Public Opinion

Public opinion surveys seek to capture views on biotechnology at specific historical moments and track shifts over time. They can also provide clues about how public views are shaped by high-profile events, political climates, and cultural shifts. The Center for Genetics and Society has collected poll data from 1986 to the present. There are two main pages covering opinion polls on Heritable Human Genetic Modification and Cloning and on Animal and Pet Cloning. Sources are provided, though some external links may no longer be operative.

Manufacturing Opinion: What’s Not to Like About a Perfect Technology?

By Pete Shanks | 08.25.2020

Biopolitical Times

Here’s a provocative headline and subhead from OneZero, a publication by Medium, above an article by Emily Mullin published on August 17: Men Are Twice as Likely to Support Genetically Engineered Babies Than Women The public may be ready for gene-edited babies. This is clearly an attention-grabber...

Human Genetic Modification

A Misleading Poll on Human Genetic Technologies

By Pete Shanks | 12.16.2020

Biopolitical Times

If you ask the wrong question, you will certainly get the wrong answer. Likewise, if your questions are confusing or misleading, you may get answers that don’t make sense. In the worst of all worlds, the answers, right or wrong, can be misinterpreted to say something they clearly don’t.

The Pew survey of global attitudes to biotechnology research published on December 10 asks the wrong questions in a confusing way. This is significant, in itself and even more because all...

Genetic Selection

CGS Summary of Public Opinion Polls

Internal Content

This page displays the results of more than 60 major public opinion surveys about four...

Society

Media Coverage

Public Opinion

Was “science” on the ballot?

By Stephen Hilgartner, J. Benjamin Hurlbut, Sheila Jasanoff, Science | 02.26.2021

Aggregated News

On 7 November 2020, moments before Kamala Harris and Joe Biden began their victory speeches, giant screens flanking the stage...

U.S. Federal

A gloved pink cartoon hand holding a cartoon vial with blue liquid and 3 pink embryos in it

New Programs Allow Women To Freeze Their Eggs For Free—As Long As They Donate Half Of Them

By Kristine Thomason, Women's Health | 04.27.2023

Aggregated News

Assisted Reproduction

a black and white photo of a striped bed with a baby peaking over the edge. The left side of their face is visible.

America’s first IVF baby is pitching a way to pick the DNA of your kids

By Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review | 04.26.2023

Aggregated News

Assisted Reproduction

drawing of a scientist pointing to an illustration of a DNA strand

What Happened to Concerns About Human Enhancement?

By R. Jean Cadigan, Margaret Waltz, Rebecca Walker, Rami Major and Incidental Enhancements Research Group, The Hastings Center: Bioethics Forum | 04.25.2023

Aggregated News

Global Governance