Understanding how science is done increases trust in science as it can be seen to be built on reliable data, rational argument and repeated testing. If science is taught as just an assemblage of facts without dealing with the process which gave rise to those facts, then why should pupils trust science more than fables or pseudoscience? Everyone leaving school should know the difference between astronomy and astrology by knowing how science is carried out. Ensuring that everyone, not only those that go on to pursue science as a career, understands how science produces reliable knowledge, means science will continue to be effective in bringing improvements for humankind. Not only through those who go on to do science, but also because the skills developed by doing science are ones that the innovators, problem solvers and leaders of tomorrow will also need. Science is also influenced by the way scientists behave and interact with each other in a community. An effective scientific community should be interactive and collaborative, and encourage the constant challenge of data, ideas and hypotheses. It is the overall strength of the evidence and argument that matter in science, not the hierarchical authority of the scientists involved. The combination of these attributes and ways of working produces a methodology that underpins science and which is very effective at generating reliable knowledge of the natural world and ourselves. It is a process in which we can have great trust. Science educators have a key role in imparting this understanding of what science is and how it should be done. They must ensure students appreciate the process of science and the rigour which is required to produce reliable knowledge as well as the wider context within which science sits. The "Journal of Biological Education" can help educators instil in the next generation of citizens an understanding, appreciation and healthy scepticism about what science can achieve. Not only to produce excellent scientists, some of whom may go on to be Fellows of the Royal Society, but also to produce engaged citizens who use their knowledge of science to advance society.