Reaction and reflection in nanotech debate

Filed in archive News on June 11, 2006

Have you noticed the trend in the nanotech debate lately to respond to the latest hot topic at the expense of more long-term concerns? The latest bandwagon seems to be risk, perhaps because the nanotech-is-going-to-make-you-a-millionaire bandwagon has run out of gas.

Lately every newsletter, conference and blogpost seems to center on risk, and I think that to a certain extent that trend centers on the attention garnered in the mainstream media by the Magic Nano flap. No one likes to be ignored, and if we see a topic grabbing headlines it's easy to fall in with that discussion.

Not that risk isn't one of most urgent issues in nanotech today. I only offer it as an example of the latest trend. Rather, my concern is that the greatest breakthroughs and the deepest insights don't come from simply responding to current trends; they come from the intensive study and debate of first principles.

For nanotech, those include social and environmental consequences, feasibility, human enhancement, the role of science in society, the role of the public in science, and our relationship to nature.

The fact, for example, that nanotechnology has the potential to completely revamp our relationship to nature, giving us the power to design and control it like never before, is almost entirely overlooked.

Fortunately, the nanotech debate is of such magnitude that there are a wide range of organizations and individuals out there covering an equally wide range of issues. As for nanotechbuzz, we'll continue to give you the latest news as well as insights on the deeper issues behind the news as this amazing technology unfolds.