Are Italians and Europeans really sceptical towards Biotechnology? How have the media contributed to configure a distinction between red and green biotech? How can scientific expertise and public participation be integrated with regard to issues like biotechnologies?
Biotech is an emblematic case of the recent – and not rarely overwhelming – transformations investing scientific research and technological innovation in contemporary societies.
Edited by Massimiano Bucchi and Federico Neresini, “Cells and citizens. Biotechnology in the public sphere” (Sironi, Milano, 2006) analyses the debate on biotechnology, highlighting public opinion and media attitudes and tracing the history of regulation and public involvement in decision-making processes.
Questioning widely spread stereotypes, the authors explore the reasons underlying alleged public scepticism, identifying citizens participation in these issues as one of the crucial challenges for contemporary science and democracy.
Essays by Valeria Arzenton, Martin Bauer, Andrea Lorenzet, Giuseppe Pellegrini, Mariachiara Tallacchini, Giuseppe Testa, Brian Wynne.
More information on the Sironi editore website.
The book has been presented the 20th of October in Vicenza, with an introduction of Paolo Madron, Panorama magazine’s vice editor, the 2nd of November in Genoa, during the Science Festival.
It will also be discussed the 27th of November in Milan, during a round table on biotechnology (download the program). Among the speakers, Mariachiara Tallacchini (Faculty of Politics, University of Milan) Dario Casati (Faculty di Agricolture, University of Milan) Gianna Milano (Panorama’s journalist) e Roberta Sala (Faculty of Philosophy, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan).
