ABSTRACT
In the final decades of the 20th century, civil society and consumer campaigns against genetically modified organisms demonstrated that science and technology are no longer the private preserve of white-coated scientists. In the first decade of the 21st century, civil society and social movements have played a key role in education, advocacy and critical analysis of nano-scale converging technologies. The concept of technological convergence is important to keep in mind—that is, the use of nano-scale science to manipulate and exploit bits, atoms, neurons and genes. Governments, corporations and international institutions are promoting nano-scale technologies as the magic bullet for cheap energy, clean water, arresting climate change, curing cancer and addressing poverty. Although nanotech enthusiasts insist that nano-scale technologies will address the global South’s most pressing needs, far less attention has focused on the potential disruptive impacts of nanotech.
