Religion Affects Americans’ Views of Nanotechnology

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In a study conducted by Arizona State University, only 29.5 percent of the respondents thought nanotechnology was morally acceptable. That compares to 54.1 percent in the United Kingdom, 62.7 percent in Germany and 72.1 percent in France.

Nanotechnology is a branch of science that focuses on developing, designing and producing materials, structures, devices and circuits at the smallest possible scale. There are dozens of products that make use of this kind of technology already on the market.

Dietram Scheufele, Ph.D., professor of life sciences communication at University of Wisconsin-Madison presented the information at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science held in Madison, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2008. Dr. Scheufele who conducted the survey with colleague Elizabeth Corley, thinks the core of the difference between Americans and European attitudes is religion. “The United States is a country where religion plays an important role in peoples’ lives. The importance or religion in these different countries that shows up in data set after data set parallels exactly the differences we’re seeing in terms of moral views. European countries have a much more secular perspective,” Dr. Scheufele was quoted as saying.

Dr. Scheufele believes that Americans with strong religious convictions lump nanotechnology, biotechnology and stem cell research together as a means to enhance human qualities which to them is viewed as “playing God”. He also says these moral qualms are not rooted in a lack of understanding. The respondents were well informed about nanotechnology and its potential benefits.

“They still oppose it,” says Dr. Scheufele. “They are rejecting it based on religious beliefs. The issue isn’t about informing these people. They are informed.”

Dr. Scheufele thinks the scientific community needs to do a better job of placing technology in context and understanding the attitudes of the American public.

The study was done under he auspices of the National Science Foundation funded Center for Nanotechnology in Society at ASU.

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SOURCE: American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, Feb. 14-18, 2008, in Boston, Mass.