Acting on uncertainty: what to do when we have incomplete evidence
In an era where pandemics and rapidly evolving technologies dominate public discourse, the role of evidence based action has never been more vital. Adam Kucharski , author of the new book Proof , tells The BMJ what doctors can do to tackle misinformation ### Biography Adam Kucharski is professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His new book Proof , published in March 2025, explores how truth emerges—and why it falters. There was a moment in 2010 that really stuck with me. A volcanic eruption in Iceland disrupted air travel all over the world, and we had this bizarre scenario: airlines wanting proof that it wasn’t dangerous to fly, governments demanding proof it was safe. Different countries took very different approaches. Some ran simulations, others, including the Netherlands, just started flying test planes. What struck me was that this wasn’t just a matter of waiting for science to catch up—it was about making real time decisi
