Sustainability Matters
Sustainability Matters (formerly Humanities Matter)—produced by De Gruyter Brill—takes a deep dive into sustainability in scholarly communications and beyond. The podcast explores topics such as promoting diverse voices and marginalized perspectives in academia, the global accessibility of research, research ethics, combatting misinformation and more. Sustainability Matters features experts, advocates, practitioners, and De Gruyter Brill authors whose work on ethical and sustainable practices breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. Join us as we explore how we can shape a more equitable and accessible future for knowledge sharing—because sustainability truly matters, in scholarly publishing, and beyond.
Sustainability Matters
Can We Still Trust Science?
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On this episode of Sustainability Matters, we explore what having confidence in science really means. What separates healthy skepticism from deliberate doubt? How do politics, economic interests, and misinformation shape public opinion around scientific research? And what role can scientists themselves play in rebuilding trust?
All this and more with Dr. Peter Mahaffy, member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry's (IUPAC) Committee on Ethics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and contributor to their Chemistry International journal, published by De Gruyter Brill.
Host: Ramzi Nasir
Guest: Dr. Peter Mahaffy
Reach out to Dr. Mahaffy at www.linkedin.com/in/petermahaffy
Some papers Dr. Mahaffy refers to during the conversation:
- Cologna, V., et. al. Trust in Scientists and Their Role in Society Across 68 Countries, 2025, Nature Human Behaviour, 9, 713-730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5
- Garcia-Martinez, J; Mahaffy, P.G., et. al. Responsible Chemistry for a Changing World: IUPAC’s Guiding Principles, RSC Chemical Science, 2026, DOI: 10.1039/D5SC08844E.
- Mahaffy, P. G.; Garcia-Martinez, J. From what Chemistry can do to what Chemists should do, J. Chem. Educ. 2025, 102, 11, 4661–4665. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c01467
- Mahaffy, P. G.; Matlin, S. A.; Holme, T. A.; MacKellar. J. Systems thinking for educating about the molecular basis of sustainability. Nature Sustainability. 2019, 2, 362–370.
- Mahaffy, P.; Cornell, S. (2025). Sustainability frameworks I – Planetary boundaries. Chapter 6 in Kirchhoff, M.; Kummerer, K.; Mahaffy, P.; Middlecamp, C. (eds) Chemistry Education for a Sustainable Future. Advances in Chemistry Education series, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK.
- Mahaffy, P. G.; Elgersma, A.K. “Systems Thinking, the Molecular Basis of Sustainability and the Planetary Boundaries Framework: Complementary core competencies for chemistry education,” Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2022, 100663, ISSN 2452-2236, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2022.100663.