Ethical Issues Raised by Emerging Technologies
Saturday, December 4th, 2010
Emerging technologies like nanotechnology and biotechnology raises health and ethical issues. Government regulations cannot hope to keep pace as the new technologies raise issues that nobody has a clear idea about. This situation creates a dilemma as countries want technological progress but are apprehensive about the unknown safety and ethical issues.
Nanotechnology is a revolutionary technology that has applications in many areas, including healthcare, consumer products, industrial products and energy. The technology involves working at nanoscale; a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter; and nanotechnology deals with materials of 100 nanometers or less. At nanoscale, normally harmless materials can become toxic, and nanomaterials can permeate the skin barrier and enter internal organs with unknown consequences.
An ethical issue arises when multinational corporations, unable to work in their home countries owing to rigorous regulations, shift operations to developing countries where regulations are non-existent or lax. In addition to MNCs, even local companies might engage in dangerous research and manufacturing activities in such an environment.
Modern biology raises issues that cause even greater concerns. For example, issues such as patenting life, DNA banks and genetically engineered animals and crops are issues that have raised serious controversies. Considerable discussions are taking place about these issues all over the world.
An article on Green Nanotechnology and a booklet on Ethics and Biotechnology go into these issues.
Tags: emerging technologies, ethical issues, health issues, safety issues
Posted in biotechnology, business, corporate responsibility, emerging technologies, health risks, impact on humanity, nanoethics, nanotechnology, social risks | No Comments »
Nanotechnology Applications and Markets
Sunday, November 28th, 2010
Nanostructured Coatings: Coatings need varied types of properties depending on the places they are used. Exceptional hardness, excellent adhesion to the substrate, very high fracture toughness and oxidation/corrosion resistance, and thermal stability are examples of properties desired in coatings. In normal circumstances, one material might not have all the desired properties needed in a particular context. It is here that nanostructuring can help modify existing properties and create coatings with all the desired properties.
Nanocomposites: It has been found that when dissimilar materials are mixed at nanometer scale, new and improved properties often result compared to mixing them at macro levels. As a result, they promise new applications such a lightweight reinforced mechanical components, non-linear optics, sensors and more. Application areas include aerospace, automotive and plastics, for example.
Nanofibers have applications in air/water filtration and textiles. Nanoclays have applications in packaging, cosmetics and toiletries, and flame retardant materials.
As would be clear from the above, even at these preliminary levels, nanotechnology has numerous applications. A Nanotechnology Market Research Report looks at the varied types of products, production methods, market structures, market drivers, market players and revenues under each major application, and also includes estimated demand to 2015.
Tags: nanocoatings, nanocomposites, nanomaterials, nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology is not Nanoparticles
Saturday, November 20th, 2010
Nanotechnology is a technology with an ambitious goal, the goal of working at molecular and atomic levels to construct new materials with properties tailored to meet specific needs. For example, we might produce a material for making airplane wings that has the ability and flexibility to respond like birds’ wings to flying conditions. Nanotech can also involve adding new properties to existing materials using the same fundamental processes.
Nanoparticles, on the other hand, are simply chemicals that have been reduced to a size of less than 100 nanometers. These particles might have unique applications not possible when the materials are at normal or even micron size. However, creating nanoparticles is not real nanotechnology; rather it is simply a more sophisticated “grinding” process that reduces the particle size.
Nanoparticles have been used in all kinds of products including sunscreens, paints, surface coatings, clothing, industrial catalysts, cleaning agents, and much more. Their use has given new characteristics to specific products, such as self-cleaning glass and invisible sunscreens. Use of nanoparticles has also given rise to apprehensions, such as those caused by the invisibly small particles in sunscreens permeating the skin and entering internal systems.
Uses of nanoparticles as above are presently the most visible of nano-applications. However, that does not make them true nanotechnology, which has to go a long way before it achieves its potential.
Tags: nanoparticle, nanotech, nanotechnology
Posted in nanomaterials, nanoparticle, nanotechnology | 1 Comment »
Nanotechnology for War or Peace
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
Unfortunately, war seems to have been with human race from the beginning of tribal communities. Fights might have existed even before in the animal world also. But organized war requires pre-planning and grouping.
And one of the major applications of technology has been to win wars. Even now, in the name of enhancing defensive capabilities, nations are strengthening their war-making capabilities. It is in this context that the uses of nanotechnology, a powerful new technology that has the potential to transform practically everything we use and do, needs some serious attention.
