When Science Finds a Way

Does science have a trust problem?

When Science Finds a Way

Show Notes

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.

***

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

More from When Science Finds a Way

Oct 19, 2026

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

Jun 3, 2026

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?

May 27, 2026

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?

May 20, 2026

We know how extreme heat impacts us physically, but science is still uncovering its effects on mental health.

May 13, 2026

In much of the world people are living longer, but how can we make sure those extra years are healthy? Professor Dame Linda Partridge tells Alisha Wainwright how our ever-growing knowledge of health and ageing could lead to more personalised medicine, and Professor Mika Kivimäki explains how new methods for measuring the "biological age" of our organs could be used to predict disease. We also hear from Shamita Sharmacharja, curator of the new Coming of Age Exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection, about how changing society could help us all age better. ***

See all episodes →