Weak Signal's description 
There seems to be a general public misunderstanding of science. The way society perceives technological advances or other crises can dramatically influence their opinion and acceptance of such technologies. This has been evident for MMR, ClimateGate and the BSE crisis, and if you look at Genetic Modification, public perception has drastically affected the progress of research due to the way it has been understood, or misunderstood. In today’s climate, this is even more evident as there is open access for people to air their views through the internet increasing the scope for much more misinformed dissemination.