What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter?: From Science to Ethics - Softcover

Allhoff, Fritz; Lin, Patrick; Moore, Daniel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1405175443 ISBN 13: 9781405175449

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010

Synopsis

Ongoing research in nanotechnology promises both innovations and risks, potentially and profoundly changing the world. This book helps to promote a balanced understanding of this important emerging technology, offering an informed and impartial look at the technology, its science, and its social impact and ethics.

• Nanotechnology is crucial for the next generation of industries, financial markets, research labs, and our everyday lives; this book provides an informed and balanced look at nanotechnology and its social impact
• Offers a comprehensive background discussion on nanotechnology itself, including its history, its science, and its tools, creating a clear understanding of the technology needed to evaluate ethics and social issues
• Authored by a nanoscientist and philosophers, offers an accurate and accessible look at the science while providing an ideal text for ethics and philosophy courses
• Explores the most immediate and urgent areas of social impact of nanotechnology

About this title

About the Author

Fritz Allhoff is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University.

Patrick Lin is Professor at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he is also the director of the Ethics + Emerging Technologies Group. He is also an affiliate scholar at the Stanford Law School, Center for Internet and Society.

Daniel Moore is a research scientist on nanoscale semiconductor solutions for IBM and has served on the Georgia Institute of Technology's honor committee.

From the Back Cover

"The authors of What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? answer their question with a broad and balanced examination of the nature of nanotechnology, how it is unfolding, and how these developments will affect issues of global concern: the impact of emerging technologies on the environment, medicine, military affairs, and civil society, and how we can act to achieve better outcomes."
Eric Drexler, author of Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation

"What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? provides a concise but clear introduction to the subject of nanotechnology as well as an excellent overview of nanotechnology's ethical and social implications. I highly recommend it."
James Moor, Dartmouth College

Nanotechnology is an immensely complex area poised to impact virtually all areas of life, ushering in the next technological revolution.

What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? provides a balanced understanding of this important emerging technology and the social and ethical issues that come from it. Divided into three sections, the book starts with a substantial introduction to the science of nanotechnology, then attends to basic issues and principles such as risk and regulations needed to evaluate nanotechnology's impact, with the final section closely examining some of the most important areas of application, such as environmental, privacy, military, medical and enhancement, as well as their ethical and social implications.

Designed for students in ethics and technology, What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? is also an invaluable resource for policymakers, scientists, and industry executives.

From the Inside Flap

"The authors of What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? answer their question with a broad and balanced examination of the nature of nanotechnology, how it is unfolding, and how these developments will affect issues of global concern: the impact of emerging technologies on the environment, medicine, military affairs, and civil society, and how we can act to achieve better outcomes."
Eric Drexler, author of Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation

"What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? provides a concise but clear introduction to the subject of nanotechnology as well as an excellent overview of nanotechnology's ethical and social implications. I highly recommend it."
James Moor, Dartmouth College

Nanotechnology is an immensely complex area poised to impact virtually all areas of life, ushering in the next technological revolution.

What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? provides a balanced understanding of this important emerging technology and the social and ethical issues that come from it. Divided into three sections, the book starts with a substantial introduction to the science of nanotechnology, then attends to basic issues and principles such as risk and regulations needed to evaluate nanotechnology's impact, with the final section closely examining some of the most important areas of application, such as environmental, privacy, military, medical and enhancement, as well as their ethical and social implications.

Designed for students in ethics and technology, What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter? is also an invaluable resource for policymakers, scientists, and industry executives.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1405175443
• ISBN 13: 9781405175449
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304