Making sense of uncertainty and precaution: The example of mobile telecommunications

The aims of this chapter are two-fold. Firstly, it aims to provide an introduction to research on public understandings of uncertainty and precaution. Secondly, it presents an analysis of focus group data collected in the context of the precautionary stance of the UK government to the possible health risks of mobile telecommunications. We note that there is often a lack of correspondence between uncertainty and concern. People are familiar with, and often accepting of the notion of uncertain science. Uncertainties that are inferred from seemingly unresponsive institutional structures are more disconcerting.