@hcpearson profile picture
Helen Pearson @hcpearson

Gone to Bluesky. Book: Beyond Belief out April 2026. Editor for Nature, science journalist, author, UCL prof.

Joined March 2009
  • Tweets 1,768
  • Following 572
  • Followers 3,462
46 Photos and videos
Helen Pearson retweeted
The Economist
@TheEconomist
Jun 8
There’s a lot of medical misinformation online. How do you know who, or what, to trust? On this week’s “Babbage”, @hcpearson helps @alokjha think through the fog economist.com/podcasts/2026/…

Influencers v evidence-based medicine (part two)

Our podcast on science and technology. In the second of two episodes on health misinformation, journalist and author Helen Pearson explains how to learn who to trust

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Helen Pearson retweeted
Benjamin Todd
@ben_j_todd
May 1
It's easy to forget how young the evidence-based movement really is. So it's nice to see this new book telling its history: amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Belief-E…

Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works

Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works

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Having political leaders who are receptive to science is one essential ingredient for effective science advice. Another is having people who can deliver it well. This @nature editorial argues for training scientists in the art of science advice nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Advising governments about science is essential but difficult. So train people to do it

Nature - A great scientist doesn’t necessarily make an effective science adviser — but schooling and practice can help to bridge the gap.

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In a @Nature survey, 80% of science-policy experts say their country’s science advice system is poor or patchy. My story looks at the state of global science advice - and what needs to change. Data by Jeff Perkel, @Richvn nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Science could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Why aren’t governments using it?

Nature - A Nature global survey finds that most specialists are unhappy with systems to provide science advice to policymakers.

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In the survey of approx 400 people (from @INGSciAdvice @TransformUre ): • 70% say governments are not routinely using science advice • 80% say policymakers don’t understand science • 73% say researchers don’t understand policy • 70% say mis/disinformation is obscuring advice
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Politicians receptive to science are one essential ingredient for better science advice (obvs). Our survey also points to a need for: • More training for scientists • Advice that includes a wider range of views • Funders who reward science advice work nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Science could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Why aren’t governments using it?

Nature - A Nature global survey finds that most specialists are unhappy with systems to provide science advice to policymakers.

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Can AI help review the scientific literature? I investigated this for @nature AI tools are speeding up production of good quality reviews – which can otherwise take months to produce - but they could also lead to more inaccurate & misleading reviews. nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Can AI review the scientific literature — and figure out what it all means?

Nature - Artificial intelligence could help speedily summarize research. But it comes with risks.

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I wrote for @nature about the science of protests - do they work? Research says yes: protests can influence media coverage, public opinion, policy and voting.💪 More effective protests tend to be large, non-violent and with unified goals. nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

The science of protests: how to shape public opinion and swing votes

Nature - Demonstrations are on the rise, and scientists are revealing which types work best.

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I wrote about a bold new effort to tackle one of the most urgent challenges in climate change: figuring out which climate solutions work (1/2) The idea is to build an 'evidence bank' that would reveal how well policies work to cut emissions nature.com/articles/d41586-0… @WWCS_summit

What’s the best way to tackle climate change? An ‘evidence bank’ could help scientists find answers

Nature - Synthesizing research on which policies are most effective is a key priority in climate science, advocates say.

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One challenge for the #IPCC is the explosive growth of climate science ⬇️ A bank of #evidence syntheses could assess the science underlying each climate solution. These 'bundles of knowledge' could feed into the IPCC (2/2) @WWCS_summit nature.com/articles/d41586-0…
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My review of @geoffmulgan's illuminating book 'When Science Meets Power' for @ISSUESinST It explores the long & uneasy relationship between science and politics - and calls for bodies expert at providing govts with the right #evidence at the right time issues.org/when-science-meet…

The Science-Politics Power Struggle

Helen Pearson reviews a new book by public policy expert Geoff Mulgan on the complex relationship between science and politics.

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Enter @Nature’s Working Scientist photo competition, for images that showcase the work that scientists do. Winning photographers will have their work published in Nature, plus £500. nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Show off your science in Nature’s photo competition

Nature - The 2024 Working Scientist photo competition is open for entries. Capture your science on camera for a chance to appear in Nature.

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Helen Pearson retweeted
Magdalena Skipper@Magda_Skipper
6 Mar 2024
Too few women are submitting research to Nature as corresponding authors. This week’s editorial looks at the data behind the unacceptably low numbers of papers from women senior authors in Nature #womeninSTEM nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Nature publishes too few papers from women researchers — that must change

Nature - This journal will double down on efforts to diversify the pool of corresponding authors and referees.

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Helen Pearson retweeted
Shamini Bundell@SBundell
4 Mar 2024
Science video people - wanna do my job for a year? Making mini science docs for YouTube is very rewarding - from interviewing researchers, to writing scripts to doing funky edits with found footage and music - a brilliant combo of nerdy and creative! careers.springernature.com/j…

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Helen Pearson retweeted
Carissa Wong@CarissaCWWong
5 Mar 2024
Five of the world’s biggest carbon emitters are going to the polls in 2024 - what does this mean for climate change? Read @Nature. nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

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Here's a story I wrote about 'How to find meaning in your science career'. I spoke with philosophers, economists and other social scientists about how researchers can find work that's worthwhile to them - and the world. (They all had different answers!) 👇 nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

How to find meaning in your science career: six expert tips

Nature - Philosophers, social scientists and a Nobel-prizewinning economist on how researchers can get satisfaction from their work — and make a difference to the world.

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Helen Pearson retweeted
Richard Van Noorden@Richvn
31 Oct 2023
The group behind the #openaccess #Plan_S launches a 'scholar-led' vision for science publishing: all open articles & peer reviews, authors decide when where to publish [no jrnl gatekeeping], no fees for authors or readers. by @layallivs | @nature nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

cOAlition S@cOAlitionS_OA
31 Oct 2023
At @cOAlitionS_OA we are envisioning a community-based scholarly communication system fit for #OpenScience in the 21st century, based on five principles. 🟠coalition-s.org/towards-resp… Follow this thread 🧵for a quick overview! #OpenAccess #ResponsiblePublishing [1/7]
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Fascinating reproducibility trial in ecology (preprint) in which over 200 scientists were given the same datasets and produced results with wildly varying effect sizes, depending on analysis they chose @Nature nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Reproducibility trial: 246 biologists get different results from same data sets

Nature - Wide distribution of findings shows how analytical choices drive conclusions.

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Helen Pearson retweeted
Linda Nordling@lindanordling
9 Oct 2023
I'm proud to share the first in a three-part series that I've been lead writer on for Nature Careers. The series reports on a massive global survey of postdocs done earlier this year by Nature. This first instalment: A curious rise in optimism. nature.com/articles/d41586-0…

Postdoc career optimism rebounds after COVID in global Nature survey

Nature - Postdoctoral researchers still feel as though they are academia’s drudge labourers, but have more confidence about job prospects in a post-pandemic world.

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This seems a great initiative👇
The Open Notebook@Open_Notebook
5 Oct 2023
🥁 Exciting news! Our Science Writers Database is ~officially~ live! It’s a free, public tool to help people in our global science writing community find one another and diversify their networks. theopennotebook.com/writers/
Science Writers Database

ALT Science Writers Database
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