Increasing Science Literacy in the Post-Truth Era: Science Literacy Competence Framework

Science literacy is essential in the post-truth era when the accuracy and legitimacy of information becomes ever more difficult to determine. The rise of politicised information and conspiracy theories make things more complicated (Abhari & Horvát, 2024), and can ultimately cause serious damage to the scientific enterprise and trust in science and expertise. Holden Thorp (2024), the editor-in-chief of Science, has recently called for the teaching of philosophy of science. Scientific practices are not without flaws and the scientific community is not without bad actors. However, these issues do not mean that scientific knowledge as a whole is not trustworthy. Increased science literacy of the general public can reinforce the norms and values, and call attention to the significance of research integrity and bolster trust in science and expertise.