Making sense of policy choices: understanding the roles of value predispositions, mass media, and cognitive processing in public attitudes toward nanotechnology

Using a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,015 adults in the United States, this study examines how value predispositions, communication variables, and perceptions of risks and benefits are associated with public support for federal funding of nanotechnology. Our findings show that highly religious individuals were less supportive of funding of nanotech than less religious individuals, whereas individuals who held a high deference for scientific authority were more supportive of funding of the emerging technology than those low in deference. Mass media use and elaborative processing of scientific news were positively associated with public support for funding, whereas factual scientific knowledge had no significant association with policy choices. The findings suggest that thinking about and reflecting upon scientific news promote better understanding of the scientific world and may provide a more sophisticated cognitive structure for the public to form opinions about nanotech than factual scientific knowledge. Finally, heuristic cues including trust in scientists and perceived risks and benefits of nanotech were found to be associated with public support for nanotech funding. We conclude with policy implications that will be useful for policymakers and science communication practitioners.     

The Maxwell Electromagnetic Equations and the Lorentz Type Force Derivation—The Feynman Approach Legacy

R. Feynman’s “heretical” approach (Dyson in Am. J. Phys. 58:209–211, 1990; Dyson in Phys. Today 42(2):32–38, 1989) to deriving the Lorentz force based Maxwell electromagnetic equations is revisited, the its complete legacy is argued both by means of the geometric considerations and its deep relation with the vacuum field theory approach devised (Prykarpatsky et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 49:798–820, 2010; Prykarpatsky et al. in Preprint ICTP, 2008, ). Being completely classical, we reanalyze the Feynman’s derivation from the classical Lagrangian and Hamiltonian points of view and construct its nontrivial relativistic generalization compatible with the vacuum field theory approach.     

On Consistency of the Quantum-Like Representation Algorithm

In this paper we continue to study so-called “inverse Born’s rule problem”: to construct a representation of probabilistic data of any origin by a complex probability amplitude which matches Born’s rule. The corresponding algorithm—quantum-like representation algorithm (QLRA)—was recently proposed by A. Khrennikov (Found. Phys. 35(10):1655–1693, 2005; Physica E 29:226–236, 2005; Dokl. Akad. Nauk 404(1):33–36, 2005; J. Math. Phys. 46(6):062111–062124, 2005; Europhys. Lett. 69(5):678–684, 2005). Formally QLRA depends on the order of conditioning. For two observables (of any origin, e.g., physical or biological) a and b, b|a- and a|b conditional probabilities produce two representations, say in Hilbert spaces H ^b|a and H ^a|b . In this paper we prove that under “natural assumptions” (which hold, e.g., for quantum observables represented by operators with nondegenerate spectra) these two representations are unitary equivalent. This result proves the consistency of QLRA.     

The morality of attitudes toward nanotechnology: about God,techno-scientific progress,and interfering with nature

Using survey data, we examine public attitudes toward and awareness of nanotechnology in Germany (N = 750). First, it is shown that a majority of the people are still not familiar with nanotechnology. In addition, diffusion of information about nanotechnology thus far mostly seems to reach men and people with a relative higher educational background. Also, pro-science and technology views are positively related with nanotech familiarity. Results further show that a majority of the people have an indifferent, ambiguous, or non-attitude toward nanotechnology. Multinomial logit analyses further reveal that nanotech familiarity is positively related with people’s attitudes. In addition, it is shown that traditional religiosity is unrelated to attitudes and that individual religiosity is weakly related to nanotechnology attitudes. However, moral covariates other than religiosity seem of major importance. In particular, our results show that more negative views on technological and scientific progress as well as more holistic views about the relation between people and the environment increase the likelihood of having a negative attitude toward nanotechnology.     

