Small size - large impact - Nanowerk

Conversely, how can a choice to halt be anything other
than unethical?
Third, technology has always been a two-edged sword,
offering both upsides and downsides. Nanotechnology
is no exception. Our focus – our dedicated commitment
– must be to hasten the benefits of nanotechnology
while minimizing any potential downside. We learned
much in the 20 th Century about honing the useful
edge of technology’s blade, while dulling its other edge.
We must apply these lessons to the development of
nanotechnology. We must also recognize that given
the revolutionary potential of nanotechnology, we are
likely to see applications that create ethical and societal
challenges beyond our current framework. Therefore,
we cannot afford to wait to address legitimate societal
and ethical concerns.
That bears repeating so none miss the point: we cannot
wait to address legitimate concerns. Neither can we
afford to devote time and limited resources to imaginary
concerns. We must quickly and effectively sort the
legitimate concerns from imaginary ones, debunking
and dismissing the latter while devoting time, attention
and resources to the former. And it is important to tackle
these issues early, since the public policy apparatus in
democracies are not designed to move quickly. We must
think and act far ahead.
Addressing societal and ethical issues associated with
nanotechnology is the right thing to do and the necessary
thing to do. It is the right thing to do because we should
be serious about ethical development, about stewardship
of our environment, and about bettering both the dignity
and condition of humans. And it is the necessary thing
to do to speed technology adoption, to accelerate and
increase our return on investment, and to broaden and
deepen its economic and societal benefits.
Looking back, I hope one day historians will write that
while this era – and the technological frontiers that
we are pioneering today – was fraught with pitfalls and
dangers, men and women from around the world came
together to ensure that future generations would reap
the benefits of our work, while forethought and action
on our part safeguarded them against any adverse
consequences. The United States is committed to working
in partnership with nations around the world to see that
history is written in this manner.
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