Nanotechnology

Book excerpt: From manufacturing to medicine, nanotechnology implies revolutionary change. However, the sweeping changes wrought by a technological advance of this magnitude are likely to come at a price that includes unforeseen environmental impact, disruptions in industry, displacement of workers, and deeply controversial applications of the technology and its offspring. Nanotechnology: Ethics and Society provides a conceptually clear and straightforward ethical framework, in which pragmatic questions can be raised regarding the impact of nano-related technologies. The book focuses on general issues related to nanotechnology in nanomaterials and manufacturing as well as impacts on the marketplace and workforce. After an overview of the nanotechnology revolution, the text illustrates key concepts in the assessment model and then applies this model to a case study related to human enhancement technologies. It also offers an ethical agenda for addressing the challenges of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology promises to be the next great technological revolution. This important volume provides a framework for deciding how best to take advantage of nanotechnology opportunities while also minimizing the harm of negative effects.