Helen Pearson: How Evidence Shows What Really Works

Send us Fan MailWhat does it really mean to ask, “Where is the evidence?”In this episode of The Science Intersection, I’m joined by Helen Pearson, award-winning science journalist, editor at Nature, and author of Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works.We talk about how evidence-based thinking transformed medicine and began influencing other fields, including education, social policy, conservation and everyday decision-making. Helen explains why evidence can be powerful, but also why it rarely gives simple answers on its own.We also discuss storytelling in science writing, why politicians may struggle to act on evidence, how to assess claims more critically, and what misinformation, influencers, AI and social media mean for public trust in science.Helen’s book Beyond Belief is available now.To find out more:Helen Pearson’s website:https://helenpearson.info/Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works:https://helenpearson.info/book/what-to-believe/The Life Project:https://helenpearson.info/book/the-life-project/Nature overview/interview about Beyond Belief:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01359-1Support the show