“Instant Experts” Among Us: Dissecting the Crisis of Trust in Science

Have you ever scrolled through social media only to find someone suddenly positioning themselves as a nutrition “expert” after reading just a few blog posts? Or perhaps witnessed a heated debate on public policy in the comments section, where the loudest arguments often come from those who seem to understand the issue the least? If so, you might be observing the very phenomenon sharply dissected by Tom Nichols in his book, The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters. This book feels increasingly relevant in 2025, serving not merely as an academic analysis but as a disquieting portrait of our times.

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Nichols, drawing on his background as an international relations expert and educator, argues that while skepticism towards knowledge isn’t new, the assault on established knowledge and its practitioners (the experts) has reached unprecedented levels. This isn’t just healthy questioning; it’s an active rejection, sometimes even hostility, towards scientific consensus and expert judgment. As we discussed, this feels acutely real, mirroring phenomena observed globally, including the rise of “instant experts” in various fields — armed with fragmented quotes but lacking deep understanding, ready to…