PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD
PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD Should nanotechnology backfire and cause harm, the popular reaction could be devastating to the field for many years. That’s the conclusion of a leading researcher in the field of nanotechnology and society.
“If there were a risk event, then stigma could attach to the whole class,” said Barbara Herr Harthorn, director and principal investigator of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara (CNS-UCSB). Because of that risk, health and safety research needs to catch up with the impending widespread rollout of nanotechnology, she said.
Nanotechnology covers a broad spectrum of fields, including nano-computing, which promises to enable the process of circuit miniaturization far beyond the limits of classical silicon technology. That technology is rapidly pushing the limits of Moore’s Law, which holds that computing power will double every 18 months.
Despite its promise to dramatically increase computing miniaturization, nanotechnology has sparked ethical and health concerns. Because of their extremely small size, nano-particles might be able to penetrate human skin, the circulatory system and the brain, some fear. In the field of health care, nano-scale sensors on people’s bodies could pose privacy concerns. And, others warn, potentially harmful nano-materials could end up in the water supply. In response to these fears, two research centers have been formed, one at Duke University and the other at UCLA.
The CNS-UCSB, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, has just published a new study that pulls together previously completed surveys to yield an overview of public perceptions of nanotechnology. The survey found that although public knowledge of nanotechnology is scant, those people who have formed opinions are inclined to view it positively, while nearly half are withholding judgment until they learn more.
“This study shows that across all the surveys the average is that three people to one perceive the benefits to outweigh the risks, and a large minority—44 percent—are unsure,” said Harthorn. Seventy percent of respondents said they know little or nothing about nanotechnology. Of the 44 percent that remain on the fence, she said, “we would see that as sensible caution in a context where there are many unknowns.” Previous studies, she noted, have found that people view unknown technologies as risky.
Greater awareness of potential risks would help nanotechnology in the long run by increasing caution and spurring people to build safeguards where necessary. Those steps could help nanotechnology contribute to society by protecting against an adverse event and the backlash it would generate, Harthorn suggested.
“Industry knows well that when a technology becomes stigmatized that can be economically disastrous,” said Harthorn.
Harthorn is one of the authors of the study “Anticipating the Perceived Risk of Nanotechnologies” appearing online Sept. 20 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. It is based on data from 22 surveys conducted over the last decade.
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