And that is what the proposed debate on nanotechnology scheduled for 18th November 2010 at the University of Twente, Carré building, room H3, Netherlands is focusing upon. The Dutch nanotech community is inviting participants to join Major-General (retired) Kees Homan and professor dr. Dave Blank, chairman of the Dutch NanoNed research programme in a discussion on implications of nanotechnology for peace and security and the responsibility of scientists.
During the cold war era, military research spun off civilian applications. That trend has been reversed now, it seems, with civilian research producing spinoffs for military applications. Another major change has been the rise of non-state actors in world conflicts.
Participation is free after registering with Ineke Malsch: postbus@malsch.demon.nl / www.malsch.demon.nl tel 030 2819820
Tags: civilian applications, military applications, nanotechnology, war and peace
Posted in nanotechnology, social risks | 2 Comments »
Water for Saudi Arabia through Solar Power and Nanotech
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Saudi Arabia meets its water requirements through desalination of sea water. The desalination is done using an 80-year old oil-powered technology. The desalinated water is pumped through 4157 kilometers of pipelines and employs 29 pumping stations and 168 reservoirs.
The oil needed to generate the electricity for operating this huge setup is considerable and tends to deplete the country’s oil reserves. To eliminate this problem, Saudi Arabia wants to employ concentrated solar power to replace oil-powered desalination.
Another innovation visualized is the use of nanotech membranes in the desalination process. Researchers at California University in the U.S. have designed nanoparticles to create a membrane that does not clog easily. Using such membranes for water purification can cut energy use significantly.
Saudi Arabia is setting up facilities at the country’s universities for nanotech research. It wants to develop the technology for petrochemical and desalination industries in particular. In fact, the country has already launched its first nanotech company for producing nano-membranes for these industries.
Saudi Arabia hopes to develop skilled nanotech researchers locally so that the country need not depend on foreign technology for its two key requirements, petrochemicals for revenue generation and desalinated water for it survival.
Read about the developments at the Green Prophet Website.
Tags: nano-membrane, saudi universities, solar power
Posted in energy efficiency, environment, nanotechnology | 2 Comments »
Nanotechnology: Hype and Reality
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
The discovery of buckminsterfullerene molecule in 1985 by three professors (of Rice and Sussex universities) led to the development of nanotechnology. The molecule, known as buckyball, is a carbon molecule with 60 carbon atoms, visualized as a closed cage with hexagonal and pentagonal structures resembling the Buckminster Fuller Dome displayed at the Montreal Expo 67.
The C60 molecule has one free electron and is a nanoscale structure. This makes the molecule electrically active and useful in nanotechnology. In fact, nanotechnology can be said to have emerged as a result of the numerous developments related to the buckyball.
Nanotechnology is still a technology that is far from realizing its potential. For example, molecular-level manufacture, where you create custom molecules by assembling atoms in desired ways, is reportedly a minimum of ten years away from actualization. What we are seeing at present is only incremental improvements to existing products.
There is also the issue of risks posed by nanomaterials. The invisibly small nanoscale materials can not only permeate skin to reach and possibly harm internal organs but also cause harm through the completely different properties they exhibit compared to their normal scale versions. For example, materials that are non-toxic in normal state can become toxic when reduced to nano-scale in size.
Regulatory agencies of governments have not yet been able to come up with effective policies that ensure safety while also permitting fast technology development.
Read about the issues at IndustryWeek
Tags: buckyball, molecular manufacture, nanomaterials, nanotech safety issues, nanotechnology
Posted in health risks, nanomaterials, nanotechnology, safety regulations | No Comments »
Nanotechnology: The importance of Considering Risks as well as Benefits
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Nanotechnology is more about the size of the materials involved rather than a particular scientific domain. It deals with materials at nanoscale, i.e. materials measured in nanometers (nm) or one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology generally deals with materials of less than 100nm, typically molecules and atoms.
Needless to say, materials at this size are invisible to the eye and even to traditional microscopes. It needs powerful new types of devices such as Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to observe materials at nanoscale. The ability to modify nano-materials was gained only during the last quarter of a century.
Nanotechnology has applications in various sciences, such as healthcare, medical, agricultural and other. It has been touted as a technology that can provide solutions to many problems facing poor countries. It is argued that energy generation, disease prevention and water purification could all be more effective and less expensive through nanotech.
For example, unclean water leads to some 6000 deaths in poor countries. Using electro statically charged nanoparticles, the contaminants in the water could be removed, for example. With such promises, few countries dare question the need for nanotech use.
