OPPOSITION TO FOODS MADE FROM NEW TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY GENETIC ENGINEERING, HAS BEEN INCREASING OVER TIME. RECENT ADVANCES IN GENOME-EDITING ARE WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED TO HAVE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR BENEFICIAL RESULTS, BUT RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE ACCOMPANYING POTENTIAL SCIENTIFIC, ETHICAL, REGULATORY, AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES. SINCE GENOME EDITING IS A RELATIVELY NEW PHENOMENON, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY HOW SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AFFECT CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF IT. CONSUMERS OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGY IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING PERSONAL INTERACTIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EXAMINE HOW SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA, IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS WITH EXPERTS, AND WATCHING A VIDEO AFFECT CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF GENOME EDITING. WE CONSIDER THE CASE OF GENOME-EDITED HORNLESS LIVESTOCK THAT FOCUSES ON ANIMAL WELFARE. WE WILL USE TEXT-MINING ALGORITHMS ON MAJOR SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL NEWS MEDIA WEBSITES TO UNDERSTAND THEIR IMPACT ON PUBLIC SENTIMENT ABOUT GENOME EDITING AND ANIMAL WELFARE. WE WILL HOST PUBLIC-ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND INTERVIEWS IN CALIFORNIA AND IDAHO TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SCIENTISTS, PRODUCERS, AN ETHICIST, AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE USE OF GENOME EDITING FOR HORNLESS CATTLE. WE WILL TEST WHETHER THE INTERVENTION LEADS TO IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GENOME EDITING FOR ANIMAL WELFARE DECREASES THE POLARIZATION BY ADMINISTERING PRE- AND POST-EVENT SURVEYS. FINALLY, A ONE-MINUTE VIDEO WILL BE CREATED FOR YOUTUBE FROM FOOTAGE OF THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS. SUBJECTS CAN WATCH THE VIDEO AND COMPLETE AN ONLINE SURVEY, AND THE RESULTS OF THE IN-PERSON AND ONLINE INTERVENTION CAN BE COMPARED.