A Macroscopic Model for a System of Swarming Agents Using Curvature Control

In this paper, we study the macroscopic limit of a new model of collective displacement. The model, called PTWA, is a combination of the Vicsek alignment model (Vicsek et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 75(6):1226–1229, 1995) and the Persistent Turning Walker (PTW) model of motion by curvature control (Degond and Motsch in J. Stat. Phys. 131(6):989–1021, 2008; Gautrais et al. in J. Math. Biol. 58(3):429–445, 2009). The PTW model was designed to fit measured trajectories of individual fish (Gautrais et al. in J. Math. Biol. 58(3):429–445, 2009). The PTWA model (Persistent Turning Walker with Alignment) describes the displacements of agents which modify their curvature in order to align with their neighbors. The derivation of its macroscopic limit uses the non-classical notion of generalized collisional invariant introduced in (Degond and Motsch in Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 18(1):1193–1215, 2008). The macroscopic limit of the PTWA model involves two physical quantities, the density and the mean velocity of individuals. It is a system of hyperbolic type but is non-conservative due to a geometric constraint on the velocity. This system has the same form as the macroscopic limit of the Vicsek model (Degond and Motsch in Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 18(1):1193–1215, 2008) (the ‘Vicsek hydrodynamics’) but for the expression of the model coefficients. The numerical computations show that the numerical values of the coefficients are very close. The ‘Vicsek Hydrodynamic model’ appears in this way as a more generic macroscopic model of swarming behavior as originally anticipated.     

Towards Quantum Computational Logics

Quantum computational logics have recently stirred increasing attention (Cattaneo et al. in Math. Slovaca 54:87–108, 2004; Ledda et al. in Stud. Log. 82(2):245–270, 2006; Giuntini et al. in Stud. Log. 87(1):99–128, 2007). In this paper we outline their motivations and report on the state of the art of the approach to the logic of quantum computation that has been recently taken up and developed by our research group.     

Quantum-Like Model for Decision Making Process in?Two Players Game A Non-Kolmogorovian Model

In experiments of games, players frequently make choices which are regarded as irrational in game theory. In papers of Khrennikov (Information Dynamics in Cognitive, Psychological and Anomalous Phenomena. Fundamental Theories of Physics, Kluwer Academic, Norwell, 2004; Fuzzy Sets Syst. 155:4–17, 2005; Biosystems 84:225–241, 2006; Found. Phys. 35(10):1655–1693, 2005; in QP-PQ Quantum Probability and White Noise Analysis, vol. XXIV, pp. 105–117, 2009), it was pointed out that statistics collected in such the experiments have “quantum-like” properties, which can not be explained in classical probability theory. In this paper, we design a simple quantum-like model describing a decision-making process in a two-players game and try to explain a mechanism of the irrational behavior of players. Finally we discuss a mathematical frame of non-Kolmogorovian system in terms of liftings (Accardi and Ohya, in Appl. Math. Optim. 39:33–59, 1999).     

Singular Harmonic Maps and Applications to General Relativity

The study of axially symmetric stationary multi-black-hole configurations and the force between co-axially rotating black holes involves, as a first step, an analysis on the “boundary regularity” of the so-called reduced singular harmonic maps. We carry out this analysis by considering those harmonic maps as solutions to some homogeneous divergence systems of partial differential equations with singular coefficients. Our results extend previous works by Weinstein (Comm Pure Appl Math 43:903–948, 1990; Comm Pure Appl Math 45:1183–1203, 1992) and by Li and Tian (Manu Math 73(1):83–89, 1991; Commun Math Phys 149:1–30, 1992; Differential geometry: PDE on manifolds, vol 54, pp. 317–326, 1993). This paper is based on the Ph.D. thesis of the author (Singular harmonic maps into hyperbolic spaces and applications to general relativity, PhD thesis, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers, 2009).     

National nanotechnology partnership to protect workers

Nanotechnology is predicted to improve many aspects of human life. By 2015, it is estimated to represent $3.1 trillion in manufactured goods. Data is emerging that exposure to nanomaterials may pose a health risk to workers. If the economic promise of nanotechnology is to be achieved, ways need to be found to protect nanotechnology workers now. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) gave the responsibility to protect workers to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through research, standards adoption, and standards enforcement. Since 1980, adopting new occupational health standards has grown more complex. The increased complexity has greatly slowed efforts to adopt protective standards for toxic agents that are well-known to pose significant risks. The likelihood of rapidly adopting standards to protect workers from nanomaterials, whose risks are just emerging, seems even more unlikely. Use of the OSHAct’s general duty clause to protect workers also seems uncertain at this time. In the interim, a national partnership led by NIOSH involving nanotech manufacturers and downstream users, workers, academic researchers, safety, and health practitioners is proposed. A National Nanotechnology Partnership would generate knowledge about the nature and the extent of worker risk, utilize that knowledge to develop risk control strategies to protect nanotechnology workers now, and provide an evidence base for NIOSH recommendations to OSHA for a nanotechnology program standard at a future date.     

