Home > Press > The Economist Says Nanotechnology is "A Little Risky Business"
Abstract:
Expert Available for Interviews
The Economist Says Nanotechnology is "A Little Risky Business"
Washington, DC | Posted on November 26th, 2007
What: A major feature story in this week's Economist magazine (November 24, 2007) highlights the enormous promise of nanotechnology-for breakthroughs in medicine, sustainable energy, and electronics. But the article, "A Little Risky Business," underscores the lack of research being done to determine how safe nanoscale materials are. And, despite nanotechnology's rapid commercialization, it highlights the lack of resources in government and industry that are being applied to address the problem. The story also considers the important question of whether current regulations are adequate to manage nanotechnology development safely.
The article is available at:
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10171212
Who: Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor for the Wilson Center's Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, is prominently featured in The Economist article. Maynard is a foremost expert on addressing possible nanotechnology risks and developing safe nanotechnologies. His Ph.D. is in ultrafine aerosol analysis from Cambridge University (UK). He is a frequent media guest and expert witness at Congressional hearings. He appears in the 2008 public television series, Nanotechnology: The Power of Small (see: http://www.fredfriendly.org/ ).
Why: An exciting new field of research, nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. Nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $50 billion in manufactured goods in 2006. By 2014, an estimated $2.6 trillion in manufactured goods worldwide will use nanotechnology, accounting for 15 percent of global output and 11 percent of manufacturing jobs.
For a look at over 500 manufacturer-identified nanotechnology consumer products on the market today, log on to http://www.nanotechproject.org/consumerproducts .
Media interested in interviewing Dr. Maynard should contact Sharon McCarter at (202) 691-4016 or .
####
About The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is an initiative launched by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology.
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Sharon McCarter
Director of Communications
(202) 691-4016
Copyright © Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
If you have a comment, please
Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Bookmark:
Announcements
Artificial Forest for Solar Water-Splitting: Berkeley Lab Researchers Report First Fully Integrated Artificial Photosynthesis Nanosystem May 17th, 2013
Moth-Inspired Nanostructures Take the Color Out of Thin Films May 17th, 2013
NIA Public Briefing: Nanotechnology and the Council of Europe May 17th, 2013
Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect May 17th, 2013
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals
Moth-Inspired Nanostructures Take the Color Out of Thin Films May 17th, 2013
Add boron for better batteries: Rice University theorists say graphene-boron mix shows promise for lithium-ion batteries May 17th, 2013
DNA-Guided Assembly Yields Novel Ribbon-Like Nanostructures: Approach could be useful in fabricating new kinds of materials with engineered properties May 16th, 2013
Advancements and developments of solid-state nanopores sensors May 16th, 2013
Safety-Nanoparticles/Risk management
NIA Public Briefing: Nanotechnology and the Council of Europe May 17th, 2013
Squishy hydrogels may be the ticket for studying biological effects of nanoparticles May 15th, 2013
Ubiquitous engineered nanomaterials cause lung inflammation, study finds: Substances are used in everything from paint to sporting equipment May 6th, 2013
Council of Europe commences regulation of nanotechnology April 27th, 2013