We live in an era in which there are many attempts to politicize science. Some scientists are concerned that such attempts will reduce both public confidence in science1 (see also go.nature.com/3tpscrs) and people’s willingness to rely on scientific information to manage challenges such as a pandemic. Nature was one of several prominent scientific publications to endorse Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election, adding a political element to a publication that derives its credibility from science. How did Nature’s endorsement affect people who viewed it? …

A survey finds that viewing the endorsement did not change people’s views of the candidates, but caused some to lose confidence in Nature and in US scientists generally.

[Among other reasons for credibility collapses. Maybe science should stay out of politics if the scientists want politics to stay out of science. — Ed]