Sam Bankman-Fried’s fall hasn’t killed off ‘effective altruism’

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, who ostensibly was driven into crypto by an adherence to the ‘effective altruism’ movement. Photograph: Sipa US/Alamy

Moya Lothian-McLean (Opinion, 25 November) appears to signal the death of “effective altruism” (EA) on the basis of the fall from grace of one of its most famous proponents, Sam Bankman-Fried. Just as Dr Andrew Wakefield’s discredited research into the MMR vaccine did not dishonour medical research in its entirety, nor should Bankman-Fried’s involvement in the collapse of the cryptocurency exchange FTX discredit EA. The aim of “doing good better” remains a laudable objective.
Dr Guy A Norfolk
Bristol

• Might it be a fitting role for the replica of William the Conqueror’s ship (Report, 25 November) to ferry migrants safely across the Channel, not only replicating its original purpose but also undermining the people-smugglers’ trade?
Gordon Webb
Leicester