FLICKR, HORIA VARLANDuring the next decade, advances in the life sciences are likely to generate intense political debate in the United States and around the world. Even as conflict over human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has largely subsided, controversies may resurface as such investigations move forward, and as political conditions change. High-profile debates at the national and local levels over synthetic biology, personal genomics, and various reproductive technologies may also emerge.
Public discussion is likely to focus on a recurring set of questions that blur traditional partisan and ideological differences: Do scientific breakthroughs promote or undermine social progress? Is research being pursued too cautiously or too quickly? Do scientists respect or cross moral boundaries? Does research serve the public interest or private interests?
In a study we published this week (February 18) in PLOS ONE, we analyzed a series of nationally representative surveys collected between 2002 and 2010 with the goal of better understanding how the U.S. public came to form opinions and judgments about embryonic stem cell research. The intense campaigning on the issue across elections and states allowed for a unique retrospective comparison of the major factors that shaped public opinion. We used a ...
