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Since 2004 and with the 2nd edition in 2006, the Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology has established itself as the definitive reference in the nanoscience and nanotechnology area. It integrates the knowledge from nanofabrication, nanodevices, nanomechanics, Nanotribology, materials science, and reliability engineering in just one volume. Beside the presentation of nanostructures, micro/nanofabrication, and micro/nanodevices, special emphasis is on scanning probe microscopy, nanotribology and nanomechanics, molecularly thick films, industrial applications and microdevice reliability, and on social aspects. In its 3rd edition, the book grew from 8 to 9 parts now including a part with chapters on biomimetics. More information is added to such fields as bionanotechnology, nanorobotics, and (bio)MEMS/NEMS, bio/nanotribology and bio/nanomechanics. The book is organized by an experienced editor with a universal knowledge and written by an international team of over 150 distinguished experts. It addresses mechanical and electrical engineers, materials scientists, physicists and chemists who work either in the nano area or in a field that is or will be influenced by this new key technology.

Customer Reviews (1)

covers the field, in 2004
Bhushan has amassed an authoritative handbook of the status of nanotechnology in 2004. The book makes clear that the field is delivering serious scientific and engineering results. The authors are the recognised experts in their fields. Which are as diverse as MEMS, tribology and Atomic Force Microscopy.

Although, much work is still pure research. While some novel devices are described, the optimistic projections of mass scale industrial applications may still have to wait for a few more years.

Very useful to researchers across many disciplines. ... Read more

Product Description
Although nanotechnology deals with the very small-the art and science of manipulating and rearranging individual molecules to create useful materials, devices, and systems-its impact on business will be very big. Within a decade, nanotechnology should account for $1 trillion worth of products in the United States alone.

This groundbreaking book provides you with:

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This book is the first systematic and comprehensive presentation of the potential military applications of nanotechnology (NT). After a thorough introduction and overview of nanotechnology and its history, it presents the actual military NT R&D in the USA and gives a systematic description of the potential military applications of NT that may include in 10-20 years extremely small computers, miniature sensors, lighter and stronger materials in vehicles and weapons, autonomous systems of many sizes and implants in soldiers' bodies. These potential applications are assessed from a viewpoint of international security, considering the new criteria of dangers for arms control and the international law of warfare, dangers for stability through potential new arms races and proliferation, and dangers for humans and society.

Although some applications (e.g. sensors for biological-warfare agents) could contribute to better protection against terrorist attacks or to better verification of compliance with arms-control treaties, several potential uses, like metal-free firearms, small missiles or implants and other body manipulation raise strong concerns. For preventive limitation of these potentially dangerous applications of NT, specific approaches are proposed that balance positive civilian uses and take into account verification of compliance.

This book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, peace studies, conflict resolution and international security, as well as specialists in the fields of military technology and chemical-biological weapons. ... Read more

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Nanotechnology will eventually impact every area of our world

Nanoethics seeks to examine the potential risks and rewards of applications of nanotechnology. This up-to-date anthology gives the reader an introduction to and basic foundation in nanotechnology and nanoethics, and then delves into near-, mid-, and far-term issues. Comprehensive and authoritative, it:

• Goes beyond the usual environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns to explore such topics as privacy, nanomedicine, human enhancement, global regulation, military, humanitarianism, education, artificial intelligence, space exploration, life extension, and more
• Features contributions from forty preeminent experts from academia and industry worldwide, reflecting diverse perspectives
• Includes seminal works that influence nanoethics today
• Encourages an informed, proactive approach to nanoethics and advocates addressing new and emerging controversies before they impede progress or impact our welfare

Customer Reviews (2)

