Project Description: In both cases - think interdisciplinarily! Don't just focus on the topic from a single perspective - engage in the topic from multiple perspectives including business and marketing (for project A).

A. Create a start-up company for a new nanotechnology. Find and carefully describe an aspect of nanoscience that you would like to develop into a new application or a nanotechnology.

B. Choose a specific aspect of nanoscience and nanotechnology and research the topic for the historical development of the idea as well as the most current research and/or applications of that research to new technologies. What's being predicted for the future forthis breakthrough?

The timeline for the parts of the project remain the same and are described below.

Project: 150 points total
Topic description (1 page, uploaded to moodle Jan 14th 5pm) 10 points
Annotated Bibliography (uploaded to moodle Jan 28th 5pm) 20 points
Outline and updated bibliography (uploaded to moodle Feb 10th 5pm) 20 points
5-7 page Report 50 points
draft report uploaded to moodle Feb 25th 5pm
Final report uploaded to moodle March 10th 5pm
Project Presentation (in class March 8th) 50 points

Literature Assignments

Assignment 1: due Thursday, January 6th in class

Part A: Find three examples of 'parties' that answer the following two questions. Be sure to cite your sources carefully.

1. Who is talking about nanoscience and nanotechnology? Find three examples of specific people, artists, lawyers, inventors, companies, governmental bodies, research labs etc that are 'talking' about nanoscience.

2. What are they saying? For each of the three examples in 1, write a brief description of what the 'party' is saying about nanoscience and nanotechnology. Are they talking about current applications of nanoscience in new technologies or are they making predictions (good or bad) about the future of nanoscience and nanotechnology?

Part B: Go to the websites of several of the big 'news' organizations (NRP, New York Times, Fox News etc...) and do a search for how many times their stories involved nanoscience and/or nanotechnology in 2004. Give a short summary of 2 of the stories you find interesting. Include proper citations.

Questions for ethics discussion on Tuesday Jan. 11th:

ETC group article
- What issues are at the heart of their arguments?
- What evidence do they provide to substantiate their claims?
- To whom are they appealing?

More general considerations:
- What issues lie at the heart of the proposed ethical considerations? Privacy? Security? Morality? unexpected consequences?

- Do groups use examples from the past to challenge us about the potential dangers of these new technologies? If so - which examples are persuasive? Are they relevant to nanotechnology? If yes, how? If no, why not?

- Who should have the responsibility and authority to make standards and regulations guiding nanotechnology? Do we already have such regulations and standards that apply to the development of new technologies, or do we need some new governing or regulating structures?

- Should there be mandated funding for research on the ethics of nanotechnology? If so, what might those studies look like? what sorts of issues would they raise?

- Imagine that you are a legislator and your constituents are asking for your position on nanoscience and nanotechnology? what do you tell them?

- Imagine that you are a lobbyist for a nanotechnology firm - how might you try to 'color' the views of legislators about nanoscience and nanotechnology? what do you tell them?

- How do doom and gloom, futuristic predictions like Bill Joy, Eric Drexler, and many others make affect public perceptions and information on nanotechnology? Are these types of articles/statements good for the larger public conversation, or not? Who else should be part of the larger conversation about the potential societal implications of nanotechnology?

- How will nanoscience and nanotech affect the global community? Do you expect that this new technology will unfold differently than previous new technologies from a global perspective? What examples might we use to predict how such new technologies make their way around the globe? on what timescale, by what mechanisms?

- Personal reflection question: Which of the ethical considerations (if any) do you personally find most persuasive?

Last updated March, 2005

Course Web Site Directory   •   Department Site   •   Lawrence University