degree by the United States’s new administration, which, within mere hours of Trump’s inauguration, scrubbed all mention of climate change from the E.P.A. and White House websites.

What happened next was even scarier: Trump ordered the E.P.A. and the National Park Service to freeze all contracts and barred federal agencies from publishing any kind of report to either Congress or the public — including on social media. In response, a number of rogue twitter accounts sprung up, as did a plan for a Scientists’ March on Washington. With all of this in mind, we thought it would be wise to talk to the people who know the most about both science and the censorship of science: actual scientists. Below, professionals from five distinct fields explain their fears for the future, and why they intend to stand up and fight.

Note: Everything these scientists say is their own opinion, not the opinions of their institute, organization, or anyone else.