Piecing together the elephant : Public engagement on nanotechnology challenges

This short article describes a workshop held by the Australia Office of Nanotechnology that sought to invite equal numbers of key interest groups and members of the general public who held mid-range attitudes about the advantages and risks associated with nanotechnology development. The author discusses the problem of engaging unengaged members of the public who are unlikely to attend more traditional public engagement workshops about nanotechnology, and shares the results of the Australian workshop.