It is a concerning trend that it is becoming increasingly socially acceptable to deny scientifically proven facts or to assert proven untruths. “Post-factual” is the new term for this. However, the exact sciences are essential for a modern society and must not be twisted and used for populist theses.

In his Guest Editorial in Chemie in Unserer Zeit, Wolfram Koch, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society), Frankfurt, Germany, emphasizes that scientific truth must always remain the measure of all things, even when it is uncomfortable. For this reason, the GDCh, like many other scientific organizations, supports the March for Science initiative, which will bring hundreds of thousands of people to the streets on April 22. “Together we will demonstrate that scientific facts are not negotiable as the basis of our world image and our actions”, Koch says.

Koch emphasizes that the March for Science is not about U.S. President Trump, although he is the most prominent representative of an ever-growing group of people who are no longer reliant on facts, but rather take a mixture of rumors, opinions, and targeted disinformation for the truth – or, even worse, spread it because it serves their interests.

• Für Freiheit, Toleranz und Wahrhaftigkeit,
  Wolfram Koch,
  Chem. Unserer Zeit 2017.
  DOI: 10.1002/ciuz.201790018