Blacklists Target Old Scientists

The SPLC’s roster disproportionately flags deceased or elderly academics and mid‑20th‑century figures (e.g., Raymond Cattell, Linda Gottfredson, Henry Harpending), shifting the public quarrel from present conduct to legacy ideas. That pattern means debates about controversial research become fights over reputational legacies rather than engagement with current evidence or methods. — If organizations weaponize historic reputations, contemporary scientific controversies are resolved by stigma instead of evidence, affecting hiring, publishing, and public trust in research.