#1273 Helen Pearson - Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works
RECORDED ON JUNE 24th 2026.
Helen Pearson is a science journalist, author and Chief Magazine Editor for the journal Nature, where she oversees the journalism and opinion content. Her latest book is Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works.
In this episode, we focus on Beyond Belief. We discuss why people should care about evidence, how evidence is established, and the history of evidence. We talk about Iain Chalmers, Archie Cochrane, David Sackett, and evidence-based medicine. We explore how evidence-based approaches can be applied to social policy, policing, education, parenting, and in tackling climate change. We talk about the hierarchy of evidence, and trust in experts. We discuss why evidence should not be the only factor in decision-making, and other forms of knowledge, like indigenous knowledge. Finally, we discuss whether there is a crisis of trust in science, and what can be done about it.
Time Links:
Intro
Why should people care about evidence?
What is evidence?
The history of evidence
Iain Chalmers, Archie Cochrane, David Sackett, and evidence-based medicine
Randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses
Evidence in social policy, policing, education, and parenting
Tackling climate change
The hierarchy of evidence
Indigenous knowledge, and other forms of knowledge
Is there a crisis of trust in science?
Follow Helen’s work!
Follow Helen’s work:
Website: https://helenpearson.info/
Beyond Belief: https://tinyurl.com/t9wsfxv6
X handle: @hcpearson