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Page Two

The first event consisted of a briefing on Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) considerations followed by questions and answers, and a general group discussion. The topics that emerged included limitations in understanding nanotechnology by publics, social scientists, industry representatives, and policy makers. There were mixed opinions regarding how well current research practices involving nanoparticles address potential EHS concerns.

As a result of the workshop, an additional event was added to the program to attempt to reach a broader community of users who interact with CINT.

All presentations are from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Biodesign Institute Auditorium.

February 23, 2007: Arie Rip

Rip coordinates a program on TA and societal aspects of nanoscience and technologies in the research consortium NanoNed. Originally a chemist, he moved into chemistry & society, and science, technology and social studies more generally, at Leiden University. He was a professor of science dynamics at the University of Amsterdam before joining the University of Twente in 1987 as a professor of science & technology. Rip developed the approach of constructive technology assessment, and also studies science policies and changes in knowledge production.

March 30, 2007: Ahmad Soueid

Soueid is Principal/SVP of HDR Architecture, Inc. and focuses exclusively on the design & construction of advanced technology facilities. He is an internationally known leader in the design of nanotechnology facilities, such as the NIST Advanced Measurement Laboratory, Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue, and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Lab. Soueid also served as nanotechnology facilities advisor to Centro Nacional de Metrologia in Mexico and National Physical Lab (UK), and was co-chair of the Buildings for Advanced Technology Workshop I & II sponsored by ASU in January 2003 and 2004.

Meyya Meyyappan - December 15
There is a tremendous excitement across the world about this technology of the 21st century. Mayyappan's talk provided an overview of nanotechnology, what we can expect in the near, medium and long term, and what it means for society.

Meyya Meyyappan is Chief Scientist for Exploration at the Center for Nanotechnology, NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA. Until June 2006, he served as the Director of the Center for Nanotechnology as well as Senior Scientist. He is a founding member of the Interagency Working Group on Nanotechnology (IWGN) established by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The IWGN is responsible for putting together the National Nanotechnology Initiative.

Michael Cobb - December 1
Cobb's presentation elaborated a pragmatic empirical research agenda for engaging with practicing scientists regarding the governance of their work. It proposed a strategy of engagement and learning relevant for other areas of emerging controversy. Various dilemmas with social and life science research were recounted with a view to reflecting on the unavoidable choices made in efforts to promote responsive research.

Griffith Kundahl - Nov 17
Kundahl reviewed how some nanotechnology stakeholders are already adopting new communications strategies. He also looked at how others might proactively anticipate and engage future issues, and how planning techniques and strategies can be customized and mobilized for the novel challenges nanotechnology will present in the future.

November 19 - Visions of Nanotechnology

“While technology shapes the future, it is people who shape technology and decide what it can and should be used for.”  Kofi Annan

The final Café of 2006 showcased CNS-ASU’s work in technology scenario-development, and the standing-room only crowd voiced its agreement that thinking about the future is important. CNS-ASU Post-Doc Research Associates Dr. Cynthia Selin and Dr. Ira Bennett facilitated much audience participation, which revealed many societal concerns concerning nanotechnology. For example, regarding nano-scale applications in healthcare, audience responses included:

What if you are blacklisted for having a disease?
What if you are diagnosed early for something with no cure? How does that affect the quality of your life?
How do you get this stuff out of your body?
Early discovery does give you more time to fight it.
What if sooner or later [the nano material] is going through everyone’s blood, people who didn’t want it?
It probably won’t be a cheap medical fix, and it may be used initially for the sorts of things that pharmaceutical companies are pushing instead of, say, things that are actually killing a large part of the world, like diarrhea.
Who is going to control all those medicines?
How will broad patents be issued? Who should own which kinds of nanotechnology?
How can you prove if someone is infringing on your patent, given the size of the materials, and what if they become building blocks for other things.

CNS-ASU is grateful to the Changing Hands Bookstore for so graciously hosting our fall semester Cafés. Due to their increasing popularity, beginning in January 2007 the Science Cafés will move to the Arizona Science Center in downtown Phoenix, at 600 E. Washington Street. They will be held on the third Friday of the month, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Yongsheng Chen, Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been working on nanotechnology for environmental applications, most recently on two EPA STAR-funded projects evaluating the potential risks of manufactured nanomaterials in drinking water and their long-term bioaccumulations in food chains.

Phil Schapira and his team continue their work on nanotechnology definition and terms, publication and patent data cleaning, and geographical identifiers. Particular effort has gone into cleaning and associating geography to Chinese nano publication records. Jan Youtie, Maurizo Iacopetta, and Stu Graham continue working on nano as a general purpose technology and are revising a paper to be submitted to The Journal of Technology Transfer. Georgia Tech is also engaged in an exchange with Michel Zitt (Infra, France) in preparation for comparison of PRIME and CNS-ASU@GT nano profiling definitions. The team anticipates the databases of nano publications and patents databases to be ready for first detailed analytical runs in November 2006.

Call for Papers: Two categories of research of interest: 1) research in human enhancement-related STEM fields that are strongly influenced by the perspectives of underrepresented populations in their work; and 2) research on societal aspects of converging technologies and human enhancement with specific concerns about underrepresented perspectives. Student research paper presenters will also provide a poster presentation summary of their research papers for display during the conference.

Abstracts for research papers to be presented that address one or both of the above two general categories will be accepted and notifications will be made on a rolling basis, with a final deadline for electronic submission of abstracts of January 24, 2007 and final notifications by January 31, 2007. The final deadline for electronic submission of completed papers is February 28, 2007.

More Information: Call 1-800-327-4893 (bilingual Spanish/English advisors will answer) or email MGE@ASU today for more information regarding how to submit an abstract, register for the conference, and apply for a research paper presenter scholarship.