PCs beat solar and wind power as fave tech

Forget about Terminator-style nightmare scenarios. Most Europeans think computers will have a more positive impact on everyday life over the next 20 years than solar energy or wind power.

Nearly four out of five (79 per cent) of the 25,000 people across Europe interviewed for the European Commission's Eurobarometer technology survey said computers and IT will improve our way of life in the next 20 years. Only a pessimistic six per cent predicted IT and computers will lead to deterioration.

A similar number (78 per cent) said solar energy will have a positive impact, and 74 per cent gave wind power the thumbs-up.

But only 58 per cent said mobile phones will have a positive impact, and 15 per cent said they will make life worse - the highest negative score for any technology apart from nuclear power. Europeans are least positive about nuclear energy, biotechnology and space exploration.

But as a whole Europeans are increasingly optimistic about technology, the report found, and not risk-averse about technological innovations that are seen to promise tangible benefits.

Support for some forms of innovation has changed over time. While IT and solar energy have enjoyed high and stable levels of support in the survey since the 1990s, support for biotechnology declined steeply from 1991 to 1999 but has since climbed back to 1991 levels.

Half of Europeans said biotechnology will improve quality of life - but, while most are in favour of medical and industrial biotechnology, they are still mostly sceptical about agricultural biotech.