Science and the Public in New Information Environments

Audiences for science and technology information in traditional news outlets are shrinking, and recent data suggest that citizens increasingly turn to online sources for information about emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology. This raises a number of questions. How does the lay public approach this wealth of online information about scientific topics? What social media conversations are individuals engaging on? And more importantly, what types of impact are these new information environments having on public attitudes toward science?