Nanotechnology Regulation: More Thoughts

We want to make it clear that talking about the health and safety issues of nanoscale technologies is no substitute for awareness of the risks that molecular manufacturing will bring in a few years.

Even with today's nanoscale technologies, good legislation or regulation will not be easy to design and implement. Given that commercial use of nanoparticles has been going on for years now, it is probably not too soon to begin devising a well-considered regulation or two.

However, it would be highly unfortunate if focusing on the concerns about nanoscale technologies distracted attention from molecular manufacturing risks.

Nanoscale technology risks are of familiar types (though, of course, varying in detail and severity). Molecular manufacturing, on the other hand, will create technological capabilities that have never existed, of a power that easily could be destabilizing on a global scale. New kinds of problems will be created and new kinds of regulations may well be needed. Research into these implications should be an urgent priority.

With any technology, hasty regulations are likely to be inefficient or even counterproductive. Ongoing studies -- of both near-term and long-term nanotech implications -- will reduce the risk of ill-considered regulation in a panicked response to the inevitable unexpected problems.

Tags: nanotechnology nanotech nano science technology ethics weblog blog

Comments

[Mike Deering]

As long as we are only talking about regulating the "uses" of MM and not the ownership or the development, then I think you could get some interest by those in a position to make regulations happen.

[Matt]

Would somebody care to enlighten me as to why nanoperticles need new laws for regulation? Last I checked, a newly designed substance (or a known substance which particles have been nano-sized) that has novel properties has to be tested for effects, period. What exactly has changed since then?

[Chris Phoenix, CRN]

AFAIK, known substances don't necessarily have to be retested when they are made in a new size. I think there have been several cases of manufacturers saying "Well it's just carbon" (for buckytubes) or "well it's just titanium dioxide."

Chris