Nanoethics seeks to examine the potential risks and rewards of applications of nanotechnology. This up-to-date anthology gives the reader an introduction to and basic foundation in nanotechnology and nanoethics, and then delves into near-, mid-, and far-term issues. Comprehensive and authoritative, it:

Goes beyond the usual environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns to explore such topics as privacy, nanomedicine, human enhancement, global regulation, military, humanitarianism, education, artificial intelligence, space exploration, life extension, and more
Features contributions from forty preeminent experts from academia and industry worldwide, reflecting diverse perspectives
Includes seminal works that influence nanoethics today
Encourages an informed, proactive approach to nanoethics and advocates addressing new and emerging controversies before they impede progress or impact our welfare

This resource is designed to promote further investigations and a broad and balanced dialogue in nanoethics, dealing with critical issues that will affect the industry as well as society. While this will be a definitive reference for students, scientists in academia and industry, policymakers, and regulators, it's also a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand the challenges, principles, and potential of nanotechnology.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 1 review)

Finally, a full treatment of the ethics of nanotechnology

In many books since Eric Drexler's "Engines of Creation," you eventually encounter a paragraph or even a chapter addressing the "ethical and social implications of nanotechnology." While these bits may just whet your appetite, you probably realized that, even if the author had devoted the entire book, the very nature of ethics demands multiple viewpoints.

And that is just what Nanoethics provides: an entire book for 40 diverse authors to explore the debate, put it in context, and analyze how we predict and evaluate risk. They examine issues in health, environment, democracy, policy, privacy, military conflict, education, and developing countries. They conclude with speculation on the ethical issues in the far future...you know, more than a decade out.

The inevitable price of so many authors is occasional repetition, as many introduce their articles with a nod to the seminal Feynman talk suggesting we could eventually build with molecular precision. The welcome benefit of so many authors is a diversity of viewpoints (e.g. Bill Joy and Ray Kurzweil differ on whether to develop powerful technologies). An unbiased viewpoint may be impossible, so it's best to get a multibiased one.

Don't expect simple conclusions because nanotechnology is subject to varying definitions and ethics are always subjective. I was impressed with how fairly the introductory chapter represented the arguments of others who claim that nanotechnology is insufficiently distinct from established fields of chemistry and engineering to warrant its own study of ethics. No use of the straw man for these authors, they made the case so well, I worried the rest of the book would be cancelled. Not to fear, the critics are addressed and the case made that, whatever the semantics of nanotechnology, issues important to society and species arise from what we call nanotechnology.

This would be a good text for an "ethics in science and engineering" course, but I found it quite good for pleasure reading. Whatever the venue, Nanoethics addresses important issues. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform our world and the way we live in it. With each new technology over the millennia, humankind has had the opportunity to make new choices. When we have not paused to consider our most deeply held values, we've made myopic choices. The more powerful the technology, the more important we evaluate our options carefully. Nanoethics helps us to consciously and collectively evaluate what may be the most powerful technology ever.

I am the Director of Education for the Foresight Nanotech Institute and the author of Technology Challenged: Understanding Our Creations & Choosing Our Future.
October 09, 2007

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