Can We Trust Scientists? Trustworthy Communication of Evidence in a Polarised World with Prof David Spiegelhalter

Trust has to be warranted, and it seems reasonable for audiences to be sceptical if they suspect that 'experts' have their own agendas; there are many examples of how scientists have selected evidence and its interpretation to order to advocate for specific policies. I will argue that the primary principle behind communicating evidence should be trustworthiness, and suggest some guidance as to how this can be achieved.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter FRS OBE is Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge. He is a regular media commentator on statistical issues, and was very busy over the Covid crisis. His bestselling book, The Art of Statistics, was published in 2019, and The Art of Uncertainty in 2024. His career highlights include appearing on Desert Island Discs in 2022, and in 2011 coming 7th in an episode of BBC1’s Winter Wipeout. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2005, awarded an OBE in 2006, and knighted in 2014 for services to medical statistics. He was President of the Royal
Statistical Society for 2017-2018, and has been a Non-Executive Director of the UK Statistics Authority since 2020.