Talk:Synthetic Society/Understanding, Perception & Ethics

Small point: I'm a little uncomfortable with the informal title "soothers." Are we trying to assuage an agitated public, or are we educating and empowering them to come to their own informed conclusions about synthetic biology? --Sophia
 * - I agree, can we call ourselves "The perceivers"? - --BC 14:38, 10 January 2006 (EST)

One thing that I was thinking about today as a potentially relevant example with respect to public understanding and perception of synthetic biology is in vitro fertilization. Initially when this new "technology" came about, I *think* there was a fair amount of worry and talk about the morality of this process and whether society should allow it to be done. However, I think ultimately the public came to accept this in vitro fertilization because they perceived it to have a "good" impact on people: it let people who couldn't otherwise have children, have children. So perhaps the best way to address public perception is to do something really great for humanity ... no small feat I know. Regardless, I think in vitro fertilization is an interesting example because it was an initially controversial technology that the public came to accept. (Correct me if I am wrong here!) -- Reshma