The Public and Nanotechnology: How Citizens Make Sense of Emerging Technologies

We report findings from a national telephone survey on levels of knowledge about and attitudes toward nanotechnology that demonstrate how people make decisions about emerging technologies. Our findings confirm previous research that suggests that people form opinions and attitudes even in the absence of relevant scientific or policy-related information. In fact, our data show that cognitive shortcuts or heuristics – often provided by mass media – are currently a key factor in influencing how the public thinks about nanotechnology and about its risks and benefits, and in determining the level of support among the public for further funding for research in this area.     

On Steady Distributions of Kinetic Models of Conservative Economies

We analyze the large-time behavior of various kinetic models for the redistribution of wealth in simple market economies introduced in the pertinent literature in recent years. As specific examples, we study models with fixed saving propensity introduced by Chakraborti and Chakrabarti (Eur. Phys. J. B 17:167–170, 2000), as well as models involving both exchange between agents and speculative trading as considered by Cordier et al. (J. Stat. Phys. 120:253–277, 2005) We derive a sufficient criterion under which a unique non-trivial stationary state exists, and provide criteria under which these steady states do or do not possess a Pareto tail. In particular, we prove the absence of Pareto tails in pointwise conservative models, like the one in (Eur. Phys. J. B 17:167–170, 2000), while models with speculative trades introduced in (J. Stat. Phys. 120:253–277, 2005) develop fat tails if the market is “risky enough”. The results are derived by a Fourier-based technique first developed for the Maxwell-Boltzmann equation (Gabetta et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 81:901–934, 1995; Bisi et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 118(1–2):301–331, 2005; Pareschi and Toscani in J. Stat. Phys. 124(2–4):747–779, 2006) and from a recursive relation which allows to calculate arbitrary moments of the stationary state.     

Quantum-Gravity Thermodynamics, Incorporating the?Theory of Exactly Soluble Active Stochastic Processes, with Applications

A re-visitation of QFT is first cited, deriving the Feynman integral from the theory of active stochastic processes (Glueck and Hueffler, Phys. Lett. B. 659(1–2):447–451, 2008; Hueffel and Kelnhofer, Phys. Lett. B 588(1–2):145–150, 2004). We factor the lie group “generator” of the inverse wavefunction over an entropy-maximizing basis. Performing term-by-term Ito-integration leads us to an analytical, evaluable trajectory for a charged particle in an arbitrary field given a Maximum-Entropy distribution. We generalize this formula to many-body electrodynamics. In theory, it is capable of predicting plasma’s thermodynamic properties from ionic spectral data and thermodynamic and optical distributions. Blessed with the absence of certain limitations (e.g., renormalization) strongly present in competing formalisms and the incorporation of research related to many different phenomena, we outline a candidate quantum gravity theory based on these developments.     

Kinetic Models with Randomly Perturbed Binary Collisions

We introduce a class of Kac-like kinetic equations on the real line, with general random collisional rules which, in some special cases, identify models for granular gases with a background heat bath (Carrillo et al. in Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 24(1):59–81, 2009), and models for wealth redistribution in an agent-based market (Bisi et al. in Commun. Math. Sci. 7:901–916, 2009). Conditions on these collisional rules which guarantee both the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium profiles and their main properties are found. The characterization of these stationary states is of independent interest, since we show that they are stationary solutions of different evolution problems, both in the kinetic theory of rarefied gases (Cercignani et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 105:337–352, 2001; Villani in J. Stat. Phys. 124:781–822, 2006) and in the econophysical context (Bisi et al. in Commun. Math. Sci. 7:901–916, 2009).     

Risk perceptions starting to shift? U.S. citizens are forming opinions about nanotechnology

This article presents early results from an opinion formation study based on a 76-member panel of U.S. citizens, with comparison data from a group of 177 nanotechnology experts. While initially similar to the expert group in terms of their perceptions of the risks, benefits, and need for regulation characterizing several forms of nanotechnology, the first follow-up survey indicates that the panel is beginning to diverge from the experts, particularly with respect to perceptions of the levels of various “societal” risks that nanotechnology might present. The data suggest that responding to public concerns may involve more than attention to physical risks in areas such as health and environment; concerns about other forms of risk actually appear more salient.     

