This Comment calls on scientists to acknowledge how insufficient communication and limited engagement beyond academia have deepened the divide between science and the public. Restoring trust requires a paradigm shift in which scientists accept that the responsibility to champion science lies with us. We propose a new model in which public communication and advocacy are considered as essential to our mission as rigor and reproducibility — critical not only for safeguarding science, but also for ensuring that its benefits reach all segments of the societies we serve.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Jones, J. M. Confidence in U.S. institutions down; average at new low. Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/394283/confidence-institutions-down-average-new-low.aspx (2022).
Qiu, J. The Covid ‘lab leak’ theory isn’t just a rightwing conspiracy – pretending that’s the case is bad for science. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/25/covid-lab-leak-theory-right-conspiracy-science (2025).
Barrett, P., Hendrix, J. & Sims, G. How tech platforms fuel U.S. political polarization and what government can do about it. Brookings https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-tech-platforms-fuel-u-s-political-polarization-and-what-government-can-do-about-it/ (2021).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miller, C.T., Basso, M.A., Batista, A.P. et al. Science must break its silence to rebuild public trust. Nat Neurosci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-02092-0
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-02092-0
