Tag: Public opinion

A 2016 Pew Research Center survey found that only 37% of Americans trusted scientists a lot to provide accurate information about genetically modified foods, highlighting a significant knowledge gap and skepticism. This limited understanding and frequent misinformation are core drivers behind the varying consumer perceptions of GMOs across the globe. These perceptions are influenced by a complex web of factors, including media coverage, trust in regulatory bodies, and deeply held ethical and cultural beliefs.

In 1907, statistician Francis Galton observed that the average guess of a butchered ox's weight by a crowd at a fair was astoundingly accurate. This famous anecdote poses a central question: is people's choice good, and can it be trusted? The answer is far more complex than a simple yes or no, balancing the potential for collective wisdom with the dangers of popular fallacies and social pressures.