After manipulating the matter on a millimetre scale during the industrial revolution, and on a micrometre scale in the electronic era, human beings are now able, thanks to the nanotechnologies, to handle it on a nanometre scale, namely at its atomic and molecular levels. Some nanotechnology advocates are convinced that we are on the eve of a new revolution as nanotechnologies have the potential to dramatically impact several techno-scientific fields, including biomedicine, and thus to deeply modify our society. Certainly, nanotechnologies hold out the prospect of tempting innovations and draw considerable funding, but they also raise serious questions about their governance, the distribution of their benefits, their risks, their impact on health care services and their capacity to drastically modify human beings. While the ethical issues raised by GMOs have been debated after their commercialisation, nanotechnologies generate an intense debate at the first steps of their entry into the market. This debate notably relates to the inclusion of the general public into the governance of nanotechnologies in a way that would promote a smooth and socially acceptable... Read more
After manipulating the matter on a millimetre scale during the industrial revolution, and on a micrometre scale in the electronic era, human beings are now able, thanks to the nanotechnologies, to handle it on a nanometre scale, namely at its atomic and molecular levels. Some nanotechnology advocates are convinced that we are on the eve of a new revolution as nanotechnologies have the potential to dramatically impact several techno-scientific fields, including biomedicine, and thus to deeply modify our society. Certainly, nanotechnologies hold out the prospect of tempting innovations and draw considerable funding, but they also raise serious questions about their governance, the distribution of their benefits, their risks, their impact on health care services and their capacity to drastically modify human beings. While the ethical issues raised by GMOs have been debated after their commercialisation, nanotechnologies generate an intense debate at the first steps of their entry into the market. This debate notably relates to the inclusion of the general public into the governance of nanotechnologies in a way that would promote a smooth and socially acceptable development of these technologies and that would prevent a sterile debate, such as it occurred with GMOs.
In our research project, we will particularly focus on the role played by researchers in the field of nanotechnologies and the media in a process that would promote an ongoing dialogue between the general public, researchers, firms, and the government in a common effort to achieve a better framework for the development of nanotechnologies. Thus, we aim to (1) Identify the perceptions of researchers and professionals in journalism towards the ethical issues related to nanotechnologies, (2) Identify the perceptions of these actors towards social responsibility initiatives planned or implemented in the field of biotechnology and (3) Drawn from these perceptions initiatives that researchers, businesses, media, etc. could applied to support the ethical development of nanotechnology.
This project is conducted by Philippe-Aubert Côté, Ph.D. student, under the supervision of Béatrice Godard.
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: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)
