Nanotechnology

New Promises, New Dangers

Toby Shelley

Buckyballs. Quantum dots. Golden triangles. Organic light-emitting diodes. Welcome to the world of nanotechnology—the engineering of new materials and new products at the infinitesimally small, or nano, scale. Virtually every large corporation now has a nanotechnology operation. The US government is putting in serious investment. Huge promises are held out in the fields of medicine, energy, computing. But there is little public debate, no regulatory framework and little research into the health, environmental or safety implications. This book explains the fast moving world of the new technology and who controls it. It explores the potential consequences for individuals, the environment and relations between the powers. Nanotechnology could bridge or widen the gap between rich and poor—this is the political decision that civil society must address.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Emerging World of Nanotechnology 
• Nanotechnology Goes to War 
• Timescales: From just around the Corner to over the Rainbow
• Investment: Owning the Keys to the Kingdom 
• Unknown Dangers, Unquantified Risks 
• From Cold War to Star Wars to Nanowars? 
• The Great Divide: Nanotechnology and the Poor Agriculture 
• Convergence of Technologies: Raising the stakes 
• Taming the Genie 
• Finding out More 
• Index

About the Author

Toby Shelley is a journalist with the Financial Times. Over the past twenty years he has reported from across Africa and the Middle East. His previous books include Nanotechnology (2006), Oil (2005) and Endgame in the Western Sahara (2004). He is a member of the Council of Management of the radical development charity War on Want.