Realizing dreams of carbon nanotubes

by Nanocomp | Sep 28, 2010 | Emerging Technology, Guest Post, Nanotechnology

A guest blog by John Dorr, Vice President of Business Development Nanocomp Technologies Inc. Despite all the fuss over nanotechnology, it’s surprisingly difficult to get a clear sense of how the technology is contributing to new products.  So when the company Nanocomp...

Ten weeks to save the world: Nature does the Singularity University

by Andrew Maynard | Sep 15, 2010 | Emerging Technology, Recommended, Technology Innovation

You’ve heard the rumors and read the hype – but what really goes on at the Singularity University, based at the NASA Ames campus in Silicon Valley?  Nature’s Nicola Jones recently went along to take a look, and her report has just been posted –...

Rethinking nanotechnology – responding to a request for Information on the US Nanotechnology Strategic Plan

by Andrew Maynard | Aug 30, 2010 | Emerging Technology, Nanotechnology

Back in July, the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) posted a Request For Information in the Federal Register for input to the next NNI strategic plan – to be published later this year.  The closing date for comments was a couple of weeks ago now.  I...

The safety of nanotechnology-based sunscreens – some reflections

by Andrew Maynard | Jul 18, 2010 | Emerging Technology, Engagement, Nanotechnology

A few weeks ago, I set Friends of the Earth a challenge – What is your worst case estimate of the human health risk from titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreens? The challenge came out of an article from FoE on nanomaterials and...

The Global Redesign Initiative and the need for up-front investment in sustainable technology innovation

by Andrew Maynard | May 31, 2010 | Emerging Technology, Policy, Technology Innovation

The global financial crisis of 2008-09 laid bare the inadequacies of global systems in an increasingly interdependent world, and highlighted the need to rethink the “architecture of global cooperation” – the idea at the core of the World Economic Forum Global...

As scientists create the first synthetic cell, the future safety of synthetic biology will depend on sound science

by Andrew Maynard | May 26, 2010 | Emerging Technology, Future, Policy, Risk, Synthetic Biology, Technology Innovation

Last week’s announcement from the J. Craig Venter Institute that scientists had created the first-ever synthetic cell was a profoundly significant point in human history, and marked a turning point in our quest to control the natural world.  But the ability to...