George Foulsham, UCSB <\/p>\n
Barbara Herr Harthorn <\/p>\n
A Q&A with Barbara Harthorn, Head of UCSBs Center for Nanotechnology inSociety <\/p>\n
As the head of UCSBs Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS), Barbara Harthorn has spent the past eight-plus years leading a team of researchers in studying peoples perceptions of the small-scale science with big-scale implications. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, CNS enjoys national and worldwide recognition for the social science lens it holds up to physical and lifesciences. <\/p>\n
For some perspective, a nanometer clocks in at about one-billionth of a meter and the thickness of a piece of paper is a whopping 100,000 nanometers. As tiny as the units are, their applications are growing increasinglypopular. <\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Harthorn attended a meeting hosted by the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. The commissions chief focus was on the intersection of ethics and brain research, but Harthorn was invited to share her thoughts on the relationship between ethics and nanotechnology. A few days after her testimony, Harthorn who also teaches anthropology at UCSB spoke with The Santa Barbara Independent about what opportunities nanotechnology pushes forward and what challenges it creates in making sure those opportunities dont cross the ethical line. Below is an edited version of ourconversation. <\/p>\n
What are some common uses of manufactured nanomaterials? In the health industry, there is a huge array of applications, including cosmetics, skin products, and sunscreens. CNS started in January 2006; at that point, the largest number of patents in the world was held by LOreal. The nanoscale forms of metal oxides have different optical properties, making them very attractive for use incosmetics. <\/p>\n
In what other areas are they commonly found? The automotive industry has a bunch of implications, as does the aerospace industry. Theyre using them in building materials. There are nano-additives for concrete to make concrete stronger. There is controversy about nano-silver bulk silver is an anti-microbial so people are using nano forms of silver as an anti-bacterial coating. It is being used in hospitals, offering the promise of potentially killing current drug-resistant forms of bacteria. But they are very powerful, and there is a lot of concern about the potential for generating new super-bugs, if usedhaphazardly. <\/p>\n
At CNS, we have looked at the global chain of teddy bears that have [nano-silver particles]. They are spread onto the surface of the teddy bear that is presumably for use by an infant and conveys the whole idea of super safety but super hazard. Samsung put it in washing machines, which produced a regulatory action, and Samsung had to treat it as a pesticide. If you buy anti-microbial socks, those could have nano-silver particles. There arent a lot of reasons to think there is harm of [skin transfer] by the person wearing the socks but when you wash the socks, the particles arent bound into the textile in a chemical way and can go down the drain and enter the water treatmentsystem. <\/p>\n
So there are some environmental concerns with nanomaterials. What are the ethical concerns? What came across at the Presidential Commission meeting? Theyre talking about treatment of Alzheimers and neurological brain disorders, where the issue of loss of self is a fairly integral part of the disease. There are complicated issues about patients decision-making. Nanomaterials could be used to grow new tissues and potentially new organs in thefuture. <\/p>\n
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The Blessings and Curses of Nanotechnology<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" George Foulsham, UCSB Barbara Herr Harthorn A Q&A with Barbara Harthorn, Head of UCSBs Center for Nanotechnology inSociety As the head of UCSBs Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS), Barbara Harthorn has spent the past eight-plus years leading a team of researchers in studying peoples perceptions of the small-scale science with big-scale implications. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, CNS enjoys national and worldwide recognition for the social science lens it holds up to physical and lifesciences. For some perspective, a nanometer clocks in at about one-billionth of a meter and the thickness of a piece of paper is a whopping 100,000 nanometers. Continue reading