The public and nanotechnology : How citizens make sense of emerging technologies

Report on the results from a national telephone survey on levels of knowledge about and attitudes toward nanotechnology, as an example of how citizens make sense of emerging technologies. Report finds that mass media currently plays a key role in influencing how the public thinks about nanotechnology's risks and benefits, and exerts a strong level of influence in determining the level of support among the public for further funding for research in this area.