Nanotechnology ─ Ethical and Social Implications

Advances in nanotechnology are transforming the ways of creating materials and products, leading society to the threshold of a second industrial revolution. However, future opportunities will depend significantly on how nanotechnology stakeholders deal with the short-term and long-term benefits, limitations, uncertainties and risks of nanotechnology. They will be tasked with navigating a variety of new social and ethical challenges associated with areas such as privacy, the environment, energy, population, genetics, agriculture, food, and security.
Unique in its depth, breadth, and variety of viewpoints, Nanotechnology: Ethical and Social Issuesstimulates, inspires, and builds awareness of nanotechnology’s impact on society. Spanning the immense range of disciplines at work in nanotechnology, the book’s selection of chapters focuses on how advances in science, and the convergence of multiple technologies, will impact society at individual, community, national, and international levels.
The book focuses on raising the awareness of nanotechnology stakeholders, which includes undergraduate and graduate students; educators in sciences, engineering, business, and public policy; engineers; business and finance professionals; and policymakers. It also addresses the demands on the future workforce to learn new skill sets.
The book uses an interactive format—which includes case studies, scenarios, and Web exercises—to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills. Content includes numerous tables, statistics, and figures to supplement and enhance the topics covered in each chapter. The result is a must-read for anyone seeking either a technical or nontechnical understanding of the societal impact of nanotechnology.

Dr. Ahmed S. Khan is a professor of Electronics and Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Information Sciences at DeVry University, Addison, Illinois. He has 30 years of experience in research, instruction, curricula design, development, evaluation, implementation and program accreditation, management, and supervision. Dr. Khan is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE). He is also member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and has been listed in Who’s Who among America’s Teachers.

Nanotechnology: An Introduction to Applications and Ethical and Social Issues, A.S. Khan
What’s Different, Ethically, About Nanotechnology? Foundational Questions and Answers, R.E. McGinn
The Beginning of Ethics: Confucius and Socrates, J. Yu
Ethics: A Conservative Christian Perspective, G. Anderson
Nanotechnology: Ethical and Social Issues, F.M. Salinas, D.M. Smith, and S. Viswanathan
The Unanticipated Consequences of Technology, T. Healy
Portraits in Carbon, T.Neff
Nanotechnology: Environment and Ecology, D. Newberry
Our Biopolitical Future: Four Scenarios, R. Hayes
Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture, A.S. Khan
The Future of Food: An Introduction to the Ethical Issues in Genetically Modified Foods, M.R. McLean
Titanium Dioxide (TiO2): A Versatile Semiconducting Material for Environmental and Antibacterial Applications, M.A. Shah
What Are the Social Implications of Our Delay in Teaching Nanoscience Education to K–12 Students in the United States? J. Light Feather
Nanotechnology Research and Science, Technology, and Society Education at Bilkent University, H.M. Ozaktas
Application of Simulation for Emulating Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies in Education, A.S. Khan
Predicting the Future: Review of Public-Perception Studies of Nanotechnology
M. Siegrist
Nanotechnology: The Size of the Cosmos Versus the Size of Human Knowledge, A.S. Khan