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Commentary on the social implications of nanotechnology ranges from
the Utopian to the apocalyptic. On the one hand, enthusiasts claim that
the technology will transform every aspect of life for the better,
making material goods virtually free and ending disease and ageing.
On the other hand, opponents fear that a plague of self-replicating,
intelligent nano-robots may overrun the biosphere, leading to the
extinction of the human race. The debate is a confusing one, not
least because different people use the word nanotechnology to refer
to rather different things, and because discussions on potential
consequences, both negative and positive, aren't always closely linked
to discussions of scientific feasibility.
The UK Government has recently commissioned a survey of possible
social, ethical and environmental issues raised by nanotechnology,
which is being conducted jointly by the Royal Society and the Royal
Academy of Engineering. See the survey website below for details:
UK survey website
For a comprehensive and balanced overview of what has been written so
far about the social and economic implications of nanotechnology, see a
recent report written by Stephen Wood and Richard Jones, of Sheffield
University, and published by the Economic and Social Science
Research Council.
The
Social and Economic Challenges of Nanotechnology
Adobe PDF file, 1.4MB
The classic statement of the radical view of nanotechnology is still
the book by Drexler:
Engines of Creation
The dangers inherent in nanotechnology were highlighted in an influential article by Bill Joy:
Why the Future doesn't need us
For a highly negative view, both of nanotechnology in its incremental
sense and of the ultimate radical vision, see the report by the Canadian
environmental campaigning group, ETC.
The Big Down
Adobe PDF file, 665kB
A more nuanced view is provided by a recent report from Greenpeace:
Future
Technologies, Today's Choices
Adobe PDF file, 327kB
See also Afraid of the Nano World by Mike Gibbs, in Materials
Today July/Aug 2003 edition:
Materials Today
Adobe PDF file, 585kB
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