Нанотехнологические риски и их восприятие обществом

The development and implementation of modern and innovative products are not always considered humanitarian risks that leads to the categorical rejection of certain technologies, entire areas of scientific knowledge, to the freezing of large-scale projects (nuclear physics after the accidents at nuclear reactors in Ukraine and Japan, genetic engineering, etc.). In the context of attention to environmental issues and discussion of the negative effects of the existing technological processes for the environment were inevitable issues in the agenda the question of the possible risks of using products developed with the use of nanotechnology. Social and humanitarian analysis of technological risks abroad is an important area of the research. In this paper we consider the process of formation of this research (in the context of the development of nanotechnology), and discuss the sociological aspects of the problem. Analysis of the data of sociological research, conducted by Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) in 2014, allowed us to estimate the level of understanding of the content of the Russian nanotechnological processes, and to identify dominant in the public consciousness fears and expectations associated with the development of nanotechnologies in Russia. The study showed the presence of sustained high interest of general public in the topic of nanotechnology.