Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Nanotechnology-induced risks to the environment are of greater concern than envisaged, although different groups of people are concerned for different reasons, as Chris Toumey explains.
As artists and manufacturers explore the use of spray-on carbon nanotube coatings, Andrew D. Maynard explores the state of the science around nanotube safety.
There is no unique definition of nanotechnology because its breadth and complexity mean that people with different backgrounds and interests have their own view of the subject, explains Chris Toumey.
The potential risks surrounding nanotechnology can often appear complex and confusing. But with some basic guideposts, argues Andrew D. Maynard, navigating them can become a little easier.
Work on a new technology roadmap and an exceptional wave of consolidation hint at fundamental changes in the micro- and nanoelectronics industry, as Christian Martin explains.
Predictions for the development of microelectronics provide a valuable example about the virtues of measured promises in nanotechnology, as Chris Toumey explains.
The submission of the first 'smart pill' for market approval, combined with progress in the European nanomedicine landscape, illustrates the positive outlook for drug therapy and health monitoring, explains Christian Martin.
The relationship between technology and religion is diverse and nuanced, but understanding it can be a valuable intellectual exercise, as Chris Toumey explains.
If emerging technologies such as nanotechnology are to reach their full potential we need to radically change our approach to risk, argues Andrew D. Maynard.
The use of silver nanoparticles to clean clothes and the use of magnetite nanoparticles to clean water provide contrasting illustrations of the potential environmental consequences of nanotechnology, as Chris Toumey explains.
When it comes to safety, the jury's still out on which nanoparticle characteristics we should be measuring. But, as Andrew D. Maynard explains, there's a rich history dating back over a hundred years on how we measure them.
More than a decade after it was first published, Chris Toumey revisits a report from the Royal Society on the opportunities and uncertainties of nanotechnology, and finds that it still has plenty to offer.
Emerging technologies need to be developed responsibly if their benefits are to outweigh any potential risks. Yet do entrepreneurs really have the luxury of grappling with future consequences from the get-go, asks Andrew D. Maynard.
A recent conference on the environmental effects of nanoparticles leaves Chris Toumey reflecting on the difficulties of carrying out nanotoxicology research that can be used to develop informed environmental regulation.
3D printing is allowing more complex three-dimensional structures to be manufactured than ever before. Could the convergence between this technology and nanotechnology eventually usher in a new era of artificial intelligence, asks Andrew D. Maynard.
Can peer review be improved by withholding information from referees? There is some evidence to suggest it might be, but the jury is still out, reports Alastair Brown.
Fumed silica has been used as an anti-caking agent in foods for several decades. Does new research suggest that the use of this engineered nanomaterial needs to be re-examined, asks Andrew D. Maynard.
