Is science getting at the truth? Those who spread doubt about science tend to argue that scientists were “sure” in the past, and then they ended up being wrong. This conversation looks to historical investigation and philosophical-sociological analysis to defend science against this potentially dangerous scepticism. Indeed, as Peter Vickers argues, we can confidently identify many scientific claims that are future-proof: they will last forever, so long as science continues.

"A crucial function of academic research is to produce knowledge that informs our collective decisions in a democracy.

This essay examines the uneasy return of expertise during Covid-19 and asks how much epistemic trust a democracy can sustain without sliding into expert domination. Using the figure of the “Free Nose Guy,” it explores tensions between epistemic self-reliance, equality, and authority, arguing that distrust in experts is inseparable from social inequality while also highlighting the political effects of epistemic hierarchies.