This text critiques the prevalent notion of eroded public trust in science post-COVID-19. It argues that the issue lies not with science itself but with the public discourse surrounding it, particularly how authorities presented and sometimes misrepresented scientific information. The author contends that the pandemic revealed a "crisis of theatre" where "The Science" was weaponised and oversimplified, leading to a breakdown of trust in messengers, media, and motivations. Instead of declining trust in the scientific method, the piece suggests a redistribution of epistemic authority and calls for a more honest and nuanced engagement with scientific uncertainty, moving away from "scientism" towards a more mature public sphere.https://philosophics.blog/2025/04/16/whats-missing-trust-or-influence/