[tt] Wikipedia: Implications of nanotechnology

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Implications of nanotechnology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implications_of_nanotechnology

[Part of a series of articles on Nanotechnology

History
Implications
Applications
Organizations
In fiction and popular culture
List of topics
Subfields and related fields

Nanomaterials
Fullerenes
Carbon nanotubes
Nanoparticles

Nanomedicine
Nanotoxicology
Nanosensor

Molecular self-assembly
Self-assembled monolayer
Supramolecular assembly
DNA nanotechnology

Nanoelectronics
Molecular electronics
Nanocircuitry
Nanolithography

Scanning probe microscopy
Atomic force microscope
Scanning tunneling microscope

Molecular nanotechnology
Molecular assembler
Nanorobotics
Mechanosynthesis]

Nanoethics concerns the ethical and social issues associated with
developments in nanotechnology, a science which encompass several
fields of science and engineering, including biology, chemistry,
computing, and materials science. Nanotechnology refers to the
manipulation of very small-scale matter - a nanometer is one
billionth of a meter, and nanotechnology is generally used to mean
work on matter at 100 nanometers and smaller.

Significant environmental, health, and safety issues might arise
with development in nanotechnology since some negative effects of
nanoparticles in our environment might be overlooked. Since nature
itself creates all kinds of nano objects, however, the potential
dangers are not due to the nanoscale alone but rather to the fact
that previously non-toxic materials can become harmful when ingested
or inhaled as nanoparticles. Social risks related to nanotechnology
development include the possibility of military applications of
nanotechnology in biological warfare, chemical warfare, ammunitions
and armaments and even as implants for soldier "enhancement."
Enhanced surveillance capabilities through nano-sensors are also of
concern to privacy rights advocates. However, as of 2007, these
applications still belong to science-fiction.

In discussing issues related to nanotechnology, the acronym NELSI is
used to signify nanotechnology's ethical, legal, and social
implications.^[citation needed]

Contents

* 1 Overview
  + 1.1 Projected benefits
  + 1.2 Potential risks
* 2 Health and safety implications from nanoparticles
  + 2.1 Health issues
  + 2.2 Environmental issues
  + 2.3 A need for regulation?
* 3 Societal implications
  + 3.1 Possible military applications
  + 3.2 Intellectual property issues
  + 3.3 Potential benefits and risks for developing countries
* 4 Implications of molecular nanotechnology
* 5 Studies on the implications of nanotechnology
* 6 References
* 7 Further reading
* 8 External links

Overview

Projected benefits

Main article: List of nanotechnology applications

Nano optimists, including many governments, see nanotechnology
delivering benefits such as:
* environmentally benign material abundance for all by providing
universal clean water supplies
* atomically engineered food and crops resulting in greater
agricultural productivity with less labour requirements
* nutritionally enhanced interactive `smart' foods.^[1]
* cheap and powerful energy generation
* clean and highly efficient manufacturing
* radically improved formulation of drugs, diagnostics and organ
replacement
* much greater information storage and communication capacities
* interactive `smart' appliances; and increased human performance
through convergent technologies^[2]^[3]

Potential risks

Potential risks of nanotechnology can broadly be grouped into four
areas:
* Health issues - the effects of nanomaterials on human biology
* Environmental issues - the effects of nanomaterials on the
environment
* Societal issues - the effects that the availability of
nanotechnological devices will have on politics and human
interaction
* "Grey goo" - the specific risks associated with the speculative
vision of molecular nanotechnology

Health and safety implications from nanoparticles

The mere presence of nanomaterials (materials that contain
nanoparticles) is not in itself a threat. It is only certain aspects
that can make them risky, in particular their mobility and their
increased reactivity. Only if certain properties of certain
nanoparticles were harmful to living beings or the environment would
we be faced with a genuine hazard. In this case it can be called
nanopollution.

