We live in an age where new technologies hit the marketplace at a rate that far outpaces society’s ability to engage in meaningful political debates about their ethical, legal, and political implications. Synthetic biology, nanotechnology and Big Data are only a few recent examples. This coincides with a rapid deterioration of science journalism, i.e., the institution that has traditionally helped translate complex science for lay and policy audiences. This talk explores the future of societal debates about controversial science in our highly polarized policy environment.