Fairness and nanotechnology concern

Research suggests that fairness perceptions matter to people who are asked to evaluate the acceptability of risks or risk management. Two separate national random surveys (n = 305 and n = 529) addressed Americans’ concerns about and acceptance of nanotechnology risk management in the context of the degree to which they view scientists and risk managers as fair. The first survey investigated general views about scientists across four proposed dimensions of fairness (distributional, procedural, interpersonal, and informational). The results show that respondents who believe that the outcomes of scientific research tend to result in unequal benefits (distributional fairness) and that the procedures meant to protect the public from scientific research are biased (procedural fairness) were more concerned about nanotechnology. Believing scientists would treat them with respect (interpersonal fairness) and ensure access to information (informational fairness) were not significant predictors of concern. The second study also looked at these four dimensions of fairness but focused on perceptions of risk managers working for government, universities, and major companies. In addition to concern, it also examined acceptance of nanotechnology risk management. Study 2 results were similar to those of study 1 for concern; however, only perceived informational fairness consistently predicted acceptance of nanotechnology risk management. Overall, the study points to the value of considering fairness perceptions in the study of public perceptions of nanotechnology.     

从“点石成金”到现代点金术（二）

纳米科技作为现代点金术广泛应用于化学研究的各个领域,以此可以极大提高和改进传统产业．本文结合自身所在科研机构的研究现状。通过实例分析纳米科技在一些传统产业中的应用．     

我国公众对纳米技术的认知分析——基于大连地区纳米技术公众认知的实证调查

文章基于对大连地区纳米技术公众认知的实证调查,分析了我国公众对纳米技术认知的基本状况,并对不同群体进行了分类研究,指出我国公众对纳米技术的认知度较高,但是由于认知的被动性和风险意识的缺乏,极易导致公众对纳米技术态度从一个极端走向另一个极端.提出应该主动加强公众对纳米技术认知的普及教育,让公众全面了解纳米技术的利益与风险,以提高公众对纳米技术风险的识别和防范能力.     

An Integrated Approach to Oversight Assessment for Emerging Technologies

Analysis of oversight systems is often conducted from a single disciplinary perspective and by using a limited set of criteria for evaluation. In this article, we develop an approach that blends risk analysis, social science, public administration, legal, public policy, and ethical perspectives to develop a broad set of criteria for assessing oversight systems. Multiple methods, including historical analysis, expert elicitation, and behavioral consensus, were employed to develop multidisciplinary criteria for evaluating oversight of emerging technologies. Sixty‐six initial criteria were identified from extensive literature reviews and input from our Working Group. Criteria were placed in four categories reflecting the development, attributes, evolution, and outcomes of oversight systems. Expert elicitation, consensus methods, and multidisciplinary review of the literature were used to refine a condensed, operative set of criteria. Twenty‐eight criteria resulted spanning four categories: seven development criteria, 15 attribute criteria, five outcome criteria, and one evolution criterion. These criteria illuminate how oversight systems develop, operate, change, and affect society. We term our approach “integrated oversight assessment” and propose its use as a tool for analyzing relationships among features, outcomes, and tradeoffs of oversight systems. Comparisons among historical case studies of oversight using a consistent set of criteria should result in defensible and evidence‐supported lessons to guide the development of oversight systems for emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology.     

The Uncertainty of Nanotoxicology: Report of a Society for Risk Analysis Workshop

A September 2008 workshop sponsored by the Society for Risk Analysis⁽ 1 ⁾ on risk assessment methods for nanoscale materials explored “nanotoxicology” in risk assessment. A general conclusion of the workshop was that, while research indicates that some nanoscale materials are toxic, the information presented at the workshop does not indicate the need for a conceptually different approach for risk assessment on nanoscale materials, compared to other materials. However, the toxicology discussions did identify areas of uncertainty that present a challenge for the assessment of nanoscale materials. These areas include novel metrics, characterizing multivariate dynamic mixtures, identification of toxicologically relevant properties and “impurities” for nanoscale characteristics, and characterizing persistence, toxicokinetics, and weight of evidence in consideration of the dynamic nature of the mixtures. The discussion also considered “nanomaterial uncertainty factors” for health risk values like the Environmental Protection Agency's reference dose (RfD). Similar to the general opinions for risk assessment, participants expressed that completing a data set regarding toxicity, or extrapolation between species, sensitive individuals, or durations of exposure, were not qualitatively different considerations for nanoscale materials in comparison to all chemicals, and therefore, a “nanomaterial uncertainty factor” for all nanomaterials does not seem appropriate. However, the quantitative challenges may require new methods and approaches to integrate the information and the uncertainty.     

