March 28, 2007
Nanotechnology in the Spotlight
According to a new study released by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, nanotechnology promises to bring sweeping technological advances in coming years. The report entitled "Nanotechnology: The Future is Coming Sooner Than You Think" (pdf download, 232 KB), states that nanotechnology will lead to dramatic breakthroughs in many areas including medicine, communications, computing, energy, and robotics. The study describes that nanotechnology offers the potential for important advances in many fields, for example, the ability to engineer even smaller circuits, switches, and components for memory storage has important applications for computer science and information technology. In medicine, nanotechnology offers the possibility of designing treatments for cancers using nanoparticles that seek out cancer cells and release an attached drug.
The Next Industrial Revolution?
With nanotechnology being described by business and government leaders as "The Next Industrial Revolution," the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts have established a project called "The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies" to study the potential environmental, health, and social impacts of nanotechnology. This project is in its third year with a goal of producing objective, in-depth analysis of nanotechnology's potential impact. It is providing sound principles and policy recommendations for coping with and reaping the benefits that nanotechnology promises, and it is bringing together stakeholders from every sector for informed, productive and creative discussion and collaborations. The Project also is fostering a better understanding of how institutions need to change to accommodate this new technology and will expand their efforts to help industry, governments and the public reap nanotechnology's benefits by better anticipating and managing possible environmental and health implications.
According to the Wilson Center President and Director Lee Hamilton, "the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is engaged in something very rare in our rapidly changing, technology-driven world. It is working to look over the horizon at one of the most critical technologies of the day and help the nation to stay ahead of the technology curve."
Upcoming Conference
A conference is scheduled April 16, 2007 in Washington, DC called "Nanotechnology's Past, Present & Future: A Congressional Perspective" which will introduce the program and discuss its scope and implications. There will also be a live Webcast.
More information on the conference or the live webcast
http://www.nanotechproject.org/
Link to A Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory
(compiled by the project)