"More than a new wave of technology, nanotechnology is a technological tsunami, unseen until it is upon us." That' s the ominous message delivered by Canadian biotechnology advisor Pat Mooney to a group in Mexico City recently. His comments were reported in a recent article in El Universal, along with the author' s quote, " If ever an invisible threat loomed, nanotechnology is it. "

So as you can see, not everyone is a fan of nanotechnology. Not much is made in the nanotechnology community of the voices calling for a moratorium on nanotech research and development, but they do exist, and they deserve to be heard. Most disruptive technologies, from the steam engine to the telephone, met with intense resistance at their inception, and these voices offer a valuable counterpoint to those calling for unbridled development.

Unfortunately, articles like this often contain not only alarmist messages, but inaccurate information. Consider this article' s litany of alleged nanotech evils:

" Evidence is mounting that the artificial nano-particles can be hazardous to production workers and to the environment when they break down in the waste stream. The modified atoms kill both waterborne bugs and soil-dwelling micro-organisms. They have caused fatalities in lab rodents and brain damage to fish, as well. They generate free radicals, which can be precursors of cancer, and also can harm DNA. "

The article fails to point out that many natural materials could produce the same results, that almost any industrial materials can be hazardous to production workers and to the environment when they break down, or that the studies suggesting fatalities in lab rodents and brain damage to fish have failed to hold up under peer review.

The lack of research reflected in comments like this is unfortunate because it undermines other, more reasonable ones about nanomaterials, like the concern that their " popularity among big producers could displace farmers and other suppliers of traditional manufacturing inputs. The connotations of test-tube biodiversity and intellectual property patenting are among conundrums. "

The article rightly recognizes " the nanotechnology revolution, possibly the era of most sweeping innovation in history. " We all want to avoid being swept up in it and, yes, some of us fear what they see as a technological tsunami. Their voices deserve to be heard, and speakers on both sides have an obligation to provide the public with accurate, reasoned and responsible information.