by Andrew Maynard | Apr 2, 2009 | Emerging Technology, Environment, Nanotechnology
Reading yesterday’s New York Times, it seems China could well be poised to leapfrog the West in advanced battery technology (China Vies to Be World’s Leader in Electric Cars). According to the article, Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country...
by Andrew Maynard | Jan 28, 2009 | Environment, Geoengineering
It’s been a big week for geoengineering. First there was the news that the world’s largest geoengineering experiment to date is about to start in the Southern Ocean. Following close behind was a new study on how geoengineering projects could potentially impact...
by Andrew Maynard | Oct 31, 2008 | Environment, Nanotechnology, Oversight
Twelve months ago today I held a bag of multi-walled carbon nanotubes up before a hearing of the U.S. House Science Committee. I wanted to emphasize the discrepancy between the current state of the science on carbon nanotubes, and a tendency to classify this...
by Andrew Maynard | Jun 21, 2008 | Environment, Nanotechnology, Oversight
Painted metal roofs are cheap, convenient, and usually very durable. But over the past two years, a rash of accelerated ageing has blighted pre-painted steel roofing in Australia. And intriguingly the ageing—which affects the coating—seems to be localized to small...
by Andrew Maynard | May 31, 2008 | Environment, Nanotechnology, Oversight, Policy
Why nano? Why care? For non-nanotech initiates, an obsession with nanotechnology must sometimes seem a bizarre occupation of the sad and lonely. And even within the nanotechnology community, who hasn’t had occasional doubts over the legitimacy of singling out...
