Whole Network Most Recent TOP10 Biotech Business Energy Investing

 

The coming age of nanosensors

Filed in archive Society & Ethics by george elvin on September 10, 2006

The coming age of nanosensors
Earth & Sky radio series has a new piece on how "Nanotech sensors raise privacy issues," featuring Christine Peterson, Vice President for Public Policy at the Foresight Nanotech Institute (formerly known as the Foresight Institute.)

As her hosts say, "She told us that nanotechnology - the science of the invisibly small - will ultimately let scientists develop devices for sensing just about any chemical substance imaginable. And that'll create privacy issues."

One privacy scenario Peterson envisions:
"One can imagine perhaps - I'm speculating - that eventually federal education funding might be dependent on the deployment of these sensors in the classroom. So, if there's any students present who perhaps have been indulging [in illegal drugs] the night before, alarms would ring, class would come to a halt, and those students might get in trouble."

Check out this month's issue of Nano & Society from the Center on Nanotechnology & Society if you want to learn more. I have an article there entitled, "The New Era of Nanosensors". It's not out yet, but here's a sneak preview:
"Nanotechnology is ushering in a new era of 'ubiquitous sensing,' as every day more and more nanosensors are introduced into our environment. In the not-too-distant future, these nanosensors will collect and transmit vast amounts of information about the environment and its users. This ubiquitous sensing is likely to bring a host of benefits, from customized temperature settings in buildings to personalized shopping and health monitoring. But it will also raiselinks a number of social and ethical issues. Who, for instance, will control these sensors? What information will they gather? And how will it be used?"

(photo Pam Roth)


Advertisement


Permalink: The coming age of nanosensors
Tags: nanotechnology  nanotech  nano  nanosensors  sensors  privacy  coming  coming+nanosensors 

Trackback: http://www.creative-weblogging.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.pl/35893



Advertisement


Advertisement


CW ToolbarInstall
RSSrss   | See all blog subscribe options
Googlegoogle   |   What is RSS?
Yahoo!yahoo
AddthisAddThis Feed Button
BloglinesBloglines
Newsletter
Advertisement - Book yours here.

Use our search feature to look for other interesting posts

Just this blog Whole network
Advertisement -
Book yours here..


 
Advertisement
Book yours here.



  • Other blogs in the same channel in the Creative Weblogging Network

Advertisement -
Book yours here..






Advertisement - Book yours here..
 
Tagcloud: Biotech Business Computing & Infotech Design Energy Environment & Health Events Government Institutions Investing Links Materials Medical Military News Products Regulation Research Society & Ethics Theory