As research into the public perception of nanotechnology becomes more complex and rigorous, it is increasingly clear that greater public awareness of nanotechnology will not, on its own, automatically lead to widespread public acceptance. So starts the Editorial in the current (February) issue of Nature Nanotechnology (4, 71; 2009). The Editorial is part of a special focus of the journal on public perceptions of nanotechnology, consisting in addition to the Editorial of three Letters (reports of original research), a News and Views article and a Thesis article, as well as a library of related articles from the journal’s archive. In his Thesis article, Chris Toumey of the University of South Carolina NanoCenter describes new research by social scientists that is presenting a clearer picture of the factors that influence the public perception of nanotechnology and the challenges for those working to increase public acceptance of nanoscience and technology. “Together these studies alert us that reactions to nanotechnology will be shaped by a landscape of values, beliefs, concerns and other strong sentiments that were established in peoples’ hearts long before most people heard or cared about nanometres, van der Waal’s forces or carbon nanotubes.”

Advice to the nanotechnology community provided by authors of the articles collected in this focus includes developing social psychology tools to frame information on controversial policy issues so that people of diverse values can derive the same factual information from it; and an awarness among social nanoscientists of the importance of translating their technical research findings into language that is directly useful to others.

Nature Nanotechnology focus on public perceptions of nanotechnology.

Guide to authors of Nature Nanotechnology.

Nature Nanotechnology: Asia-Pacific and beyond forum on Nature Network.