David Neuberger suggests that scientific primers could help to speed up legal proceedings (Nature 531, 9; 2016). In the United States, the Federal Judicial Center and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have prepared such primers for judges in the form of a reference manual (see go.nature.com/ntqkvf).

Judges in other countries have used this manual to understand disputes over scientific evidence. The Argentinian judiciary has prepared 15 similar guides modelled on chapters of the US reference manual. The Canadian judiciary, through its National Justice Institute, has used it to prepare four supplementary chapters that deal with specific concerns in Canadian courts. The judiciaries of China, Japan and several others are also exploring ways to incorporate sections of the US manual into judicial-education programmes.

As co-chairs of the National Academies' Committee on Science, Technology, and Law, we find that engagement between our communities creates new understandings and strengthens the foundation for decision-making within both groups. The two communities should seek more opportunities to discuss science in the courtroom and law in the laboratory.