Starting off on the wrong foot: the public perceptions of nanotechnologies and the deficit model

There are still relatively few empirical or theoretical studies on the public perception of nanotechnologies. Those that exist evince a recurrent concern which can be summed up as follows: the emerging sector of nanotechnologies must take care not to repeat the mistakes committed by biotechnologies. Biotechnologies are cited here as a paradigmatic example because of their failure from the outset to take their ‘social impact’ seriously. Many commentators maintain that the opposition to biotechnologies is due to the combined action of three factors: widespread ignorance about the subject, an increasingly entrenched anti-scientific culture, and disinformation by the media. However, there are good reasons and sufficient empirical evidence to doubt the accuracy of this interpretation. Consequently, more than increasing the commitment in communication as a one-way process, it instead seems necessary to invest in participation, reconfiguring communication between scientists and citizens as a dialogue between peers rather than as a strategy of top-down persuasion.