Aired Nov 12, 2025

What happens when people start to see science as an elite enterprise—something done to them instead of for them?

In this episode of the Outrage Overload Podcast, we speak with Hillary Shulman, a communication scholar at Ohio State University, whose research explores science populism—the growing belief that scientists are part of an out-of-touch elite with their own agenda.

Shulman explains how science populism crosses political lines, blending skepticism of authority with a feeling that expert institutions no longer represent “people like us.” The result: a deepening divide between experts and the public, where trust in science erodes and facts alone don’t persuade.

If you’ve ever wondered why people reject scientific consensus—or how we might restore public understanding of science in an age of outrage and mistrust—this episode offers both insight and hope.

Hillary C. Shulman is an Associate Professor of Communication at The Ohio State University, studying how language and message design shape public engagement with complex issues in politics, science, and health.

Links

Science populism impacts perceptions of credibility across scientific professions (Nature)

School of Communication (Ohio State University)