Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table
5.3
Years
needed
for
25%
of
US
households
to
adopt
new
technologies
Technology
Years to reach 25% of US households
Automobiles
55
Electricity
45
Telephone
35
Radio
27
Television
25
Personal computers
16
Cellular phones
13
Internet (World Wide Web)
7
Source: S. Baase, 2003,
A
Gift
of
Fire:
Social
Legal,
and
Ethical
Issues
for
Computers
and
the
Internet
, Second Edition,
Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Perhaps, the best strategy is to be ready to explain complicated engineering concepts in a straightfor-
ward manner, but at the same time, be prepared for a public that expects high-tech solutions to their
problems.
THE
ETHICS
OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Approaching emergent technological developments in an ethical way is a daunting challenge. It is a
balance between irresponsible, societal risk-taking and irrational anxieties that lead to loss or delays
of opportunities. For example, research at the nanoscale is likely to change biomedicine profoundly.
The state of the science of biomedicine has entered a new era (Figure 5.7). Atomic scale instruments
are now available to study ways to affect materials and processes; however, it may soon be such that
manipulations by nanorobots, nanomachinery, and other nanoscale systems will take place beyond what
is discernible. Table 5.4 describes the similarities and differences in ethical considerations between
conventional technologies and nanotechnologies.
According to the National Science Foundation,
41
nanoscale science and engineering will lead to
seemingly countless advances, including:
•
Manufacturing: The nanometer scale is expected to become a highly efficient length scale for
manufacturing. At this scale, engineering will lead to materials with high performance, unique
properties, and functions that traditional chemistry could not create.
•
Electronics: Nanotechnology is projected to yield an annual production of about $300 billion for
the semiconductor industry and a few times more for global integrated circuit sales within 10 to15
years.
•
Improved health care: Nanotechnology will help to extend the life span, improve its quality, and
extend human physical capabilities.
