Landmark poll shows that 9 in 10 Americans want to know more about the development of emerging technologies
Nanotechnology and synthetic biology continue to develop as two of the most exciting areas of scientific discovery, but research has shown that the public is almost completely unaware of the science and its applications. A groundbreaking poll of 1,001 American adults conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) found that 90 percent of Americans think the public should be better informed about the development of cutting-edge technologies.
"Historically, government and industry have done a poor job of informing and engaging the public about scientific developments that could have transformative impacts on society," said David Rejeski, director of PEN. "The poll showed that better communication is needed and could be beneficial in securing the promise of our investments in science."
The poll, which was conducted by the same firm that produces the well-known NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls, revealed that the proportion of adults who say they have heard a lot or some about synthetic biology more than doubled in the past year (from 9 percent to 22 percent). Awareness of nanotechnology (30 percent have heard a lot or some) increased slightly since last year, putting it back at the same level measured in 2006. A report which summarizes the findings of the poll can be found at http://www.nanotechproject.org/news/archive/hart4/.