Fig. 1.

Mean panelist and scientist perceptions. a Panel responses to the question “How beneficial do you believe nanotechnology will be for society over the next 20 years in each of the following areas,” and scientist responses to the question “How important do you believe nanotechnology’s benefits will be for society over the next 20 years in each of the following areas.” b Panel responses to the question “How risky do you believe nanotechnology will be for society over the 20 years with respect to each of the following areas,” and scientist responses to the question “How important do you believe nanotechnology’s risks will be for society over the next 20 years in each of the following areas.” c Panel responses to the question “How important do you believe it is to have regulations to control nanotechnology’s risk in each of the following areas,” and scientist response to the question “How important do you believe it is to have regulations to control nanotechnology’s risks in each of the following areas.” Standard deviations for benefits ranged from 0.785 to 1.155; for risks from 1.009 to 1.300; and for regulation from 0.950 to 1.399 across all groups