Entropy of Stationary Nonequilibrium Measures of Boundary Driven Symmetric Simple Exclusion Processes

We examine the entropy of stationary nonequilibrium measures of boundary driven symmetric simple exclusion processes. In contrast with the Gibbs–Shannon entropy (Bahadoran in J. Stat. Phys. 126(4–5):1069–1082, 2007; Derrida et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 126(4–5):1083–1108, 2007), the entropy of nonequilibrium stationary states differs from the entropy of local equilibrium states.     

Reexamining the Security of Controlled Quantum Secure Direct Communication by Using Four Particle Cluster States

A controlled quantum secure direct communication protocol (Zhang et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 48:2971–2976, 2009) by using four particle cluster states was proposed recently. Yang et al. presented an attack with fake entangled particles (FEP attack) and gave an improvement (Yang et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 50:395–400, 2010). In this paper, we reexamine the protocol’s security and discover that, Bob can also take a different attack, disentanglement attack, to obtain Alice’s secret message without controller’s permission. Moreover, our attack strategy also works for Yang’s improvement.     

A Generalized Representation Formula for Systems of Tensor Wave Equations

In this paper, we generalize the Kirchhoff-Sobolev parametrix of Klainerman and Rodnianski (Hyperbolic Equ. 4(3):401–433, 2007) to systems of tensor wave equations with additional first-order terms. We also present a different derivation, which better highlights that such representation formulas are supported entirely on past null cones. This generalization of (Hyperbolic Equ. 4(3):401–433, 2007) is a key component for extending Klainerman and Rodnianski’s breakdown criterion result for Einstein-vacuum spacetimes in (J. Amer. Math. Soc. 23(2):345–382, 2009) to Einstein-Maxwell and Einstein-Yang-Mills spacetimes.     

Thomae Formula for General Cyclic Covers of $${{\mathbb {CP}}^1}$$

Let X be a general cyclic cover of \mathbbCP¹{\mathbb{CP}^{1}} ramified at m points, λ₁... λ _m . we define a class of non-positive divisors on X of degree g −1 supported in the pre images of the branch points on X, such that the Riemann theta function does not vanish on their image in J(X). We generalize the results of Bershadsky and Radul (Commun Math Phys 116:689–700, 1988), Nakayashiki (Publ Res Inst Math Sci 33(6):987–1015, 1997) and Enolskii and Grava (Lett Math Phys 76(2–3):187–214, 2006) and prove that up to a certain determinant of the non-standard periods of X, the value of the Riemann theta function at these divisors raised to a high enough power is a polynomial in the branch point of the curve X. Our approach is based on a refinement of Accola’s results for 3 cyclic sheeted cover (Accola, in Trans Am Math Soc 283:423–449, 1984) and a generalization of Nakayashiki’s approach explained in Nakayashiki (Publ Res Inst Math Sci 33(6):987–1015, 1997) for general cyclic covers.     

Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics of Piecewise Deterministic Markov Processes

We consider a class of stochastic dynamical systems, called piecewise deterministic Markov processes, with states (x,σ)∈Ω×Γ, Ω being a region in ℝ ^d or the d-dimensional torus, Γ being a finite set. The continuous variable x follows a piecewise deterministic dynamics, the discrete variable σ evolves by a stochastic jump dynamics and the two resulting evolutions are fully-coupled. We study stationarity, reversibility and time-reversal symmetries of the process. Increasing the frequency of the σ-jumps, the system behaves asymptotically as deterministic and we investigate the structure of its fluctuations (i.e. deviations from the asymptotic behavior), recovering in a non Markovian frame results obtained by Bertini et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 87(4):040601, 2001; J. Stat. Phys. 107(3–4):635–675, 2002; J. Stat. Mech. P07014, 2007; Preprint available online at , 2008), in the context of Markovian stochastic interacting particle systems. Finally, we discuss a Gallavotti–Cohen-type symmetry relation with involution map different from time-reversal.