Essential Report
Opinion of technological change
Q. And if these things did happen, would they be good for society or bad for society?
Good for society | ||||||||||
Good for society | Neither good nor bad | Bad for society | Don’t know | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | ||
People needing an organ transplant will have new organs made for them in a laboratory | 67% | 17% | 7% | 9% | 65% | 68% | 69% | 63% | 70% | |
Humans will live in colonies on other planets | 24% | 38% | 19% | 18% | 29% | 19% | 26% | 28% | 18% | |
Humans will be able to control the weather | 20% | 26% | 38% | 16% | 24% | 16% | 17% | 23% | 20% | |
Parents will be able to alter the DNA of their offspring before birth to produce smarter, healthier children | 17% | 21% | 49% | 12% | 20% | 15% | 18% | 19% | 15% | |
Computers will be as effective as people in creating music, novels, movies and paintings | 15% | 33% | 40% | 11% | 17% | 14% | 17% | 16% | 13% | |
People will be able to live to 150 years old | 13% | 32% | 41% | 14% | 15% | 11% | 15% | 15% | 9%
|
67% think that people needing an organ transplant having new organs made for them in a laboratory will be good for society. Humans living on other planets is more likely to be seen as neither good nor bad for society (38%).
The other issues canvassed were more likely to be considered bad for society, especially being able to alter the DNA of children before birth (

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