GoKawiilWellcome's global survey finds public trust in science declined since pandemic
Wellcome's third Global Monitor survey, released October 10, finds trust in science and researchers has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic, with notable variation by country and region. The survey, which for the first time asked about artificial intelligence, also found links between people's financial security and their trust in science, and between confidence in local health-care access and trust in science overall.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest that rebuilding public confidence may require more than communicating scientific results, since researchers like Gordon Gauchat argue the disconnect reflects broader economic insecurity rather than doubts about science's effectiveness. Wellcome's Philippa Michael frames the results as a signal that institutions need to consider what actions could help restore trust, particularly by making science visibly relevant to people's daily lives and health-care experiences.
- Wellcome's third global trust-in-science survey shows a decline since the pandemic, varying widely by country and region.
- The 2025 survey included AI-related questions for the first time.
- Researchers link trust levels to financial security and confidence in local health-care access, not just scientific credibility.
Source: nature.com — Naddaf, 2026-10-28
Published there as: “How the pandemic changed trust in science — in four charts”
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