Nanotechnology And Synthetic Biology: Americans Don't Know What's Coming
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 - 07:21
in Psychology & Sociology
Almost half of US adults have heard nothing about nanotechnology, and nearly nine in 10 Americans say they have heard just a little or nothing at all about the emerging field of synthetic biology, according to a new report. Both technologies involve manipulating matter at an incredibly small scale to achieve something new. The poll found that about two-thirds of adults say they have heard nothing at all about synthetic biology, and only 2 percent say they have heard "a lot" about the new technology. Even with this very low level of awareness, a solid two-thirds of adults are willing to express an initial opinion on the potential benefits versus risks tradeoff of synthetic biology.