Cited

Before there was the War on Science, there were the Science Wars. In the 1990’s, the Science Wars were a set of debates about the nature of science and its place in a democratic society. This little-known and long-forgotten academic squabble became surprisingly contentious, culminating in an audacious hoax. Today, some scholars say the Science Wars might just explain how we got our ‘post-truth’ moment. To figure out if they’re right, we go back to the beginning.

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You can also find related materials on our website, citedpodcast.com. Including an essay on the science wars from Gordon Katic, as well as a transcript.

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To keep up with Cited, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, send us your feedback to [email protected].

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This episode was produced by Gordon Katic. Editing from Sam Fenn.

Our theme song and original music is by our composer, Mike Barber. Dakota Koop is our graphic designer. Our production manager is David Tobiasz, and executive producers are Gordon Katic and Sam Fenn.

Cited is funded in part by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. This part of a wider project looking at the politics of science in post-truth times. The project was advised by Dr. Dave Ng at the University of British Columbia’s Michael Smith Labs. With further research advising from Professors Alan Richardson and Heather Douglas.

Cited is produced out of the Centre of Ethics at the University of Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. Cited is also produced out of the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia — that’s on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

The Obama years were the closest thing we’ve had to technocracy. The President and his administration celebrated science and expertise, and they gave enormous regulatory powers to ‘the smartest people.’ During these years, the prevailing posture — culturally, politically, and within academia — suggested that the public was dim-witted and irrational, but well-meaning experts could fix things. As you know, that didn’t didn’t last. With Trump and Brexit came post-truth and a revolt against scientific and scholarly expertise.

How do we get out of this mess? Is the choice merely between centrist technocrats and reactionary post-truthers, or is there another way? This season, we investigate. Our stories will ask some simple questions: what is an expert, who do they work for, and can they be trusted? Episodes start April 15th, 2020, and they air weekly.

———-FOLLOW CITED———

To keep up with Cited, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Tweet at us, or email your feedback to [email protected]–we might just read it on the show.

———-CREDITS———-

This episode was produced Gordon Katic.

Our theme song and original music is by our composer, Mike Barber. Dakota Koop is our graphic designer. Our production manager is David Tobiasz, and executive producers are Gordon Katic and Sam Fenn.

Cited is produced out of the Centre of Ethics at the University of Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. Cited is also produced out of the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia — that’s on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.