Incorporating social and ethical implications of nanotechnology in the engineering and technology curricula

Abstract

The projected impact of nanotechnology has been touted as a second industrial revolution -- not the third, fourth, or fifth, because despite similar predictions for technologies such as computers and robotics, nothing has yet eclipsed the first. Society is at the threshold of a revolution that will transform the ways in which materials and products are created. How will this revolution develop? The opportunities that will develop in the future will depend significantly upon the ways in which a number of challenges are met. As we design systems on a nanoscale, we develop the capability to redesign the structure of all materials -- natural and synthetic along with rethinking the new possibilities of the reconstruction of any and all materials. Such a change in our design power represents tremendous social and ethical questions. In order to enable our future leadership to make decisions for sustainable economic nanotechnological development, it is imperative that we educate all nanotechnology stakeholders about the short-term and long-term benefits, limitations and risks of nanotechnology. The social implications of nanotechnology encompass so many fundamental areas such as ethics, privacy, environment, and security. This paper presents an overview of new and emerging nanotechnologies and their societal and ethical implications to address 21st Century challenges and issues. The discussion includes a range of different types of nanotechnologies and their potential social and ethical implications on society. The paper also highlights the approach used to teach Science, Technology and Society (STS) course at DeVry University, Addison, IL. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.