Imagine, for a moment, a society driven by evidence. By data. A society that uses science, reason, and compassion to figure out the way forward. How would that be different from the world we see today?
Scientists and rational thinkers dream of a future where policy decisions are evidence based. From medicine to climate science, from welfare to pandemics, there is a clear difference between policy based on ideology and policy based on evidence. Too many decisions are made – in government, business, health, education, and elsewhere – on the basis of “logic”, which is actually code for “this feels right to me”, rather than “We’ve thought this through and looked at the evidence.
Clearly there is a need for evidence based decision making. Episode 4 looks at four topics – Medicine, Climate Science, Welfare, and Education – and examines the role of evidence in each area.
Heartfelt thanks to Jed Wesley Smith for the theme music and Tia Lowenthal for the cover art.