Should we trust science more or less than we did 10 years ago?
The thread shows tension between two interpretations of changing scientific trust. Some respondents distinguish between trust in scientific method (which has grown) versus trust in communication and institutional application (which has fractured). Others express decreased trust rooted in personal experiences with medical error and perceived policy inconsistency. The divide reflects different definitions of 'science' rather than simple agreement or disagreement.
6 responses
Feb 25, 2026
More trust, but it's been hard-won. Had a health scare where mainstream medical advice actually saved my life, and that'll humble you fast. Before that I was kind of a wellness influencer person, supplements and 'natural' everything. Turns out real science, with all its boring trials and statistics, works better than intuition and Instagram posts.
Feb 25, 2026
About the same, if I'm being real. I've always tried to look at the evidence and think for myself. The difference now is there's just more noise - more bad studies, more hype, more people claiming their opinion is 'science.' Quality stuff still exists, you just have to dig for it.
Feb 25, 2026
Honestly? Way less. Used to just believe what scientists said, but then you realize they're funded by pharmaceutical companies, there's politics involved in everything, and half the studies get retracted five years later. I read the actual papers now instead of just the headlines, and man, there's a lot more uncertainty in there than gets reported.
Feb 25, 2026
I'd say more, actually. Ten years ago I was pretty skeptical of vaccines and climate science because of stuff I read on Facebook. But then I started looking at what actual experts were saying versus what random people online were saying, and the difference became pretty obvious. It's not about trusting blindly - it's about understanding who has actual expertise.
Feb 25, 2026
Less, without question. My dad got misdiagnosed twice by doctors, and I watched scientists completely flip on COVID policy in real time. If they can't even agree on basic stuff, why should I just accept whatever the latest study says? I trust my own observations and common sense now.
Feb 25, 2026
More trust, but in a different way. I used to think scientists had all the answers and it was all certain. Now I understand that science is actually rigorous *because* it admits what it doesn't know and changes its mind. That's kind of beautiful, honestly, once you get it.