Tag Archives: Australian Community Attitudes Held about Nanotechnology – Trends 2005-2011

Australians, nanotechnology, and public perception

The Australian government has released a study showing not only that Australians feel positively towards nanotechnology but those feelings have increased over time. From the August 26, 2011 news item on Nanowerk,

Australians are increasingly positive about nanotechnology, in particular its potential to improve our lives, according to a study (“Australian Community Attitudes Held about Nanotechnology – Trends 2005-2011”) by independent company Market Attitude Research Services.

Releasing the findings of a study of public attitudes towards nanotechnologies, Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said the Gillard Labor Government was working with researchers and industry to ensure the benefits of nanotechnology were realised, while ensuring any risks were identified and managed.

“This study is the fifth conducted since 2005 and in that time we have found the understanding of nanotechnology is increasing,” Senator Carr said.

“Seventy-six per cent of those surveyed said they were aware of nanotechnology, compared to 51 per cent in 2005.

I’m particularly interested in the exceptionally high level of nanotechnology awareness there is in Australia. The latest (2008) figures I have for the US indicate that public awareness hovers at 30% as it has since 2005 (Sept. 28, 2009 news item on Nanowerk). From most of the material I’ve read, public awareness about nanotechnology is considered quite low in North America (Canada and the US [I’ve not seen any information about Mexico]) and Europe.

I have looked at the Australian report (the version I found is a short report on a series of slides) and there is no speculation about how such a high level of awareness was achieved. There are no references to any other studies about nanotechnology awareness in other countries or regions (in fact, no references at all).

The version of the report I’ve read is a fairly quick read (19 slides) which notes methodological changes year to year. I would have liked to have seen all of the questions in the order in which they were asked in the survey of 1100 Australians so that I might better understand the results.

Australians were strongly in favour of nanotechnology for medical purposes in common with the British who also expressed favourable views for medical uses of nanotechnology in their own earlier study. Australians were also quite positive about nanotechnology for use in  environmental clean up efforts.

From the August 26, 2011 news item on Nanowerk,

Improved medical treatments and preventions attracted the highest levels of support (90 per cent) followed by improved technologies for the environment (87 per cent).

Interestingly there was a study from North Carolina State University which suggests that the public tends to view nanotechnology (when they have any awareness of it) in a more positive than negative light. From my April 14, 2011 posting,

A new study (“Comparing nanoparticle risk perceptions to other known EHS risks” [published online in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research, DOI: 10.1007/s11051-011-0325, behind a paywall]) finds that the general public thinks getting a suntan poses a greater public health risk than nanotechnology or other nanoparticle applications. The study, from North Carolina State University, compared survey respondents’ perceived risk of nanoparticles with 23 other public-health risks.

I haven’t seen anything yet that offers an in depth analysis of why the public would adopt this positive attitude toward nanotechnology.