The Day The Science Died.

A dark day for public health.

When I am distraught, I write. This piece is a reflection of grief, anger, and unwavering hope in the face of devastating loss. It is a play on Don McLean's "American Pie"—a song about cultural change and collective mourning. "The Day the Science Died" is my way of processing the gutting of our nation's health and science institutions—and honoring those who keep the flame alive.

All day, there's been an unending stream of messages, emails, texts, phone calls... announcements of brilliant, passionate minds cut loose from their life's work. I've witnessed devastation, tears, and righteous anger as decades of expertise and institutional knowledge are scattered to the winds. This poem is for them—and for all of us who understand what we stand to lose.

And if you feel this is an overreaction, I fear you aren’t paying attention.

Visual concept generated with AI using original descriptive text. Designed to evoke the emotional tone of “The Day the Science Died.”

A long, long time ago…
I can still remember how
The data used to light our way.
And I knew if we had our chance,
That we could make research advance,
And maybe save more lives today.

But April turned so cold…
As RIF notices were coldly doled,
Bad news in stark black type—
Ten thousand lives upended overnight.

I can't remember if I screamed
When truth became a dying dream,
But something burned like fire inside—
The day the science died.

So bye-bye to our public health reply
Agencies hollowed from within while new threats multiply
And those who stood for evidence watch as budgets run dry
Singing "This won't be the day we comply
This won't be the day we comply."

In hallways once filled with purpose,
Now only ghostly silence reigns.
Lab benches cleared of microscopes,
While pathogens plot their campaigns.

And I know that you're hurting too
For what these cuts will put us through,
But the flame of truth still burns in you—
The day the science died.

We may have lost our institutions,
But we haven't lost our minds.
We mapped the code of life itself
And left smallpox far behind.

The scientists are scattered now,
But fiercer than before.
We've split the atom, touched the stars—
We'll break through every door.

So bye-bye to our public health reply
Sent the experts to the sidelines while the threats intensify
But those dedicated minds won't simply stand by
Singing "This won't be the day we comply
This won't be the day we comply."

Now the research labs stand vacant
Where once lifesaving work was done.
But remember this isn't ending—
It's just differently begun.

The science doesn't need approval
From those who fear its truth.
The facts will find their champions
In veterans and in youth.

And while our systems crumble now,
The people still remain—
More fired up than ever
To rise through all this pain.

We've conquered polio's terror
And tracked each virus' flow.
The spark of knowledge flickers,
But it's never letting go.

So bye-bye to our public health reply
Sent the experts to the sidelines while the threats intensify
But those dedicated minds will always amplify
Singing "This won't be the day we comply
This won't be the day we comply."

-Jess Steier, Unbiased Science