Chapter 2

What Are the Warning Signs That We Should Be Looking For?

Steffen Foss Hansen, Andrew Maynard, Anders Baun, Joel A. Tickner and Diana M. Bowman

Nanotechnologies, as highlighted by this volume, are already ubiquitous in nature. Current and future applications of the technology are expected to lead to substantial societal and environmental benefits. For governments, investment in nanotechnologies, and indeed other emerging technologies, is seen as fundamental for driving the innovation agenda and shifting to a high-tech economy. But, as history clearly illustrates, technological innovations do not come in neat packages. Uncertainties and unintended consequences often accompany their transition from the laboratory into the marketplace. ...

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