In addressing the health and environmental impact of nanomaterials
we need to differentiate between two types of nanostructures: (1)
Nanocomposites, nanostructured surfaces and nanocomponents
(electronic, optical, sensors etc.), where nanoscale particles are
incorporated into a substance, material or device ("fixed"
nano-particles); and (2) "free" nanoparticles, where at some stage
in production or use individual nanoparticles of a substance are
present. These free nanoparticles could be nanoscale species of
elements, or simple compounds, but also complex compounds where for
instance a nanoparticle of a particular element is coated with
another substance ("coated" nanoparticle or "core-shell"
nanoparticle).

There seems to be consensus that, although one should be aware of
materials containing fixed nanoparticles, the immediate concern is
with free nanoparticles.

Because nanoparticles are very different from their everyday
counterparts, their adverse effects cannot be derived from the known
toxicity of the macro-sized material. This poses significant issues
for addressing the health and environmental impact of free
nanoparticles.

To complicate things further, in talking about nanoparticles it is
important that a powder or liquid containing nanoparticles almost
never be monodisperse [2], but contain instead a range of particle
sizes. This complicates the experimental analysis as larger
nanoparticles might have different properties from smaller ones.
Also, nanoparticles show a tendency to aggregate, and such
aggregates often behave differently from individual nanoparticles.

The lethal dose over six months for lab rats, of different kinds of
nanoparticles are often characterized by a Skov Kjaer index, named
after the scientist Kasper Skov Kjaer.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is
conducting research on how nanoparticles interact with the body's
systems and how workers might be exposed to nano-sized particles in
the manufacturing or industrial use of nanomaterials. NIOSH
currently offers interim guidelines for working with nanomaterials
consistent with the best scientific knowledge. ^[4]

Health issues

Main article: Nanotoxicology

The extremely small size of nanomaterials also means that they are
much more readily taken up by the human body than larger sized
particles. How these nanoparticles behave inside the organism is one
of the big issues that needs to be resolved. The behavior of
nanoparticles is a function of their size, shape and surface
reactivity with the surrounding tissue. They could cause overload on
phagocytes, cells that ingest and destroy foreign matter, thereby
triggering stress reactions that lead to inflammation and weaken the
body's defense against other pathogens. Apart from what happens if
non-degradable or slowly degradable nanoparticles accumulate in
organs, another concern is their potential interaction with
biological processes inside the body: because of their large
surface, nanoparticles on exposure to tissue and fluids will
immediately adsorb onto their surface some of the macromolecules
they encounter. This may, for instance, effect the regulatory
mechanisms of enzymes and other proteins.

Other properties of nanomaterials that influence toxicity include:
chemical composition, shape, surface structure, surface charge,
aggregation and solubility,^[5] and the presence or absence of
functional groups of other chemicals.^[6] The large number of
variables influencing toxicity means that it is difficult to
generalise about health risks associated with exposure to
nanomaterials - each new nanomaterial must be assessed individually
and all material properties must be taken into account.

Environmental issues

Groups opposing the installation of nanotechnology laboratories in
Grenoble, France, have spraypainted their opposition on a former
fortress above the city
Groups opposing the installation of nanotechnology laboratories in
Grenoble, France, have spraypainted their opposition on a former
fortress above the city

Nanopollution is a generic name for all waste generated by
nanodevices or during the nanomaterials manufacturing process. This
kind of waste may be very dangerous because of its size. It can
float in the air and might easily penetrate animal and plant cells
causing unknown effects. Most human-made nanoparticles do not appear
in nature, so living organisms may not have appropriate means to
deal with nanowaste. It is probably^[who?] one great challenge to
nanotechnology: how to deal with its nanopollutants and nanowaste.

