IN HIS SEMINAL work “The Open Society and Its Enemies,” Karl Popper championed societies open to criticism and peaceful change. Such openness, he argued, allows democratic institutions to identify and address their shortcomings. That capacity is being tested as never before. The twin pillars of democratic knowledge creation—journalism and science—are undergoing profound structural changes that threaten their ability to perform their essential functions.
The transformation of scientific research offers a telling example. The cutting edge of fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology has shifted from academia to industrial laboratories. Companies like Google, IBM, and their ilk now drive progress in these domains, backed by resources that dwarf those of traditional universities. This shift raises questions about preserving the open, falsification-based scientific process that Popper identified as crucial to knowledge creation.
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