When Science Finds a Way

Trust is shaped by people's experiences of science: the histories they remember, whether they were listened to, and whose voices shaped what happened next. So, what does it take for science to earn trust?  

In this special episode of our mini-series on trust in science, recorded live in front of an audience at the Wellcome Collection, Julia Gillard, Chair of Wellcome and former Prime Minister of Australia, is joined by Dr Annabel Sowemimo, consultant in sexual and reproductive health; Professor Sophie Harman, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London; and Elhadj As Sy, global health leader, humanitarian and Wellcome board member. 
Together, they explore how history, power, politics and participation shape people's trust in science today, and why acknowledging those experiences matters when it comes to earning trust.

Stay until the end to find out what kind of science our panel wants to see in 2040. 

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Mentioned in this episode and further resources: 

Earning public trust in science – To learn more about the work that Wellcome is doing on trust, go to: https://wellcome.org/engagement-and-advocacy/engaging-people/trust-in-science  


The Wellcome Global Monitor – To access the key findings from the report, the full publication, an interactive data dashboard, and access to the data set, go to: wellcome.org/podcast/globalmonitor 


Wellcome and More in Common research on trust in science in the UK – https://wellcome.org/insights/reports/britain-talks-trust-science  


Divided: Racism, Medicine and Why We Need to Decolonise Healthcare by Dr Annabel Sowemimo – https://wellcomecollection.org/books/divided  


Wellcome Collection – https://wellcomecollection.org

When we say we trust science, what are we actually trusting it to do? And who gets a say in where it goes next? 

In the second episode of our special mini-series on trust in science, Alisha Wainwright is joined by bioethicist Dr Sarah Chan of the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Professor Tom Ellis, co-director of the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, and Sarah Hartley, Professor of Technology Governance at the University of Exeter. 

Our guests explore what makes science trustworthy, and why trust is rarely just about how much people know. Drawing on examples from synthetic biology and other areas of emerging science, they consider how new technologies can be developed responsibly, and how trust is shaped by whether decisions are made fairly, whether people feel listened to, and whether science is working on the problems that matter in their lives. 

Along the way, the panel turns a familiar question around. Instead of asking whether the public understands science, they ask: does science understand its publics? 
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Mentioned in this episode & further resources: 

Wellcome Global Monitor: To access the report, interactive data dashboards, and the full data set, go to: wellcome.org/podcast/globalmonitor 
Earning public trust in science: To learn more about the work that Wellcome is doing on trust, go to: https://wellcome.org/engagement-and-advocacy/engaging-people/trust-in-science
SynHG and Care-full Synthesis: To learn more about the Wellcome-funded project developing the tools for human genome synthesis, and the social research running alongside it, go to: https://wellcome.org/news/new-project-pioneer-principles-human-genome-synthesis
Sciencewise: https://sciencewise.org.uk
Nuffield Council on Bioethics, stem cell-based embryo models: https://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/publications/stem-cell-based-embryo-models
Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/6

How much do people around the world trust in science? How has that trust changed since 2018? 

In the first episode of our special mini-series on trust in science, Alisha Wainwright is joined by social researcher Dr Cary Funk and Dr Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute, to explore new findings from the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, the world's largest study on how people think and feel about science.  

Together, they go beyond the headline figures to look at how levels of trust in science have changed over time, where it varies between regions, and why earning trust is essential if we want science to improve health for everyone. 

Listen until the end for a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to collect and analyse responses from over 140,000 people across 140 countries. 
 

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Mentioned in this episode & further resources: 

The Wellcome Global Monitor – To access the key findings from the report, the full publication, an interactive data dashboard, and access to the data set, go to: wellcome.org/podcast/globalmonitor 


Earning public trust in science – To learn more about the work that Wellcome is doing on trust, go to: wellcome.org/engagement-and-advocacy/engaging-people/trust-in-science  


Ipsos - https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk  


Gallup World Poll - https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx

We may think of carbon dioxide as the main culprit in climate change, but could tackling "super pollutants" provide an emergency brake for global warming? 

Dr Tom Grylls tells Alisha Wainwright how we already have the tools to reduce these gases and particles, and Bidya Banmali Pradhan describes a successful effort to do just that by re-engineering brick kilns in Nepal. 

But this isn't only a question of climate. Professor Zorana Andersen explains air pollution's impact on our bodies, and we hear how a holistic view of climate and health could help slow down global warming and save millions of lives. 
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Mentioned in this episode and further reading:

What are super pollutants and how do they impact our health? - Wellcome (https://wellcome.org/insights/articles/what-are-super-pollutants-and-how-do-they-impact-our-health) 


Why reducing super pollutants isn't just good for the climate – Clean Air Fund (https://www.cleanairfund.org/news-item/reducing-super-pollutants/) 


Building cleaner brick kilns in Nepal - CCAC (https://www.ccacoalition.org/projects/building-cleaner-brick-kilns-nepal)

Tuberculosis has been with us so long that traces appear in mummies. But today, the challenge is different: how do we respond to TB that's resistant to modern drugs? 

Professor Salome Charalambous tells Alisha Wainwright about the challenges of treating the half-million people with drug-resistant TB, and Professor Nazir Ismail explains how it gets harder in countries where resources are scarce. 

But there may be hope on the horizon. Salome gives a glimpse of the new tests and treatments already saving lives, and we hear from Enalkachew Fekadu, a drug-resistant TB survivor who now advocates for others with the disease.