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
Would you use mental ability-enhancing drugs? Take the (anonymous) poll:
Poll closed 26 June - see the results below. I'll be writing on this in a week or so Would you - or do you - use drugs like Ritalin, donepezil or modafinil to improve your mental ability? I'm interested in getting a sense of current use and attitudes, and would love...
A cautious thumbs up for synthetic biology from the UK public
According to a new public opinion survey from the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the great British public is cautiously enthusiastic about the emerging field of synthetic biology. Last summer, the Washington DC-based Synthetic Biology Project published a survey of...
Nanotechnology: Ensuring success through safety
This month's issue of the magazine Science & Technology takes a closer look at some of the controversies, dilemmas and decisions that will impact on the future development of the science and technology of working at the nanoscale. Amongst the commentaries is a...
Geoengineering: Are we grown up enough to handle it?
If there's one thing that's guaranteed to unite global warming "denialists" on both sides of the aisle, it's geoengineering - the intentional planet-wide manipulation of the environment. At least, you might be left with that impression after reading the comments...
Science minister’s question time
This afternoon, a riveting and possibly ground-breaking conversation evolved in real time on the social media platform Twitter. Yesterday, writer and broadcaster Colin Stuart (@skyponderer on Twitter) raised concerns about the new dual-role of UK Science Minister...
To tweet or not to tweet – social media and the scientific meeting
Should live tweeting and blogging from scientific meetings be controlled? Back in May, Daniel MacArthur - a researcher and blogger - wrote a number of on-the-spot blogs on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Biology of Genomes meeting. By all accounts a number...
Nanoscale control: Leveraging biology
Part 6 of a series on rethinking science and technology for the 21st century The story so far: We are facing an unprecedented confluence of three factors that are forcing us to rethink how we develop and use science and technology to the benefit of society. Coupling...
Steve Chu’s White Revolution
It feels good to be ahead of the curve sometimes. About this time last year, I was slaving away painting my roof white - much to the bemusement of my Northern Virginia neighbors and friends. So I couldn't help feeling just a little smug this morning as I read that US...
Nanotechnology: From nano-novice to nano-genius in 13 steps
Back in April, the folks at the PBS station THIRTEEN asked me to answer 13 questions on nanotechnology and the environment for their website feature Green Thirteen. The questions ended up covering most of nanotechnology - what it is, what it's good for, what the...
Nanotechnology safety research funding on the up
The unthinkable has happened! The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is poised to get $5 million in crisp new dollars for researching possible workplace risks arising from nanotechnology. It may not sound like a big deal. But believe...