Fabio Salamanca-Buentello

Nanotechnology and the developing world.

How nanotechnology can be harnessed to address some of the worlds most critical development problems

Ethical and scientific issues of nanotechnology in the workplace.

In the absence of scientific clarity about the potential health effects of occupational exposure to nanoparticles, a need exists for guidance in decisionmaking about hazards, risks, and controls. An identification of the ethical issues involved may be useful to decision makers, particularly employers, workers, investors, and health authorities. Because the goal of occupational safety and health is the prevention of disease in workers, the situations that have ethical implications that most affect workers have been identified. These situations include the a) identification and communication of hazards and risks by scientists, authorities, and employers; b) workers’ acceptance of risk; c) selection and implementation of controls; d) establishment of medical screening programs; and e) investment in toxicologic and control research. The ethical issues involve the unbiased determination of hazards and risks, nonmaleficence (doing no harm), autonomy, justice, privacy, and promoting respect for persons. As the ethical issues are identified and explored, options for decision makers can be developed. Additionally, societal deliberations about workplace risks of nanotechnologies may be enhanced by special emphasis on small businesses and adoption of a global perspective.

Dust of Wonder, Dust of Doom: A Landscape of Nanotechnology, Nanoethics, and Sustainable Development

Nanotechnology is a relatively recent and very promising area of inquiry devoted to the manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular scales. Its wide reach ensures extensive influence over a vast range of human activities and has generated serious concerns over the ethical, economic, environmental, legal, and social issues (E3LSI) related to its development and applications, particularly in terms of the emergence of a “nano-divide” between high-income countries and the developing world. In this chapter, we review the advances in nanotechnology most likely to benefit low- and middle-income countries. Then, we examine the most relevant and realistic E3LS challenges related to nanotechnology (NE3LS). Next, we propose potential approaches to address these challenges, based upon foundations of equity, justice, non-discrimination, and non-stigmatization. Finally, we highlight the leading role of UNESCO in the global discussion of NE3LS issues and we suggest future pathways by means of which UNESCO’s involvement in nanotechnology can contribute to the well-being of human populations worldwide.

Enabling knowledge societies in developing countries: the example of genomics

To address the health needs of developing countries, it is necessary to build and strengthen knowledge societies. By using genomics as an example, we aim to demonstrate that creating effective knowledge societies requires transformative steps and concrete mechanisms. We present four transformative steps towards the development of an expansive outlook regarding equity: developing a global state of mind; promoting long-term self-interests; facilitating public engagement and enhancing the production of Global Public Goods (GPGs) using the example of genomics knowledge. In support of these steps, we identify concrete mechanisms as an action plan using four pragmatic solutions: foresight exercises for identifying needs and prioritising technologies; strengthening capacity and improving access to knowledge in developing countries; defining intellectual property and regulatory concerns for these technologies; and establishing global governance and financial mechanisms.

A woman's place in Nature

SIR — The discovery of 2003 UB313, an object larger and farther away than Pluto, has once again stimulated the debate on how we define a planet (Nature 436, 616; 2005). The official status of 2003 UB313 will be decided by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Meanwhile, in the manuscript for a forthcoming book, I have just changed a section heading from “Eight planets?” to “Ten planets!”. But how should we decide how many planets there are? I believe that Pluto should remain the ninth planet, as it has been for the past 75 years, and we should enjoy teaching about how this planet differs from the others. Being different is not reason enough to exclude Pluto from the list of planets: in recent years Uranus and Neptune have been found to differ greatly from Jupiter and Saturn, which themselves differ greatly from the terrestrial planets. I believe that 2003 UB313 should be called the tenth planet, because it is both larger than Pluto and at an appreciably different distance, although a practical problem the IAU will then have to face is where to draw the line at the lower end of sizes. For example, should Sedna or 2003 EL61 — each roughly threequarters the size of Pluto — also be named planets? I propose that the size of Pluto should be considered the lower limit, for historical reasons. It is important to remember that Pluto and 2003 UB313 are also ‘Trans-Neptunian objects’ — bodies orbiting the Sun at a greater distance than Neptune — and that these differ from the eight large planets, especially in their origin as small asteroidal aggregates. In order to preserve this distinction, Pluto and 2003 UB313 should also be given asteroid identifications. Tom Gehrels Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA