How far should we rely on science to make political decisions? What makes a good science advisor — or a good science advice system? What do we do when the evidence is incomplete or controversial? What happens when science advice goes wrong and how can we fix it? We explore these questions, and many more, in conversation with the researchers, policymakers and communicators who make science advice happen around the world. The Science for Policy podcast is produced by SAPEA, part of the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism. We are a consortium of more than a hundred European academies, funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant number 737432. The many and varied opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the guests themselves. They do not necessarily represent the views of SAPEA or the European Commission. Our theme music is part of Carlo Alfredo Piatti's Caprice no.9 for solo cello, performed by Elizaveta Sushchenko.