Research into public perceptions of nanotechnology is becoming more rigorous with social scientists developing and testing increasingly complex theoretical models, as demonstrated by three papers in this issue. Dan Kahan and coworkers investigated the influence of cultural factors - in particular, whether individuals were pro- or anti-commerce - on attitudes towards the risks and benefits associated with nanotechnology; Dietram Scheufele and colleagues combined the results of public surveys in the US and Europe to explore the influence of religious beliefs on public perceptions of nanotechnology. In the third study Nick Pidgeon and co-workers found that energy applications of nanotechnology were viewed more positively than health applications in workshops organized in the UK and the US. (Image credit: Dariusz Miszkiel/123RF.)

Cover design by Karen Moore

Letters p87, 91 and 95; News & Views p79; Editorial p71