However, the risks of this technology are also great. At nanoscale, properties of materials change and normally non-toxic materials can become toxic. Another problem that can affect poor countries is the disappearance of demand for their commodities, such as cotton and various minerals.
If nanotech can enable creating these synthetically at comparable costs, demand for the natural commodities can come down, affecting the livelihood of large sections of poor country population.
Risks such as the above are serious enough for countries to prohibit the import and use of manufactured nanomaterials.
Read a detailed discussion on Nanotechnology and Africa at Pambazuka News.
Tags: nanomaterials, nanotechnology, risks from nanotechnology
Posted in health risks, nanoethics, nanomaterials, nanotechnology, social risks | No Comments »
Nanotechnology: The Tempting and Intriguing Technology
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Working with atoms and molecules, nanotechnology offers the prospect of creating entirely new materials (rather than products) giving humans a power similar to what we instinctively attribute to God. However, working at levels where the materials we work with can permeate to our internal organs, including bloodstreams and brains, the technology also poses unknown risks. The risks are not only to humans but also other living organisms and even the entire environment.
Despite potentially serious dangers, the technology tempts us with the promise of custom-made materials and solutions to presently insoluble problems. The technology works across many sectors, including medicine, consumer and industrial products, energy and environment. We already have self-cleaning glass, anti-bacterial wound dressings and invisible sunscreens, for example. The sunscreen application also illustrates potential dangers; the material has reportedly permeated into the bloodstream and the cosmetic industry seems to have decided upon a self-imposed ban on nanotech cosmetics.
It is in this context that people and governments are reluctant to proceed full-speed ahead with this promising technology. Generally, they want all developments to be vetted for potential side effects and regulations made to ensure safety of researchers, workers and consumers. All those with public interest in mind want the industry to proceed cautiously.
Read about the proceedings of the symposium on Nanotechnology: Risks and Opportunities organized at Lucerne, Switzerland, by the International Social Security Association.
Tags: nanotechnology issues
Posted in health risks, nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 1 Comment »
Nanotechnology and Business Strategy
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
The dramatic potential of nanotechnology can be visualized by imagining the possibility of converting coal into diamonds. Both coal and diamonds are made of carbon atoms, but the atoms are arranged in different ways. Now, if we can work with those atoms and rearrange them, it will be possible to convert coal into diamonds. Nanotechnology works at nanoscale, using equipment that can handle invisible stuff like molecules and atoms. It is only be a matter of time before the technology gets advanced enough to do the kind of transformations mentioned above. However, the coal-into-diamond transformation will pale into practical insignificance compared to all the changes that nanotechnology can generate. Completely new materials with just the properties needed for specific purposes can be created to order, for example. Already, there are self-cleaning glass and bacteria-destroying wound-dressing. And batteries that can last “for ever” are under research.
Businesses have to get themselves oriented to the new scenarios that can emerge as a result of such developments. The impact of nanotechnology will be greater than the impact of information technology, which was more a facilitating technology for mainstream businesses. Nanotechnology will enable creation of completely new products and doing business in a nanotech world will require a different kind of thinking. Nanotechnology has applications in all areas including medicine, food, energy, entertainment, manufacturing practices and consumer products. Businesses have to prepare themselves for the nanotech revolution in the not-too-distant future.
Tags: business, nanotechnology, strategy
Posted in business, nanotech business, nanotechnology | 1 Comment »
Nanotechnology for Checking Freshness of Produce
Monday, October 4th, 2010
The standard approach to warn consumers about “Use By” dates is to print the expiry date on the label. However, consumers often fail to read the printed dates and consume expired products.
Nanotechnology comes to the rescue of such consumers now with a display that can clearly indicate that the produce is NOT FRESH. A metallized plastic film with a ten nanometer aluminum layer and 2 nanometer oxide layer does the job. The original display is FRESH, which turns into NOT FRESH when both the layers are destroyed.
By selecting suitable materials, the display can be tailor made to do different tasks, all dependent on expiry of time. When the nanostructures on the plastic film are destroyed, the part of the message that is hidden earlier becomes visible. Typical applications include:
* When a product needs to be sterilized, an originally blank screen displays STERILIZED after required sterilization period
* Self expiring visitor badges on which the VALID message gets transformed into NOT VALID after allowed visiting period
* Packages or sealing tapes that display DO NOT SHIP after expiry period so that the packages need not be opened before shipping
By combining with RFID, remote monitoring also becomes possible.
Read more about Nano-Cnversion technology at http://www.nanoconvertology.com/.
Tags: expiry indication, nanotech applications, nanotechnology
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