Why does trust in science matter?

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