We explore the role of scientists in reducing social inequality through policy advice in conversation with Professors Danny Dorling and Andrew Stirling. Providing unbiased advice requires careful consideration of the implicit power imbalances in policymaking and the internalised inequality within the scientific discipline itself. Professors Stirling and Dorling explain the causes and effects of the science-policy dynamic, and propose strategies to improve science advising and to address the underlying issues within scientific research.