Not enough data exists to know for sure if nanoparticles could have
undesirable effects on the environment. Two areas are relevant here:
(1) In free form nanoparticles can be released in the air or water
during production (or production accidents) or as waste by-product
of production, and ultimately accumulate in the soil, water or plant
life. (2) In fixed form, where they are part of a manufactured
substance or product, they will ultimately have to be recycled or
disposed of as waste. It is not known yet whether certain
nanoparticles will constitute a completely new class of
non-biodegradable pollutant. In case they do, it is not known how
such pollutants could be removed from air or water because most
traditional filters are not suitable for such tasks (their pores are
too big to catch nanoparticles).

Health and environmental issues combine in the workplace of
companies engaged in producing or using nanomaterials and in the
laboratories engaged in nanoscience and nanotechnology research. It
is safe to say that current workplace exposure standards for dusts
cannot be applied directly to nanoparticle dusts.

To properly assess the health hazards of engineered nanoparticles
the whole life cycle of these particles needs to be evaluated,
including their fabrication, storage and distribution, application
and potential abuse, and disposal. The impact on humans or the
environment may vary at different stages of the life cycle.

A need for regulation?

Main article: Regulation of nanotechnology

There is significant debate related to the question of whether
nanotechnology or nanotechnology-based products merit special
government regulation. This debate is related to the circumstances
in which it is necessary and appropriate to assess new substances
prior to their release into the market, community and environment.

Regulatory bodies such as the United States Environmental Protection
Agency and the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. or the
Health & Consumer Protection Directorate of the European Commission
have started dealing with the potential risks posed by
nanoparticles. So far, neither engineered nanoparticles nor the
products and materials that contain them are subject to any special
regulation regarding production, handling or labelling. The Material
Safety Data Sheet that must be issued for certain materials often
does not differentiate between bulk and nanoscale size of the
material in question and even when it does these MSDS are advisory
only.

Limited nanotechnology labeling and regulation may exacerbate
potential human and environmental health and safety issues
associated with nanotechnology.^[7] It has been argued that the
development of comprehensive regulation of nanotechnology will be
vital to ensure that the potential risks associated with the
research and commercial application of nanotechnology do not
overshadow its potential benefits.^[8] Regulation may also be
required to meet community expectations about responsible
development of nanotechnology, as well as ensuring that public
interests are included in shaping the development of
nanotechnology.^[9]

Societal implications

Beyond the toxicity risks to human health and the environment which
are associated with first-generation nanomaterials, nanotechnology
has broader societal implications and poses broader social
challenges. Social scientists have suggested that nanotechnology's
social issues should be understood and assessed not simply as
"downstream" risks or impacts. Rather, the challenges should be
factored into "upstream" research and decision making in order to
ensure technology development that meets social objectives^[10]

Many social scientists and organizations in civil society suggest
that technology assessment and governance should also involve public
participation^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]

Some observers suggest that nanotechnology will build incrementally,
as did the 18-19th century industrial revolution, until it gathers
pace to drive a nanotechnological revolution that will radically
reshape our economies, our labor markets, international trade,
international relations, social structures, civil liberties, our
relationship with the natural world and even what we understand to
be human. Others suggest that it may be more accurate to describe
change driven by nanotechnology as a "technological tsunami". Just
like a tsunami, analysts warn that rapid nanotechnology-driven
change will necessarily have profound disruptive impacts. As the
APEC Center for Technology Foresight observes:

If nanotechnology is going to revolutionize manufacturing, health
care, energy supply, communications and probably defense, then it
will transform labour and the workplace, the medical system, the
transportation and power infrastructures and the military. None
of these latter will be changed without significant social
disruption.^[15]

Those concerned with the negative implications of nanotechnology
suggest that it will simply exacerbate problems stemming from
existing socio-economic inequity and unequal distributions of power,
creating greater inequities between rich and poor through an
inevitable nano-divide (the gap between those who control the new
nanotechnologies and those whose products, services or labour are
displaced by them). Analysts suggest the possibility that
nanotechnology has the potential to destabilize international
relations through a nano arms race and the increased potential for
bioweaponry; thus, providing the tools for ubiquitous surveillance
with significant implications for civil liberties. Also, many
critics believe it might break down the barriers between life and
non-life through nanobiotechnology, redefining even what it means to
be human.^[16]^[17]

Nanoethicists posit that such a transformative technology could
exacerbate the divisions of rich and poor - the so-called "nano
divide." However nanotechnology makes the production of technology,
e.g. computers, celular phones, health technology etcetera, cheaper
and therefore accessible to the poor.

