Today, as we navigate increasingly polarized discussions about science’s role in society, the scientific community must address the complicated history of scientific triumphalism. The long twentieth century undeniably saw science transform societies and deliver significant improvements in human welfare. This success story has fostered a pervasive belief that every question and problem can be solved through the continued expansion of scientific knowledge.

Recent developments have cast doubt on the validity of this narrative. Looming environmental crises have prompted critical questions about whether science has truly led to unambiguous progress. While ongoing breakthroughs in artificial intelligence exemplify scientific achievement, they also raise serious concerns about broader societal implications. At the same time, the authority of scientific discourse is being challenged by alternative frameworks. From one perspective, science denialism and pseudoscience have eroded public trust in science and evidence-based policy. From another angle, some critics argue that scientific practices—and the university system as a whole—perpetuate systems of oppression and uphold colonialist structures.

Such forms of criticism can easily lead to the conclusion that science should—or even must—be replaced by alternative epistemologies and practices. We suggest that examining these critiques invites the scientific community to engage more deeply with uncomfortable histories outside scientific triumphalism. The ongoing debates are better understood when we recognize that science has always existed alongside contentious ideas and troubling practices, which can serve as a foundation for not rejecting but rethinking the idea and history of progress.

By focusing on the uncomfortable legacies and darker aspects of the past, this workshop aims to bring together scholars interested in the problematic heritage of science throughout the long twentieth century—from the 1870s to the present. We welcome submissions from historians of science, STS scholars, philosophers, sociologists, and practitioners engaged with the critical history of scientific disciplines. The goal is to explore how scientific practices, figures, or discoveries may be entangled with controversial or contradictory histories. We also hope to examine whether—and how—these histories have challenged the credibility of science and what constructive responses might emerge from this critical engagement.

Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to:

Ethical controversies in scientific research
Scientific racism / eugenics
Science and imperialism/colonialism/Eurocentrism
Harmful scientists and funders
Corporate influence on scientific research
The entanglement of science with political ideologies
Tensions between scientific authority and democratic values
Military research ethics, surveillance, and privacy
Animal experimentation
Environmental exploitation and resource extraction
Marginalized voices and exclusionary practices in scientific communities
The ethics of human experimentation / ethical questions in emerging technologies
Patents and intellectual property rights vs. access to treatment
Scientific fraud

For individual paper proposals, please submit a title, a 300-word abstract, and your contact and affiliation details to Stefan Nygård, Heikki Mikkonen, and Katariina Parhi (Finnish Academy of Science and Letters) at contentioustopicsworkshop@gmail.com by 31 August 2025. Accepted contributors will be notified by mid-September. All participants are expected to submit a draft of 5–10 pages one week prior to the event for pre-circulation.

The workshop will be held at the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters in Helsinki, Finland. Travel and accommodation costs for participants will be covered. To reduce environmental impact, we are considering a hybrid format. Please indicate if this would be your preferred mode of participation.

The workshop is hosted by the History of Science in Finland project, which aims to provide a comprehensive mapping of scientific life in Finland (since 1918). The project is jointly supported by the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters.