Nanotechnology

by Hunt, Geoffrey; Mehta, Michael D.

• ISBN13: 9781844073580
• ISBN10: 1844073580
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-08-30
• Publisher: ROUTLEDGE

Summary

Nanotechnology - technology at the molecular level - is held out by many as the Holy Grail for creating a trillion dollar economy and solving problems from curing cancer to reprocessing waste into products and building super-fast computers. Yet, as with GMOs, many view nanotech as a high risk genie in a bottle that once uncorked has the potential to cause unpredictable, perhaps irreversible, environmental and public health disasters.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes	p. viii
List of Contributors	p. ix
Preface and Acknowledgements	p. xvi
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. xx
Introduction: The Challenge of Nanotechnologies	p. 1
Introducing Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology: From 'Wow' to 'Yuck'?	p. 13
Nanotechnology: From Feynman to Funding	p. 25
Microsystems and Nanoscience for Biomedical Applications: A View to the Future	p. 35
Nanotechnoscience and Complex Systems: The Case for Nanology	p. 43
Regional Developments
Nanotechnologies and Society in Japan	p. 59
Nanotechnologies and Society in the USA	p. 74
Nanotechnologies and Society in Europe	p. 92
Nanotechnologies and Society in Canada	p. 105
Benefits and Risks
From Biotechnology to Nanotechnology: What Can We Learn from Earlier Technologies?	p. 121
Getting Nanotechnology Right the First Time	p. 130
Risk Management and Regulation in an Emerging Technology	p. 140
Nanotechnology and Nanoparticle Toxicity: A Case for Precaution	p. 154
The Future of Nanotechnology in Food Science and Nutrition: Can Science Predict its Safety?	p. 167
Ethics and Public Understanding
The Global Ethics of Nanotechnology	p. 183
Going Public: Risk, Trust and Public Understanding of Nanotechnologies	p. 196
Dwarfing the Social? Nanotechnology Lessons from the Biotechnology Front	p. 213
Law and Regulation
Nanotechnologies and the Law of Patents: A Collision Course	p. 225
Nanotechnologies and Civil Liability	p. 237
Nanotechnologies and the Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Human Subjects	p. 247
Nanotechnologies and Corporate Criminal Liability	p. 259
Conclusion
What Makes Nanotechnologies Special?	p. 273
Measurement Scales and Glossary	p. 282
Index	p. 289
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