Great review of the ethics of a burgeoning field
Nanoethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology, is an indpeth discussion of the ethical and moral issues surrounding the impending advances in the field of nanotechnology. The book is comprised of a series of essays and speeches by leaders in the field with broad and varying perspectives and unique insights into this burgeoning area of study. The editors, Fritz Allhoff, Patrick Lin, James Moor, and John Weckert, have done an excellent job of selecting readings that provide valuable information for science enthusiasts and the layperson alike, and ordering these readings in a manner that does not express a bias. This book is one of the first of its kind, and will expand the debate of this ever-improving technology to include the general public. I highly recommend Nanoethics for anyone who cares about the future of technology, production, public safety, human interaction, and the environment.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation or interaction of materials at the molecular level (1-100 nanometers, or 1-100 billionths of a meter). To understand the size, or scale, of a nanometer, one nanometer next to a meter stick would be the same as one blueberry next to the earth. Physical properties at the nano-scale are quite varied when compared to a scale that we are used to. For example, aluminum, which is highly stable and easily manipulated on a large scale, is violently explosive in the presence of air at the nano-scale.

Scientists hope to use nanotechnology to manipulate individual molecules and control production of consumer products to minutely precise specifications. If the goals are successfully achieved, it would be possible to take starting materials (dirt and water) and produce a myriad of products ranging from fresh Atlantic Salmon, to a new car. This would be possible because every product humans produce is comprised of molecules in a specific order. If we can control the way in which we organize molecules, we can produce any product.

The book is organized into seven sections, dealing with all aspects of nanotechnology. The sections are organized into an introduction to, background of, preparation for, health and environmental concerns of, governmental policy of, social impact of, and future of nanotechnology. Each chapter has been written independently, so the logical flow is slightly jumbled and the voice shifts repeatedly. Concepts addressed in one chapter may not be readdressed or countered until several chapters later. Nevertheless, the book covers all of the relevant topics, and addresses numerous subjects that would have been omitted if written by a single author.

The authors of the individual chapters do little to combat the notion that nanotechnology will be a mechanism to solve every problem known to man. The overly optimistic ideas projected as certainties within 20-30 years are comparable to the myopic predictions expressed by nuclear advocates in the 1950's. Given the rate at which technological predictions come to fruition, it can be assumed that nanotechnology will be far from the predicted level of omnipotent science.

The predicted capabilities of nanotechnology in Nanoethics are far reaching, and all encompassing. Some of the predictions made in the book seem to be more science fiction than real science. Ranging from limitless cheap commodity production to the end of human death, it is fair to say that the individual authors have predicted their idea of a utopia, rather than made judgments based in reality. As far as the idea that we could use nanotechnology to manufacturer products quickly and inexpensively, I think it would require more effort than is discussed in the book. All biological entities use this form of manufacturing to grow, and this is not a fast easy process. Biological entities are highly specialized at building specific molecules, and they take months or even years to build something on a large scale. It seems unfeasible to me that this process would operate any differently than it occurs in nature. While it may be possible to produce an F-22 fighter by molecular manufacturing, it would probably take several years and a large input of energy.

When not droning on about nanotechnology returning man to the Garden of Eden, the bulk of the selected writings do provide sound reasoning for use of regulation and caution in this undeveloped science. Authors are quick to suggest that just because we can create something, doesn't mean we should. One author, Bill Joy, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, even goes so far as to suggest relinquishment of new technologies due to the possible dangers of misuse or an accident. Bill Joy's argument is well opposed by later authors (and even specifically addressed), but the need for regulation is clearly defined.

I agree with several authors points that regulation is needed, and that such regulation should be addressed within the public forum. Much of this open discussion was not utilized during the initial growth of genetic modification, which caused widespread public distrust of the process. By creating a transparent development plan, that incorporates all points of view, nanotechnology will be more widely accepted by the general public, and may prove to be more easily developed. This rationale is supported throughout the book.

I would highly recommend Nanoethics to anyone interested in science and government policy. This book would even be enjoyable to people with little scientific background because it points out the possible future uses of technology that promise to change the human experience. Nanoethics is a well-balanced collection of independent essays organized in such a manner that the reader will become acquainted with the technology, and understand the possible benefits and risks. The readings also help provide a justification for regulation and the expected decreased rate of technological knowledge growth caused by that regulation. Throughout the book, little is done to combat the notion that nanotechnology will save every person on Earth that is suffering slightly, but that is typical with any new area of study. Nanoethics, one of the first books of its kind, will prove to be a good addition to the library of any science aficionado, and copied by others in the future.

