Giving Compass' Take:

· The author reports on a new study suggesting that individuals who are skeptical of genetically modified foods are likely to be wary of nanotechnology.

· What are some worries individuals have about genetically modified foods? What are some worries individuals have about nanotechnology? 

· Check out this podcast on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

A new study shows that an individual’s perception of genetically modified organisms might impact their judgments about whether or notnanotechnology-enabled products should be labeled in stores.

GMOs are foods and organisms that have been genetically modified to alter their characteristics to achieve a specific outcome. For example, altering a tomato to increase its hardiness against pests.

Nanotechnology involves manipulating a material’s atoms and molecules at the nanoscale to improve their function, such as making a T-shirt’s fibers more resistant to sunlight, or altering a golf club’s surface to help it hit balls harder.

“Most people do not have the time nor resources to keep up with every scientific advancement, and so they might rely on past experiences or judgments to make decisions about new technologies,” says Heather Akin, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri and coauthor of the study, which appears in the Journal of Responsible Innovation.

Read the full article about GMOs and nanotechnology by Cailin Riley-Missouri at Futurity.