Listen to Support it, WNYC Studios.

How did the COVID-N-Y-C Studios?

How did the COVID-19 pandemic end up eroding public trust in science?

Well, a big part of it is what seems to be a loss of appreciation of the fact that there is such a thing as objective

truth.

It's Thursday, September 26th, and you're listening to Science Friday.

I'm Scifry producer Shishana Bucksbound. Back 2021 Dr Francis Collins stepped down after a dozen years leading the

National Institutes of Health. He had just

overseen the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a time of shifting

public health guidance as scientists learned more about this new virus and he was

involved in the quickest development of a vaccine in history. Now he's had some time

to reflect on how our country arrived at such a divisive place about COVID-19 and vaccines.

How trust in science has dwindled and what we can do about it. And he's written a new book,

all about this. The to wisdom on truth science faith and trust

here's Ira with that conversation

Dr Collins welcome back to science Friday

hey Ira it's great to be with you and please call me Francis.

Okay, okay, Francis.

The book's title, Road to Wisdom,

why did you decide to make wisdom the central focus of your book? What is the wisdom you're talking about here?

Well, what is wisdom anyway? It's certainly based on knowledge and as scientists were all about trying to discover things that add to knowledge but wisdom adds some additional layers to that a moral framework for instance

Judgment insight common sense, the ability to sift through a difficult

...