RAS statement on Hiranya Peiris and Maggie Aderin-Pocock

The Council and President of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) have offered unequivocal support to astronomers Dr Hiranya Peiris and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock. An article in the Daily Mail suggested that they were selected to appear on an episode of the BBC Newsnight programme on the basis of their ethnic background, nationality and gender. The two astronomers discussed results from the BICEP-2 experiment announced earlier this week, which offered evidence of gravitational waves in the early un...