In this Practice Insight, we consider challenges associated with dialogue-based public engagement with discovery science, related to a focus on application, the need for short-term policy impact, and the lack of conceptual attention to dialogue. We consider potential responses to these through our initial evaluation of The Hopes and Fears Lab engagement project. We suggest the potential value of foregrounding emotional connections with science for both researchers and members of the public, and the need for as much attention to be paid to the preparatory work and settings for dialogue as to the dialogue itself.