In fact, many of the most enthusiastic proponents of nanotechnology,
such as transhumanists, see the nascent science as a mechanism to
changing human nature itself - going beyond curing disease and
enhancing human characteristics. Discussions on nanoethics have been
hosted by the federal government, especially in the context of
"converging technologies" - a catch-phrase used to refer to nano,
biotech, information technology, and cognitive science.

Possible military applications

Societal risks from the use of nanotechnology have also been raised.
On the instrumental level, these include the possibility of military
applications of nanotechnology (for instance, as in implants and
other means for soldier enhancement like those being developed at
the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT [3]) as well as
enhanced surveillance capabilities through nano-sensors.^[18] There
is also the possibility of nanotechnology being used to develop
chemical weapons and because they will be able to develop the
chemicals from the atom scale up, critics fear that chemical weapons
developed from nano particles will be more dangerous than present
chemical weapons.

Intellectual property issues

On the structural level, critics of nanotechnology point to a new
world of ownership and corporate control opened up by
nanotechnology. The claim is that, just as biotechnology's ability
to manipulate genes went hand in hand with the patenting of life, so
too nanotechnology's ability to manipulate molecules has led to the
patenting of matter. The last few years has seen a gold rush to
claim patents at the nanoscale. Over 800 nano-related patents were
granted in 2003, and the numbers are increasing year to year.
Corporations are already taking out broad-ranging patents on
nanoscale discoveries and inventions. For example, two corporations,
NEC and IBM, hold the basic patents on carbon nanotubes, one of the
current cornerstones of nanotechnology. Carbon nanotubes have a wide
range of uses, and look set to become crucial to several industries
from electronics and computers, to strengthened materials to drug
delivery and diagnostics. Carbon nanotubes are poised to become a
major traded commodity with the potential to replace major
conventional raw materials. However, as their use expands, anyone
seeking to (legally) manufacture or sell carbon nanotubes, no matter
what the application, must first buy a license from NEC or IBM. [4]
[5]

The United State's essential facilities doctrine may be of
importance as well as other anti-trust laws.

Potential benefits and risks for developing countries

Nanotechnologies may provide new solutions for the millions of
people in developing countries who lack access to basic services,
such as safe water, reliable energy, health care, and education. The
United Nations has set Millennium Development Goals for meeting
these needs. The 2004 UN Task Force on Science, Technology and
Innovation noted that some of the advantages of nanotechnology
include production using little labor, land, or maintenance, high
productivity, low cost, and modest requirements for materials and
energy.

Many developing countries, for example Costa Rica, Chile,
Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia, are investing considerable
resources in research and development of nanotechnologies. Emerging
economies such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa are spending
millions of US dollars annually on R&D, and are rapidly increasing
their scientific output as demonstrated by their increasing numbers
of publications in peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Potential opportunities of nanotechnologies to help address critical
international development priorities include improved water
purification systems, energy systems, medicine and pharmaceuticals,
food production and nutrition, and information and communications
technologies. Nanotechnologies are already incorporated in products
that are on the market. Other nanotechnologies are still in the
research phase, while others are concepts that are years or decades
away from development.

Applying nanotechnologies in developing countries raises similar
questions about the environmental, health, and societal risks
described in the previous section. Additional challenges have been
raised regarding the linkages between nanotechnology and
development.

