As progressive scientists we are excited by Bernie Sanders’s proposals for Medicare for All, free college, and a Green New Deal. These policies represent a radical break with the status quo. In our role as scientists, we are also acutely aware of the dangers posed by the Trump presidency. His blatant disregard for scientific facts and his attacks on the scientific community threaten to undermine years of research. A Bernie presidency would be a dramatic repudiation of Trump.

Yet in stark contrast with transformative proposals such as the Green New Deal, Bernie’s science talking points — increasing stem cell research and vaccination, embracing the scientific consensus on climate change, and using scientific thinking to guide policy — are surprisingly anodyne and almost indistinguishable from any other mainstream Democratic politician.

One of the core messages of the Sanders campaign is that the struggle to create a more just society must be driven by “us,” not Bernie. Achieving the kind of large-scale changes that the presidential hopeful is fighting for — overhauling health care, education, and the economy — requires us, as scientists, to push the conversation beyond these standard talking points and imagine a different kind of science geared toward human needs. We need a bold new science policy.