The numbers below summarize the choices made by 37 students in CHEM-465 who were polled on 40 societal issues related to chemistry and biochemistry on the first class of the semester (first number) and the choices made by the 35 who were polled on the last day of class (number after the slash).  The 10 propositions highlighted by blue text were presented by student groups in class. Links to corresponding web-sites are provided. Initial and final responses were compared by Chi Squared analysis. The decimal in the fifth column indicates the level of significance for each with those at 0.1 or better highlighted in orange. Instructions were: Please indicate in the appropriate boxes whether you agree (A), disagree (D), are undecided (U), or couldn't care less (C) about each of the following 40 propositions relating to chemistry and society. The positive or negative wording of each proposition may or may not represent the position of the instructor.
 

A	D	U	C	p =	PROPOSITION
9/15	16/15	8/8	3/1	0.75	1. Secrecy has no place in academic research done in collaboration with the chemical industry.
11/11	16/13	10/10	0/1	0.91	2. Opportunities for women in chemistry are limited relative to those for men.
5/2	22/27	9/1	0/0	0.27	3. Taking anabolic steroids for body building is in principle no different from administering growth hormone to persons with inherited dwarfism.
5/12	21/16	11/7	0/0	0.11	4. The nature of drug addiction is such that it is irreversible. (web-site)
24/26	3/3	8/5	1/1	0.86	5. The similarity among macromolecules from humans, other animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria, strongly supports the hypothesis that all living organisms have evolved over several billion years from a common ancestor.
8/7	21/22	9/6	0/0	0.75	6. There is an objectively correct answer to any question relating to chemistry.
14/23	11/7	9/4	3/1	0.11	7. The account of creation in the Bible is in direct conflict with chemical and physical evidence for the age of the earth.   (web-site)
16/13	13/15	8/6	0/1	0.64	8. In most cases there are alternatives to using animals in research.
4/9	19/10	14/15	0/1	0.10	9. The economics of recycling aluminum are prohibitive.
11/13	10/9	15/13	1/0	0.73	10. Acid rain can be prevented without compromising industrial output.
17/8	9/14	11/13	0/0	0.11	11. The chemical industry took responsible action when confronted with evidence that the ozone layer was being depleted by fluorocarbons.
13/12	10/15	14/7	0/1	0.20	12. Federal safety regulations inhibit research and development of potentially beneficial drugs. (web-site)
20/21	12/9	4/5	1/0	0.75	13. Raising gasoline prices in the U.S. would provide the incentive for engineering automobiles with improved fuel-efficiency.
4/10	6/5	25/20	0/0	0.19	14. Without the industrial chemical reduction of atmospheric nitrogen, starvation would be rampant in third world countries.
4/7	24/18	9/9	0/1	0.46	15. The concept of "green chemistry" is incompatible with industrial practice.
20/20	1/4	11/9	2/2	0.55	16. The environmental impact of chlorinated solvents is sufficient to consider sharply reducing their industrial use.
7/19	22/13	8/2	0/1	0.003	17. Nuclear power generation is the only viable long-term solution to the energy problem. (web-site)
9/10	10/9	18/16	0/0	0.92	18. Fossil hydrocarbons are too valuable as a source of recyclable plastic to be burned for fuel.
15/16	17/15	4/4	1/0	0.92	19. Chemical and biological warfare should be considered as viable components of a national security program. (web-site)
19/19	12/9	4/4	2/3	0.85	20. The Federal Food and Drug Administration should ban the advertising claims for herbal supplements until their efficacy is demonstrated. (web-site)
14/13	8/5	12/16	1/1	0.51	21. Developing a vaccine for malaria should be a high priority objective for the NIH.
16/16	5/5	14/11	1/3	0.88	22. Because many major breakthroughs in chemistry are the result of serendipity rather than rational planning, applied research cannot over-shadow the value of basic research.
2/3	34/30	0/2	0/0	0.30	23. Knowledge of the genetic determinants of human behavior should be used to screen infants to identify and monitor people who may become criminals as adults.  (web-site)
10/26	6/2	187	2/0	0.0009	24. A significant proportion of bottled drinking water does not meet local or federal drinking water standards.  (web-site)
12/20	1/5	21/10	2/0	0.013	25. Anti-knock compounds in gasoline that have replaced tetraethyl lead are likely to produce environmental problems also.  (web-site)
19/20	3/2	14/13	0/0	0.88	26. The use of antibiotics in animal food represents a long-term health hazard to humans by promoting antibiotic resistance in pathogens.
8/7	21/14	7/13	0/1	0.20	27. The dangers of asbestos used for tiles and insulation in buildings are insufficient to warrant the high cost of its removal.
1/3	29/20	5/12	1/0	0.061	28. The risks associated with abandoned hazardous waste sites is insufficient to justify the additional risk and high cost of their cleanup.
16/18	5/4	13/13	2/0	0.84	29. Paper bags for groceries are environmentally and economically preferable to plastic bags.
18/13	2/4	15/17	0/0	0.44	30. Mercury emitted by coal-burning power plants represents a significant health concern.
2/3	20/28	13/3	1/1	0.020	31. Silicone breast implants are harmless.  (web-site)
11/7	9/6	15/21	1/1	0.29	32. "Natural" and "Organic" foods are chemically indistinguishable from their counterparts that are not-so-labeled.
9/10	9/8	16/15	2/2	0.93	33. Enantiomerically impure thalidomide should be used to treat leprosy despite the risk of birth defects.
4/9	8/5	23/21	1/0	0.25	34. Drinking water should be treated with hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine.
11/7	17/14	8/14	0/0	0.24	35. The experience with "Mad Cow Disease" in Great Britain means that there is risk of MCD associated with eating beef in the United States.
4/4	7/10	24/18	1/3	0.53	36. Recent studies show that dietary salt is not a significant factor in controlling blood pressure.
28/28	4/4	4/2	0/1	0.74	37. Cigarette smoking is the largest single cause of preventable cancer in the world.
9/9	10/10	16/14	1/2	0.96	38. The concern residents of the European Common Market have about importing genetically modified food from the United States has little to do with health issues.
12/10	7/9	16/16	1/0	0.78	39 The biochemical efficacy and safety of RU-486 as a "morning after" pill was not at issue in keeping it off the US market.
9/11	13/11	12/11	2/2	0.82	40. Olestra is a benign, non-digestible, fat substitute.