Welcome to the 2020 Science Archive
2020 Science started life in 2007 as a nanotechnology blog written by Andrew Maynard on SafeNano. In the following years it developed into a personal blog addressing emerging technologies, responsible innovation, risk, science communication, and the intersection between science and society more generally.
Andrew made he decision to wind the blog down in 2019 as his focus and writing developed in new directions. This archive contains most of the original posts (there have been occasional clean-ups of content). For more recent articles etc. please visit andrewmaynard.net. And thanks for visiting!
BROWSE THE ARCHIVE
Can using sunscreen increase your risk of dying?
Sunscreen (non)sense A recent comment on the Risk Science Center Facebook page asked whether we could help make sense of this article, posted on the website realfarmacy.com a few days ago: Scientists Blow The Lid on Cancer & Sunscreen Myth, July 5 2014 The article...
Does reading science blogs decrease nanotechnology knowledge?
A recent paper in the journal Science Communication suggests, amongst other things, that reading science blogs leads to a decreased factual understanding of nanotechnology, and that the effect is greater for readers with lower socioeconomic status (SES). The paper by...
Step by step guide to making a Risk Bites video
Just for the fun of it, I decided to live-tweet the making of the previous Risk Bites video (Five things worth knowing about nanoparticles and sunscreens - posted June 15 2014). [View the story "Making a Risk Bites video" on Storify] The whole six and a half hours...
US Federal Government nanotechnology EHS research progress review
A couple of weeks ago, the US National Nanotechnology Initiative released a progress review on its 2011 nanotechnology environmental, health and safety research strategy. This progress review provides a useful and timely update on activities and outputs across the...
Nanoparticles and food
Mother Jones recently published an article on an apparent upsurge use of engineered nanoparticles in food that was somewhat misleading in places. I take the piece to task here, pointing out that the particles highlighted - predominantly titanium dioxide particles -...
FDA releases new draft guidelines on nanomaterials safety and regulation
The US Food and Drug Administration have just released new guidance for industry on nanomaterials in cosmetics - the guidance can bee accessed here. The new guidance document is intended to assist industry and other stakeholders in identifying the potential safety...
Five things worth knowing about nanoparticles and sunscreens
Each year for the past several years it seems, the issue of whether nanoparticles used in sunscreens are safe comes up - usually just before summer. I've written quite a lot about this on 2020 Science in the past (check out the archives), but this year I thought I'd...
Lost in Nano-Translation: Titanium Dioxide in Food Products
Recently the American publication Mother Jones published an article on the dangers of food laced with tiny metal oxide particles. The article, however, is laced with errors and misinformation. The source material for the article came from a report by the environmental...
Responsible innovation key to the success of emerging technologies
Top ten breakthrough technologies The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies today released its annual list of breakthrough technologies. The list highlights 10 trends in technological advancement that could offer innovative solutions to...
Last run for the Mind The Science Gap blog
After nearly two years and four hundred posts, the science communication course at the University of Michigan that feeds the Mind The Science Gap blog is coming to and end. In between running a department, directing a research center, teaching, and actually doing...