There have been a lot of headlines recently about the decline in trust in scientific institutions and the rolling back of regulations, and I want to offer a moment of hope and joy instead. Last week, I attended the inaugural event of the Utah Science Communicators and their Science on Tap series here in Salt Lake City.

Over 100 people packed the venue with standing room only. We heard a series of short talks from PhD students at the University of Utah on the history of genetics, to our incomplete understanding of sex and gender, to the connotation of the word feuge in both musical and medical settings. I had a beaming smile at the end just from being in community with people excited to talk about the things that they care about so deeply.

It is more important now than ever to connect science and the people doing the science with the public. Not just in schools and on social media, but in public spaces where people congregate. Science is something that everyone has a stake in and should be a part of the discussion. The more we talk about things, the more we come to trust them, and therefore care about them.

Find a science on tap or science cafe near you and go support a local scientist doing some really cool stuff. If you cannot find one near you, let me know, and let’s work together to find one or help start one.