Emerging Technologies • Nano
Bibliography
Nanotechnology
Resources Online • NanoEthicsBank
Nanotechnology and Ethics
This resource page includes links and short discriptions of some of the major databases and nanotechnolgy institutes involved in the research of the ethical and social implications of nanotechnology. Please also see the bibliography page, and the NanoEthicsBank for major books, reports, articles, and studies on the social, environmental, and ethical implications of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology Resources Online
Nanotechnology Databases:Icon EHS Database: The ICON Environmental, Health and Safety database contains abstracts and citations of research papers related to the environmental, health and safety implications of Nanoscale materials. Sponsored by the International Council on Nanotechnology located at Rice University.
Inventory of Nanotechnology Consumer Products: a database of nanotechnology-based consumer products. While not comprehensive, the 200+ products contained in this database shows the diverse uses of nanotechnology. Funded and maintained by the Woodrow WIlson International Center for Scholars Project on Emerging Nanotechnology.
Inventory of Research on the Environmental, Health, and Safety Implications of Nanotechnology: This is a database of different studies and research done on potential health and environmental risks of nanotechnology. The database is searchable by keyword, or can be browsed by study name. Along with providing information on the institution and funding granted to the project, it also provides a brief abstract of each research project’s findings. Funded by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Project on Emerging Nanotechnology.
Institutes dealing with Nanotechnology and Ethics:
International Council on Nanotechnology (Rice University) : ICON’s mission is to access, communicate, and reduce nanotechnology environmental and health risks. The council is made up of academic, corporate, and governmental agencies and seeks to establish a credible knowledge base of environmental health and safety information on nanotechnology and facilitate a dialog between various stakeholders.
NanoCenter (University of South Carolina) : One of the leading centers for nanotechnology research and development. Along with facilitating research and education, the NanoCenter also seeks to engage the technical community in a dialogue concerning possible societal and ethical implications of nanotechnology.
The Nanoethics Group: The Nanoethics Group is a non-partisan organization that studies the ethical and societal implications of nanotechnology. Through NSF-funded research projects, publications, lectures, online communications, and more, the
organization engages the public as well as collaborates with nanotech ventures and research institutes on related issues and initiatives.
National Nanotechnology Initiative : This is a federal research and development program was established to coordinate the multiagency efforts in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. This web site is a good resource for tracking recent developments and reports emerging from government agencies dealing with nanotechnology. It also contains a section on Society and Safety that reports on recent studies dealing with societal implications of nanotechnology.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network : is an integrated partnership of thirteen user facilities supported by the National Science Foundation, providing unparallel opportunities for nanoscience and nanotechnology research. The site has information about how to start a project in nanotechnology research, links and information about all thirteen user facilities, and provides access to recent research developments in the fields of nanotechnology and nanoparticles. See also NNIN's web page on Societal and Ethical Issues .
Preparing for Nanotechnology is a directory of organizations, papers, news, and events on the social and ethical implications of nanotechnology. Maintained by the commercial web site, Nanotechnology Now.
Project on Emerging Nanotechnolgies : sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, this project’s goal is to help insure that as nanotechnologies advance, possible risks are minimized, public and consumer engagement remains strong, and the potential benefits of these new technologies are realized. Their web site tracks nanotechnology in the news, and contains the full text reports and articles put out by the research projects they support.
Web Resources explaining Nanotechnology:
What is Nanotechnology? a resource from the National Nanotechnology Initiative that describes nanotechnology, its applications and products.
Small is Big: The Coming Nanotechnology Revolution : an online exhibit at the IEEE Virtual Museum. The exhibit includes a succinct history of the development technology and a review of current and possible future uses of nanotechnology. This exhibit is one of the best explanations of nanotechnology and its possible social implications for the non-scientist currently available.
