RISK KNOWLEDGE AND RISK ATTITUDES REGARDING NUCLEAR-ENERGY SOURCES INSPACE

A series of four studies examined the relationship between how much pe ople know about the risks of using nuclear energy sources in space and how they feel about the technology. We found that the more people kno w, the more favorable they are-except for two groups of people selecte d from organizations with strong pro-industry or pro-environment posit ions. These results suggest that a technology will get a more favorabl e hearing if it can get its message out-providing that it has a legiti mate story to tell and that the situation has not become too polarized already. The limits to these conclusions are discussed.