We asked the leaders of the institutions that hosted the recent Nobel Prize Summit “Truth, Trust and Hope” — Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences, and Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation — to share their thoughts on the experience and how they hope the summit inspires future action.  

As you listened to and participated in the summit discussions, what did you learn that has changed the way you think about disinformation and trust in science? 

Vidar Helgesen: The summit made me more aware that trust in science cannot depend on scientists telling people to have trust in science. Scientists need to accept that communication is a distinct profession and skill set which needs to be applied to scientific findings also. We need to start where people are in their daily lives and demonstrate why science and evidence-based decision-making matters right there. ‘Science says CO2 emissions produce global warming’ is less convincing to many than ‘How come flooding of homes in this area occurs much more often than before?’  

Marcia McNutt: The public is interested in people and their stories. One of the more effective examples of this was when the NIH highlighted the contributions of a young African American researcher, Kizzmekia Corbett, to the development of the COVID RNA vaccine. They told the story of how she has an elderly grandfather in North Carolina, and wanted to protect him from a pandemic that was unduly impacting the old and the African American population. I imagine people reading her story would think, ‘If her motivation for this work is to save the life of her dear grandpa, this must be a trustworthy vaccine.’ People tend to build trust within the groups to which they belong — neighborhoods, churches, schools, and sports activities.  

Now that the summit has concluded, what gives you hope about the future and our ability to tackle misinformation and disinformation?  

Helgesen: Science itself — when communicated wisely! At the summit, we were presented with emerging scientific findings of what works in fighting online disinformation. I was also impressed by the examples of civil society mobilization for truth. The world was taken aback by the onset of disinformation, but humanity is getting better at fighting back. It will be a continuous battle, though.  

McNutt: There were many examples of hope shared during this summit. For example, science is all about inspiring a better future through discovery. We heard about coursework that trains students in the art of being more skeptical consumers of messages they read. And we heard about the work of brave journalists taking a stand against misinformation, particularly when [it is] state sponsored. We learned at the summit that inspiration is one of the few messages that spreads as quickly as misinformation and disinformation.  

How do you think the Nobel Prize Summits can encourage forward-looking solutions to big societal problems like misinformation and disinformation?  

McNutt: The Nobel Prize Summits are extraordinary in their reach and in the caliber of experts they attract to solve thorny problems, such as climate change (the 2021 Nobel Prize Summit Our Planet, Our Future) and misinformation and disinformation (the most recent summit). By concluding the discussions with the solutions and outreach day, dedicated researchers helped propagate promising solutions. Furthermore, by partnering with the National Academy of Sciences, the talented team of expert staff of the U.S. National Academies can follow up with initiatives to minimize the impact of misinformation.  

Helgesen: The Nobel Prize is a symbol of how we have it within ourselves to change the course of history. Nobel laureates have done just that, whether in science, peace, or culture. The Nobel Foundation does not itself promote particular initiatives, but when we organize events like this, with Nobel laureates at the center, we are delighted that various stakeholders are inspired to launch initiatives with the ambition to change things. We saw that happen in a really meaningful way at the Nobel Prize Summit.