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In 2006, a group of scientists proposed five grand challenges to support the safe handling of nanotechnology. Ten years on, Andrew Maynard and Robert Aitken — two of the original authors — look at where we have come, and where we still need to go.
Nanotechnology is starting to play a role in a number of commercial products, though in an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary way, says Peter Dobson.
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.