Truth at Risk? Risking Science in a Post-Truth Age

Present-day industrial, high-tech societies thrive on the production of knowledge and through science- and technology-driven innovation. Their foundations are challenged through multiple and unexpected failures, such as disasters and accidents that are built into societies’ complex and tightly-knit sociotechnical systems. These failures unfold with a crisis of modern-day structures, as governments cannot democratically control important innovations and scientific knowledge itself is at risk. Arguably, these developments have spurred a rise of populism in present-day politics and the emergence of “alternative facts” that defy expert accounts and official information. Taking these reflections as its entry point, this paper critically considers the status and role of scientific knowledge in our “post-truth” era. Building on debates within sociology of science, it argues that new manifestations of “truth” and “fact” can urge scientists to reflexively consider their roles and responsibilities in the post-truth era and the current crisis in democracy. It illustrates how some scientists presently engage with these challenges: by publicly acknowledging the inherent uncertainties and ambiguities in scientific practice; by conceiving of, and performing, science as storytelling; by valuing failure and even ignorance; and by proactively engaging with nonexperts and non-expert knowledge.