I was part of the one thousand plus people who gathered in Dublin today to #MarchForScience.

In the “post truth age” Turkish academics have been imprisoned, Hungary’s top university has had its funding cutoff after it criticised the ruling party and in the U.S. “alternative facts” drive political discourse.

We see how President Trump has sought to silence key environmental agencies and in post-Brexit Britain, judges are sneered at for upholding the constitution. Populist and simplistic approaches to politics are gaining momentum around the world and it is more important then ever to respect the voices of reason.

Evidence based policy speaks truth to power and it is imperative that decisions are made based upon the proven facts and logical analysis. In the words of poet John Keats: “Truth is Beauty. Beauty is Truth.”