We live in times of populism, the internet and social media, marked by rapid information flow, little time for reflection, weak criticism and emotional reactions to facts. Universities should not abandon their mission to seek truth, but must adapt their answer to these needs. Pseudoscience is partly linked to universities’ difficulty in transmitting their knowledge — the hermetic language that society does not understand. The remedy is dialogue and more science popularization, including entering discussion and even confrontation with politicians, journalists and business people, since universities are not isolated planets but part of society. Professors should also train to give quicker, more responsive and more direct answers, even adopting the short-video formats Gen Z consumes — while never losing control of scientific research methods, so that only rigorous outputs are passed on.