Is it all about human nature? Ethical challenges of converging technologies beyond a polarized debate

This article seeks a better understanding of the debate on the ethical challenges posed by converging technologies in the two versions offered by the United States (NBIC) and Europe (CTEKS) and plans to achieve three things. First, I want to show that the reduction of the ethical challenges posed by these technologies to the question of human nature, creating a polarization of positions, has generated a sort of impasse from which it is difficult to escape. This has already been partly referred to by other authors. Second, I want to show that the European conception of CTEKS proposes a different way of framing the ethical questions surrounding converging technologies. Third, I want to provide a reason why we should follow the route indicated by the European approach and move away from the questions around human nature, being at the same time aware that this approach is only in its initial phase.     

Risky Business: Perceived Behavior of Local Scientists and Community Support for Their Research

Attracting new technologies to a region can mean significant economic growth, so understanding why some communities may not favor becoming “the next Silicon Valley” merits consideration. This study investigates the relationship among the perceived behavior of local scientists and community members' attitudes toward their research. Drawing on theories from organizational justice, it hypothesizes that when local residents consider scientists as more just in their behavior, they will also have more favorable attitudes toward the scientists and their research. Just, in this sense, refers to whether scientists are perceived as fair in terms of outcomes, procedures, interpersonal treatment, and explanations in their dealings with the community. Favorable attitudes are measured in terms of concern about new technologies and satisfaction with research. Data were collected via a mail survey of residents in two upstate New York counties (N= 1,306) that host substantial technology research facilities. Controlling for demographics, media use, basic science knowledge, and technology awareness, the results show that distributive justice (i.e., fairness of outcomes) had a consistent, negative relationship with technology concern. In comparison, all four justice variables were positively related with research satisfaction. The findings suggest that the perceived behavior of local scientists may indeed impact community support for their research.     

Foresight Study on the Risk Governance of New Technologies: The Case of Nanotechnology

Technology‐led innovation represents an important driver of European economic and industrial competitiveness and offers solutions to societal challenges. In order to facilitate responsible innovation and public acceptance, a need exists to identify and implement oversight approaches focused on the effective risk governance of emerging technologies. This article describes a foresight study on the governance of new technologies, using nanotechnology as a case example. Following a mapping of the governance landscape, four plausible foresight scenarios were developed, capturing critical uncertainties for nanotechnology governance. Key governance elements were then stress tested within these scenarios to see how well they might perform in a range of possible futures and to inform identification of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for nanotechnology governance in Europe. Based on the study outcomes, recommendations are proposed regarding the development of governance associated with the responsible development of new technologies.     

微纳米技术在工业装备中的应用研究进展

微型化是传统的化工、材料、能源、制药等行业重要的发展方向之一。对日益发展的微纳米工业装备,从微米和纳米技术两个层面进行分析。阐述了各种微纳米装备的研究现状、必要性、工艺性能和设备特点。从制造、集成、建模和模拟等方面,简要论述了纳米技术在未来发展中面临的挑战。     

纳米鸿沟的伦理反思

由于纳米技术在新技术革命中的基础性作用,它的突破有望引导下一次产业革命。然而,各个国家和地区不同的经济实力和技术基础,决定了它们在纳米技术发展过程中存在明显的起点差距。现有的知识产权保护制度和财富分配制度可能会加大起点差距,从而形成类似于“数字鸿沟”那样的“纳米鸿沟”。“纳米鸿沟”蕴含并强化了发展起点不公平、代价与收益不公平、教育与发展机会不公平等伦理问题。