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A handful of decades ago, everything was
micro. That was followed by the dot-com craze. Today, it's
nano-this and nano-that.
A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter,
and it takes about three to ten atoms to span the length
of a manometer. However, the prefix nano has been
attached to dozens of words, all of which carry a host of
different meanings. Truth be told, chemists have been working
on the nanoscale from the beginning. In the last decade
we have heard about scaling machines down to the nanoscale,
an unfortunate image since these machines, while remarkably
efficient on the macroscale, are highly problematic on the
nanoscale. We hear about biochemists and protein engineers
discussing nature as a superior analogy since nanoscale
construction is what nature does (and very well). We hear
about directed assembly as electron-microscopists push molecules
around, producing nanograffiti and small works of art. We
hear about experts in biotechnology using self-assembly
to get pieces to build themselves into bigger things, serving
as the building blocks of new machines.
As Nano-Hype shows, there's a lot
of money to be made in nanotech, and enthusiastic advocates
as well as those who loudly oppose get the most attention.
Attention gets researchers their grants, universities their
budgets, and businesses their investors. Extraordinary exaggeration
-- "hype" -- surrounds all things nano and antinano.
The claims and counterclaims are everywhere. The public
and the private sectors need a guide to help them understand
this nanotech buzz for what it is rather than what it claims
to be, especially when there is some evidence to suggest
that environmental safety and human health may be at risk.
Nano-Hype builds a narrative based
on an extensive, if not exhaustive, review of the literature.
Dr. Berube breaks down the cacophony of voices composing
the buzz about nano to provide the reader with the tools
needed to look realistically at the many claims, both positive
and negative, about what government, science, commerce,
and others have achieved and can achieve using nanotechnology.
Finally, he builds a case for rational vigilance when confronted
with press releases and reports that ask us to surrender
our roles as thoughtful citizens and consumers.
We all need to ask:
- Is there such a thing as nanotechnology,
or is it mostly nanoscience at work? For that matter,
what is nanoscience anyway?
- Who is telling the truth about nanoscience?
Scientists trying to get grants? Neo-luddites afraid of
the uncertainties inherent in any new technology? Industry
raising venture capital? Private and public interest groups
advancing their own agendas?
- Should we believe the prophets of doom
who promote stories about omnivorous nanomachines and
nanoparticles that will work their way into the environment?
Are nanoparticles carcinogenic? Are they toxic?
Nano-Hype sets the record straight. It's
our world; let's see what this nano-thing is all about,
what some people are up to, and what roles we should play
in this "revolution."
David M. Berube teaches Communication
Studies in the Department of English at the University of
South Carolina, Columbia, and is the research director of
Nanoscience and Technology Studies at the USC NanoCenter.
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