ABSTRACT
As one of the first comprehensive books on the impacts of nanotechnology, Nanotechnology: Risk, Ethics and Law explores the emergence of nanotechnology in Japan, the United States of America, Europe and Canada to demonstrate how different regions construct their nano-futures. Since much of the early discussion on nanotechnology focuses on how to frame benefits and control risks, chapters in the book examined ethical positions for understanding the implications of nanotechnology, and specific challenges arising from the use of this suite of technologies in medicine, industrial processes and products, and food. To become a mature and sustainable technology, nanotechnology must have general support by users of nano-based products and by the public at large. To understand the complexities associated with building support for nanotechnology, chapters in the book examined public perceptions of nanotechnology, the role of trust in regulation, and a set of related questions on how nanotechnology fits within current legal regimes for patenting, assessing civil and criminal liability. Chapters also examined some conceptual issues of complexity, and ethical issues both from a global point of view and about the use of human subjects where nano-based products are involved.
