Distrust in Science Reframed: Understanding and Countering Anti-scientific Behavior

A healthy relationship between science and the public is essential. While the public benefits from scientific advancements, science too often needs the public in order to advance – especially in domains concerning public health and environmental policymaking. Ideally, this relationship should be grounded in mutual trust, enabling both science and the public to benefit from one another while cultivating important values such as critical thinking, and rational deliberation.

However, several factors threaten this trust. Within science, issues such as the replication crisis, confirmation bias, and historical associations with non-egalitarian values dent its credibility as a trustworthy institution. Externally, climate change denial, fake experts, and propaganda driven by corporate interests (e.g., tobacco and oil industries) pollute the epistemic environment, thereby weakening public reasoning. In this conference, we aim to explore the possible causes of public distrust in science, the rise of anti-scientific attitudes, and potential remedies for these epistemic and practical challenges. 

Confirmed Keynote Speakers:

• Finnur Ulf Dellsén (University of Iceland)

• Katherine Dormandy (University of Innsbruck)

• Katherine Furman (University of Liverpool)

We invite submissions researchers working in philosophy, politics, or related disciplines. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: 

• trust and distrust in scientific institutions; 

• the role of values in science; 

• vaccine hesitancy; 

• conspiracy theories; 

• trust in experts; 

• anti-scientific politics; 

• fake news and misinformation; 

• science communication and journalism; 

• public engagement with science.

Please submit anonymized abstracts of no more than 500 words, suitable for a 25-minute presentation. Include a separate cover page with your name, institutional affiliation, and email address. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] by August 15th, 2025. Notification of acceptance will be sent by September 14th 2025.