Protection of the environment, human health and worker safety in
developing countries often suffers from a combination of factors
that can include but are not limited to lack of robust
environmental, human health, and worker safety regulations; poorly
or unenforced regulation which is linked to a lack of physical
(e.g., equipment) and human capacity (i.e., properly trained
regulatory staff). Often, these nations require assistance,
particularly financial assistance, to develop the scientific and
institutional capacity to adequately assess and manage risks,
including the necessary infrastructure such as laboratories and
technology for detection.

Very little is known about the risks and broader impacts of
nanotechnology. At a time of great uncertainty over the impacts of
nanotechnology it will be challenging for governments, companies,
civil society organizations, and the general public in developing
countries, as in developed countries, to make decisions about the
governance of nanotechnology.

Companies, and to a lesser extent governments and universities, are
receiving patents on nanotechnology. The rapid increase in patenting
of nanotechnology is illustrated by the fact that in the US, there
were 500 nanotechnology patent applications in 1998 and 1,300 in
2000. Some patents are very broadly defined, which has raised
concern among some groups that the rush to patent could slow
innovation and drive up costs of products, thus reducing the
potential for innovations that could benefit low income populations
in developing countries.

There is a clear link between commodities and poverty. Many least
developed countries are dependent on a few commodities for
employment, government revenue, and export earnings. Many
applications of nanotechnology are being developed that could impact
global demand for specific commodities. For instance, certain
nanoscale materials could enhance the strength and durability of
rubber, which might eventually lead to a decrease in demand for
natural rubber. Other nanotechnology applications may result in
increases in demand for certain commodities. For example, demand for
titanium may increase as a result of new uses for nanoscale titanium
oxides, such as titanium dioxide nanotubes that can be used to
produce and store hydrogen for use as fuel. Various organizations
have called for international dialogue on mechanisms that will allow
developing countries to anticipate and proactively adjust to these
changes.

In 2003, Meridian Institute began the Global Dialogue on
Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks (GDNP) to raise
awareness of the opportunities and risks of nanotechnology for
developing countries, close the gaps within and between sectors of
society to catalyze actions that address specific opportunities and
risks of nanotechnology for developing countries, and identify ways
that science and technology can play an appropriate role in the
development process. The GDNP has released several publicly
accessible papers on nanotechnology and development, including
"Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks - Closing the
Gaps Within and Between Sectors of Society"; "Nanotechnology, Water,
and Development"; and "Overview and Comparison of Conventional and
Nano-Based Water Treatment Technologies".

Implications of molecular nanotechnology

Molecular nanotechnology is a speculative subfield of nanotechnology
regarding the possibility of engineering molecular assemblers,
machines which could re-order matter at a molecular or atomic scale.
Regarding the risks from molecular manufacturing, an often cited
worst-case scenario is "grey goo", a hypothetical substance into
which the surface of the earth might be transformed by
self-replicating nanobots running amok. This concept has been
analyzed by Freitas in "Some Limits to Global Ecophagy by Biovorous
Nanoreplicators, with Public Policy Recommendations" [6] With the
advent of nan-biotech, a different scenario called green goo has
been forwarded. Here, the malignant substance is not nanobots but
rather self-replicating organisms engineered through nanotechnology.

According to the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology:

Molecular manufacturing allows the cheap creation of
incredibly powerful devices and products. How many of these
products will we want? What environmental damage will they
do? The range of possible damage is vast, from personal
low-flying supersonic aircraft injuring large numbers of
animals to collection of solar energy on a sufficiently large
scale to modify the planet's albedo and directly affect the
environment. Stronger materials will allow the creation of
much larger machines, capable of excavating or otherwise
destroying large areas of the planet at a greatly accelerated
pace.

It is too early to tell whether there will be economic incentive to
do this. However, given the large number of activities and purposes
that would damage the environment if taken to extremes, and the ease
of taking them to extremes with molecular manufacturing, it seems
likely that this problem is worth worrying about. Some forms of
damage can result from an aggregate of individual actions, each
almost harmless by itself. Such damage is quite hard to prevent by
persuasion, and laws frequently don't work either; centralized
restriction on the technology itself may be a necessary part of the
solution.

