Season 1, Episode 1 — Peter Gluckman on Science Advice, Trust, and the Limits of Evidence
Scientific knowledge is increasingly invoked in governance at a time of geopolitical strain and institutional fragmentation. In this conversation, Sir Peter Gluckman, president of the International Science Council and former chief science advisor to the prime minister of New Zealand, reflects on what science can and cannot do inside political systems.
Drawing on his experience in government and science diplomacy, Gluckman argues that science does not make policy; it informs choices that are ultimately shaped by trust, incentives, and competing values. He discusses the role of brokerage between scientific and political cultures, the importance of acknowledging uncertainty, and why humility and transparency are central to effective advice.
The conversation also examines pressure on public research funding, the shift of discovery science into the private sector, internal weaknesses within the scientific system, the ethics and values underpinning global science, and the contested role of dis- and misinformation in shaping public trust.
Themes covered:
Science advice versus political decision-making
Brokerage between scientific and policy cultures
Uncertainty, trust, and the limits of evidence
Research funding pressures and incentive systems
Ethical guardrails in a global scientific enterprise
Communication, polarization, and misinformation
Recorded on January 27, 2026.
Co-hosted by Amna Habiba, Bupe Chikumbi and John Heilprin.
