Oct 22, 2006

behold the power of connotation

Change the word "cloning" to the phrase "somatic cell nuclear transfer," and hey, presto! People are more likely to support it, in any context.
Kathy Hudson and her colleagues at the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington DC asked more than 2000 Americans whether they approved of deriving stem cells from embryos produced by cloning. For half of the sample they used the term "SCNT" instead of "cloning", and this raised approval ratings from 29 per cent to 46 per cent, Hudson told a meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in New Orleans last week.
If they call it "Dr. Scientician's Magical Cure-All," approval shoots up to 86.2%.

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