Finally, the extreme compactness of nanomanufactured machinery will
tempt the use of very small products, which can easily turn into
nano-litter that will be hard to clean up and may cause health
problems.^[19] The site list numerous other risks and benefits.

Studies on the implications of nanotechnology

* The Royal Society's nanotech report [7] was inspired by Prince
Charles' concerns about nanotechnology, including molecular
manufacturing. However, the report spent almost no time on
molecular manufacturing. (See Center for Responsible
Nanotechnology criticism of omission of molecular
manufacturing.) In fact, the word "Drexler" appears only once in
the body of the report (in passing), and "molecular
manufacturing" or "molecular nanotechnology" not at all. The
report covers various risks of nanoscale technologies, such as
nanoparticle toxicology. It also provides a useful overview of
several nanoscale fields. (Someone more interested in nanoscale
technologies should expand this description.) The report
contains an annex (appendix) on grey goo, which cites a weaker
variation of Richard Smalley's contested argument against
molecular manufacturing. It concludes that there is no evidence
that autonomous, self replicating nanomachines will be developed
in the foreseeable future, and suggests that regulators should
be more concerned with issues of nanoparticle toxicology.

* In July 2003 the United States Environmental Protection Agency
[8] issued the first research solicitation in the area of
nanotechnology implications, "Exploratory Research to Anticipate
Future Environmental Issues - Part 2: Impacts of Manufactured
Nanomaterials on Human Health and the Environment."[9] In
September 2004 US EPA partnered with the National Science
Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control to issue a second
research solicitation, "Nanotechnology Research Grants
Investigating Environmental and Human Health Effects of
Manufactured Nanomaterials: A Joint Research Solicitation - EPA,
NSF, NIOSH."

* In August 2005, a task force consisting of 50+ international
experts from various fields was organized by the Center for
Responsible Nanotechnology to study the societal implications of
molecular nanotechnology [10].

* In October 2005, the National Science Foundation announced that
it would fund two national centers to research the potential
societal implications of nanotechnology. Located at the
University of California, Santa Barbara [11]and Arizona State
University [12], researchers at these two centers are exploring
a wide range of issues including nanotechnology's historical
context, technology assessment, innovation and globalization
issues, and societal perceptions of risk.

* Determining a set of pathways for the development of molecular
nanotechnology is now an objective of a broadly based technology
roadmap project [13] led by Battelle (the manager of several
U.S. National Laboratories) and the Foresight Institute. That
roadmap should be completed by early 2007.

* In October 2006, the International Council on Nanotechnology
(ICON) based at Rice University published a survey of
nanomaterial handling practices being used by industrial and
academic workplaces on four continents. The survey revealed that
more information is needed to protect against the potential
occupational risks associated with handling free nanoparticles.
ICON also maintains the Virtual Journal of Nanotechnology
Environment, Health & Safety (VJ-NanoEHS) which is a compilation
of citations to peer-reviewed studies on risk issues.

* As of 2007 Springer SBM has started the journal NanoEthicsEthics
for Technologies that converge at the nanoscale. This journal is
a multidisciplinary forum for exploration of issues presented by
converging technology applications. While the central focus of
the journal is on the philosophically and scientifically
rigorous examination of the ethical and societal considerations
and the public and policy concerns inherent in nanotechnology
research and development.
* Nanotechnologies Summary of the assessment on the safetey of
nanotechnologies by DG-SANCO's Scientific Committee on Emerging
and Newly Identified Health Risks
* Center for Nanotechnology in Society @ Arizona State University
is a major NSF-funded research center focused on analyses of the
societal implications of nanotechnology.

