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Comment by epistasis | Hacker News Reader

For normal research universities, like UCSF, the titles of Professor and Associate Professors have tenure. Assistant Professors are tenure-track, meaning that they have the chance to get tenure. Prasad has the title of Professor.

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One can make the argument that Prasad has his title of Professor due to the stature he gained with his ill-founded contrarianism and subsequent notoriety. He was promoted in 2022 at the somewhat astonishing age of 39, at a time when his actual scientific output was not particularly high

The whole thing is kind of fascinating. Some of his "skeptic" fellow travelers like Cifu and Mandrola still carry water for him. Presumably he has a champion in Bob Wachter who also likes to fly the "contrarian" flag.

COVID really brought out a lot of crazies from UCSF and Stanford

I really wonder what's up with that. Also remember the crazy Stanford guys.. did something flip in their brain or were they just always like that?

Would you say Prasad’s public-health misconduct rises to the level where creating a statutory change to what permits firing under tenure makes sense?

I would say that the US has had enough destruction of institutions and few enough institutional protections of individuals.

I can dislike someone’s stance while at the same time recognizing that others benefit from the same protections.

If protections are reduced, the process will be weaponized.

> If protections are reduced, the process will be weaponized

This is a valid concern. So is moral hazard from a lack of accountability. I’m trying to figure out how those balance.

One way they should balance in a functioning society is that while tenure would protect you from negative repercussions within the walls of an academic institution, a Congress with any semblance of seriousness and care toward the American people would ensure you never set foot inside a policy-making institution.

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