It is a 365-year-old institution revered the world over, with past members including luminaries such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Dorothy Hodgkin. But now a row over a billionaire maverick has thrown the Royal Society into crisis, splintering the fellowship and raising existential questions about its role in society.
A growing number of scientists have called for the academy to investigate the conduct of Elon Musk – who was elected a fellow in 2018 – resulting in a passionate debate at a meeting of the scientific body on Monday evening.