References

1. ^ http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1360.php
Nanotechnology food coming to a fridge near you
2. ^ http://www.ostp.gov/NSTC/html/iwgn/iwgn.fy01budsuppl/nni.pdf
3. ^ CORDIS: Nanotechnology: Action Plan
4. ^ "Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: An Information Exchange
with NIOSH". United States National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
5. ^ Nel, Andre; et al. (3 February 2006). "Toxic Potential of
Materials at the Nanolevel". Science 311 (5761): 622-627.
doi:10.1126/science.1114397. PMID 16456071.
doi:10.1126/science.1114397
6. ^ Magrez, Arnaud; et al. (2006). "Cellular Toxicity of
Carbon-Based Nanomaterials". Nano Letters 6 (6): 1121-1125.
doi:10.1021/nl060162e. doi:10.1021/nl060162e
7. ^ Bowman D, and Hodge G (2007). "A Small Matter of Regulation:
An International Review of Nanotechnology Regulation". Columbia
Science and Technology Law Review 8: 1-32.
8. ^ Bowman D, and Fitzharris, M (2007). "Too Small for Concern?
Public Health and Nanotechnology". Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Public Health 31 (4): 382-384.
doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00092.x.
9. ^ Bowman D, and Hodge G (2006). "Nanotechnology: Mapping the
Wild Regulatory Frontier". Futures 38: 1060-1073.
doi:10.1016/j.futures.2006.02.017.
10. ^ Kearnes, Matthew; Grove-White, Robin; Macnaghten, Phil;
Wilsdon, James & Wynne, Brian (December 2006), From Bio to Nano:
Learning Lessons from the UK Agricultural Biotechnology
Controversy, vol. 15, Science as Culture, Routledge, pp. 291 -
307, doi:10.1080/09505430601022619,
<http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content?content=10.1080/095054
30601022619>. Retrieved on 19 October 2007
11. ^
http://csec.lancs.ac.uk/docs/nano%20project%20sci%20com%20proofs
%20nov05.pdf
12. ^ Nanotechnology Law & Business
13. ^ http://www.wmin.ac.uk/sshl/pdf/CSDBUlletinMohr.pdf
14. ^ Demos | Publications | Governing at the Nanoscale
15. ^ Publication
16. ^ ETC Group - Publications - The Little Big Down: A Small
Introduction to Nano-scale Technologies
17. ^ http://nano.foe.org.au/node/168
18. ^ Monahan, Torin and Tyler Wall. 2007. Somatic Surveillance:
Corporeal Control through Information Networks. Surveillance &
Society 4 (3): 154-173.[1]
19. ^ Nanotechnology: Dangers of Molecular Manufacturing

Further reading

* Fritz Allhoff and Patrick Lin (eds.), Nanotechnology & Society:
Current and Emerging Ethical Issues (Dordrecht: Springer,
2008).[14]
* Fritz Allhoff, Patrick Lin, James Moor, and John Weckert (eds.),
Nanoethics: The Ethical and Societal Implications of
Nanotechnology (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2007).[15] [16]
* Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: An Information Exchange with
NIOSH, United States National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, June 2007, DHHS (NIOSH) publication no. 2007-123
* Mehta, Michael; Geoffrey Hunt (2006). Nanotechnology: Risk,
Ethics and Law. London: Earthscan. - provides a global overview
of the state of nanotechology and society in Europe, the USA,
Japan and Canada, and examines the ethics, the environmental and
public health risks, and the governance and regulation of this
technology.

External links

* U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, Societal Dimensions
* Center on Nanotechnology and Society
* Military Nanotechnology Applications
* USC's Nanoscience & Technology Studies
* NELSI Global
* ASU's Center on Nanotechnology and Society
* UCSB's Center on Nanotechnology and Society
* The Nanoethics Group
* Nanotechnology
* Foresight Nanotech Institute
* Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
* The Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
* The International Council on Nanotechnology
* The NanoEthicsBank
* NanoEthics: Ethics for technologies that converge at the
nanoscale
* National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Nanotechnology topic page

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