A march for science to protest at Donald Trump's presidency has sparked debate about researchers getting too political. Why the fuss, wonders Michael Brooks

Scientists are getting political Michael Brooks is a New Scientist consultant and the author of The Secret Anarchy of Science (Profile)

On 22 April, many researchers across the world will engage in their first overt political act, marching in protest at US president Donald Trump’s anti-science stance. The prospect has created fierce debate over the question of how politically active scientists should be.

To understand why this question is even being asked and why it might be causing division, you have to grasp the nature of the relationship between science and politics, one that blossomed in the relatively recent …