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Are nanotechnology robots next?: Visiting professor talks about needApr 03, 2009 (The Hawk Eye - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- for ethics in nanotechnology research. When most people hear the word nanotechnology, they usually dismiss it as science-fiction nonsense -- visions of molecular-sized robots are often the first thing to spring to mind. But the application of such theoretical technology may be closer than most think. During a Thursday morning forum at Iowa Wesleyan College, Akhlesh Lakhtakia, a visiting professor with the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University, warned that moral and ethical decisions about nanotechnology soon will have to be made. "Until recently, the government has turned a blind eye to this issue," Lakhtakia said. "I don't want to sound alarmist, and I don't want to give you hype. We must educate the future generation, and we must focus on university education." Before you can understand the ethical issues surrounding nanotechnology, it's important to understand exactly what it is. Nanotechnology deals with the study and manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale and is used to develop materials that are 100 nanometers or smaller. How small is a nanometer? Take a 1-inch-long piece of thread and cut it into 25 even pieces. Then take one of those shortened strands and chop it into one million pieces. That comes out to one billionth of a meter. Even the smallest cellular life forms are about 200 nanometers in length. While the creation of tiny, practically invisible robots is still a few years away, nanotechnology already is utilized in everyday products such as sunscreen and also is used in the medical field to repair tissue and deliver drugs. Manipulation of nanoparticles also can influence the mechanical properties of certain materials, which can help make lightweight materials stronger than metal. "Nanotechnology is like love. It's a many splendored thing," Lakhtakia said. Lakhtakia said he has personally seen the technology used in bio-medicine to aid Alzheimer's patients through manipulation of the brain. "You can turn people into zombies. I've seen patients with Alzheimer's who can't lift a glass of water, and you manipulate their brain and make them lift the water," Lakhtakia said. Many scientific estimates claim that $2.6 trillion worth of nanotechnology products will be sold around the world in 2014, Lakhtakia said. "I think they're being cautious. More will be sold," he said. Lakhtakia said the quick rise of nanotechnology will necessitate further discussion about its ethical use. Like any new technology, nanotechnology will be driven by private corporations that don't necessarily live by the hypocritical oath to do no harm. "You can use it to make steel chairs that don't corrode, and you can use it to make a sword that will cut off someone's head," Lakhtakia said. Another problem with the technology is the high toxicity level of nanoparticles due to their high surface volume in relation to their size. The materials are so small they are much more susceptible to enhanced chemical reactions after manipulation, and so require a proper disposal system. Combustible nanoparticles can even cause explosions. "They can be highly toxic to humans, animals and plants. If you are fond of sunbathing, be careful," Lakhtakia said. "You don't want them to appear in your water and streams, your air, your food chain." He also expressed concern that current uses of nanotechnology, such as researching cancer, may have an unintentional effect. "They may treat cancer, but on the other hand, they may cause cancer," Lakhtakia said. "You can use it for site-specific application of drugs, but it's also possible that some of the particles will breach the blood brain barrier. And I cannot even begin to imagine what kind of cyborgs we will become then." Lakhtakia predicted the technology will experience a meteoric rise over the next two to three years and is only be slowed now due to the economic recession. Those tiny, invisible robots may be closer than you think. To see more of The Hawk Eye or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thehawkeye.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |