The nanotechnology industry will employ an estimated 2 million people worldwide by 2015, and with President Obama calling on colleges to ready students for the field, an Illinois-based company has introduced a program designed to teach the complex subject to undergraduates.
According to a news story on nanotechnology, in the future, the wealthy will be able to make use of nanotechnology to modify parts of their existing or future genetic heritage, ie they can alter body parts in non-invasive procedures, or modify future children's anomalies. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/fully-frank/the-tools-to-live-forever/story-e6frfinf-1225791751968
these will then help them evolve into a different species, a better species.
ethical questions:
most of the issues we've talked about in ethics are at the macro level, perpetuating a social group's agenda. however, biotechnology has the potential to make this divide a reality. it's no longer an ethical question but it has the power to make what we discuss in class a reality. to frame it as an ethical perspective, who gets to decide how is the power evenly distributed? power will always be present behind the use of technologies, but who will decide how this technology is used, and for whose good? and if its for a larger good, then, who can moderate this technology usage to ensure all social actors are represented?
This article is about how nanotechnology can be manipulated to make beef. According to the article, "you can get a couple of roses from your garden or that old spare tire in your garage and through molecular manipulation create 5 pounds of fresh meat in a couple of hours."
This is really a cool idea. It is ethical and useful at the same time, we get to eat our delicious beef but not having to slaughter cows! Although nanotechnology does bring about much worries on other ethical aspects, but I guess in this perspective, nanotechnology is ethical?