Nanotech Could Become Polarizing Like Nuclear Power

Nanotechnology, the science of assembling materials and machines at the atomic scale at a size less than the width of a human hair, may seem very futuristic and exciting. But if not managed properly, it could scare and stir up emotions like nuclear power or global warming, according to a professor at Yale Law School.

"The U.S. public'sperception of nanotechnology is up for grabs. It could divide along the lines of nuclear power, global warming and other contentious environmental issues absent a major public education and engagement effort by industry, government, civic groups and scientists. People who know little or nothing about 'nanotechnology' instantly react in an emotionally charged way to theconcept, and their opinions divide along cultural lines as they learn more about it," says Dan Kahan.

From drugs and medicine to improved technology on the battlefield, nano-engineering has the potential to dramatically improve life -- but only if people aren't scared off first. And nanotechnology is already on its way.

Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. Morethan $30 billion in products incorporating nanotechnology were sold globally in 2005. By 2014, Lux Research estimates this figure will grow to$2.6 trillion.

Kahan's conclusions are based on the findings of a new web-based public opinion survey of U.S. public perceptions of nanotechnology.

"Essentially, when asked what they think about this new technology, Americans go with their gut instinct -- which usually reflects their views toward other issues like climate change and nuclear power. When they learn more, they tend to adopt a stance about nanotechnology that fits their political and cultural predispositions," says Kahan, one of the principal investigators in the study.

"Nothing in our findings suggests that public polarization over nanotechnology is inevitable," says Don Braman, a professor at The George Washington University. "Our results indicate that another outcome ispossible but unlikely unless government, business, and educators take amore proactive approach to nanotechnology public engagement and communication."

The results from this study of 1,800 persons who were recruited to participate in an online survey experiment were released by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

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Webcast: Nanotech To Improve Developing Nations

What if doctors in Kenya could equip cells of the retina with photo switches that can be flipped on,essentially making blind nerve cells see and restoring light sensitivity in people with degenerative blindness? What if public health workers in Bangladesh could place contaminated water into transparent bottles, which when placed in direct sunlight could disinfect the water and help prevent water-borne diseases like cholera, dysentery or polio?

What if a medical technician in Vietnam could use a tiny "reporter"molecule that attaches itself to specific bacteria or viruses in a patient sample and read with an inexpensive laser device -- no bigger than a briefcase -- whether an infectious disease is present? What if a nurse in Brazil could dispense a gel that would stick to the AIDS virus surface like molecular Velcro and prevent it from attacking healthy cells in sexually active women?

These scenarios are not science fiction. They are just a few examples of the exciting potential of nanomedicine -- an offshoot of nanotechnology which researchers in both industrialized and developing countries hail as enabling the next big breakthroughs in medicine and which promises to change virtually every facet of health care, disease control and prevention.

Nanotechnology is the engineering of machines and materials at the atomic scale.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington will hold a webcast on Tuesday, February 27 at 12 p.m. EST, with experts who will examine the role of nanotechnology to improve health in developing nations.

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