The Emergence of Nanotechnology

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• The Emergence of Nanotechnology
•  ETHICAL, LEGAL, SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
  (ELSA)
• Cynthia Selin
• Institute for Politics, Management and Philosophy
• Copenhagen Business School
• Technology Scenarios
• Systems Analysis Department
• Risø National Laboratory

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KEY THEMES IN PHD

• Anticipatory Knowledge
• The Politics of Becoming Actor Network Theory
• Scenario Planning
• Expectations and The Emergence of Nanotechnology
• Time Nanotechnology
• Legitimization of Foresight
• Strategic Network Management

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1. REFLECTING RESEARCH ON ELSA

• On Nanotechnology as a Field
• Problems with grasping the field of
  nanotechnology as a whole emerge from three main
  areas
• The newness of the terrain No accurate roadmap,
  nor relevant historical evidence.
• The cross-disciplinarity of the field
  functionally distinct fields merging convergence
  or confusion what counts is debated.
• Temporal discrepancies A diversity of
  timescapes are evident within the discourses of
  nanotechnology.
•  
• These issues- and the reality that the
  researchers in the so-called field of
  nanotechnology are
• mostly unified by unmet expectations, distant
  visions and an awkward balance of promises and
  deliverables 

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LESSONS FOR ELSA 1

• FOCUS ON SPECIFIC LINES OF RESEARCH
• OR APPLICATION AREAS
• NANOTECHNOLOGY IS TOO VAGUE AND SLIPPERY

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2. REFLECTING RESEARCH ON ELSA
On Time The question of when? in the
nanotechnology space is critical and unsettled.
  Since the term was coined and the field first
began to take shape, nanotechnology has been
saturated in futuristic promises and threats to
occur later. Both the uncertainty and
expectancy of nanotechnology lend a certain
degree of fantasy or science fiction to most
characterizations.   Nanotechnology is largely
about potential and theoretic possibility   A big
challenge to separate a truth-in-the-making,
process of becoming from science fiction.  
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LESSONS FOR ELSA 2

• CREATE ONGOING IMMEDIATELY RELEVANT
• ELSA YET WITH A FORESIGHT PERSPECTIVE
• THE FAR FUTURE IS TOO ABSTRACTED, FICTIONAL,
  VAGUE
• TO LAUNCH POWERFUL ELSA ASSESSMENTS AND
  INTERVENTIONS.
•  
• CHOOSING THE NEAR TERM MEANS BEING LOCAL,
  SPECIFIC,
• AND CURRENT.
• IT IS A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY TO FOCUS DEBATES
  DISCUSSIONS
• IN A GROUNDED, REALISTIC DELIBERATION.

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3. REFLECTING RESEARCH ON ELSA

• Unique to Nanotechnology
• Manipulation of matter? Work on the atomic scale?
  
• Some issues for nanotechnology can ride on
  similar concerns in other fields
• Genetherapy drug therapies and discrimination
• Biotech regulation of new chemicals small
  weapons invisible hazards of food drug delivery
  
• IT surveillance implications of faster,
  lighter, cheaper computing
•  

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LESSONS FOR ELSA 3

• FOCUS ON NOVELITY IN NANOTECHNOLOGY
• DONT REINVENT THE WHEEL USE RESEARCH FROM OTHER
  FIELDS
• COLLECT AND CATALOGUE RELEVANT STUDIES

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ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF NANO

• EQUALITY
• PRIVACY
• SECURITY
• ENVIRONMENT
• HUMAN/ MACHINE
• METAPHYSICAL

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EXAMPLES OF CASES

• TOXICITY OF NANOPARTICLES
• WASTE NANOTUBE MANUFACTURE
• FULLERINES AND AQUATIC LIFE
• NANOTUBES LIKE ASBESTOS?
• NANOPARTICLES PENETRATING LIVING CELLS

• EQUALITY
• PRIVACY
• SECURITY
• ENVIRONMENT
• HUMAN/ MACHINE
• METAPHYSICAL

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CYNTHIA.SELIN_at_RISOE.DK