Public perception of nanotechnology can quickly turn sour

Man looking at the phone screeen from which an angry blue Twitter bird is coming out

Source: © Michael Villegas/Ikon Images

Policymakers and scientists should consider the risks of uninformed twitterstorms

Scientists should be aware of the impact social media could have on their work. A new study shows that to reduce the chance of disruption due to legislative, regulatory or funding changes linked to public opinion, it is important to include social media when considering risk.