Finally, a full treatment of the ethics of nanotechnology
In many books since Eric Drexler's "Engines of Creation," you eventually encounter a paragraph or even a chapter addressing the "ethical and social implications of nanotechnology."While these bits may just whet your appetite, you probably realized that, even if the author had devoted the entire book, the very nature of ethics demands multiple viewpoints.

And that is just what Nanoethics provides: an entire book for 40 diverse authors to explore the debate, put it in context, and analyze how we predict and evaluate risk.They examine issues in health, environment, democracy, policy, privacy, military conflict, education, and developing countries.They conclude with speculation on the ethical issues in the far future...you know, more than a decade out.

The inevitable price of so many authors is occasional repetition, as many introduce their articles with a nod to the seminal Feynman talk suggesting we could eventually build with molecular precision.The welcome benefit of so many authors is a diversity of viewpoints (e.g. Bill Joy and Ray Kurzweil differ on whether to develop powerful technologies).An unbiased viewpoint may be impossible, so it's best to get a multibiased one.

Don't expect simple conclusions because nanotechnology is subject to varying definitions and ethics are always subjective.I was impressed with how fairly the introductory chapter represented the arguments of others who claim that nanotechnology is insufficiently distinct from established fields of chemistry and engineering to warrant its own study of ethics.No use of the straw man for these authors, they made the case so well, I worried the rest of the book would be cancelled.Not to fear, the critics are addressed and the case made that, whatever the semantics of nanotechnology, issues important to society and species arise from what we call nanotechnology.

This would be a good text for an "ethics in science and engineering" course, but I found it quite good for pleasure reading.Whatever the venue, Nanoethics addresses important issues.Nanotechnology has the potential to transform our world and the way we live in it.With each new technology over the millennia, humankind has had the opportunity to make new choices.When we have not paused to consider our most deeply held values, we've made myopic choices. The more powerful the technology, the more important we evaluate our options carefully.Nanoethics helps us to consciously and collectively evaluate what may be the most powerful technology ever.

I am the Director of Education for the Foresight Nanotech Institute and the author of Technology Challenged: Understanding Our Creations & Choosing Our Future. ... Read more

Product Description
Existing laws have a generality that permits them to be applied to nanotechnology, but eventually it will be necessary to generate legislation targeted to issues specific to nanotechnology. As nanotechnology continues to develop into commercially viable products, legal doctrines are increasingly likely to play an important role in protecting intellectual property, facilitating financial transactions, and handling health, safety, and environmental issues.

Nanotechnology:  Legal Aspects provides thorough, yet comprehensible overview of different legal doctrines that are relevant to nanotechnology and explains how they may apply in the development, commercialization, and use of nano-products. The book is divided into three parts that correspond to the different phases in the lifecycle of nano-products: Protection, Regulation, and Liability. The in-depth coverage of these topics in a single source sets this work apart from others at the interface of law and nanoscience.

Accessible to those without specific training in either nanotechnology or law...

Nanotechnology:  Legal Aspects offers a reader-friendly and affordable alternative that appeals to nano-aware audiences as well as legal professionals, students, and scientists who wish to build a greater understanding of the legal aspects of nanotechnology. ... Read more

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The emergence of nanoscience portends a revolution in technology that will soon impact virtually every facet of our technological lives. Yet there is little understanding of what it is among the educated public and often among scientists and engineers in other disciplines. Furthermore, despite the emergence of undergraduate courses on the subject, no basic textbooks exist.Nanotechnology: Basic Science and Emerging Technologies bridges the gap between detailed technical publications that are beyond the grasp of nonspecialists and popular science books, which may be more science fiction than fact. It provides a fascinating, scientifically sound treatment, accessible to engineers and scientists outside the field and even to students at the undergraduate level. After a basic introduction to the field, the authors explore topics that include molecular nanotechnology, nanomaterials and nanopowders, nanoelectronics, optics and photonics, and nanobiomimetrics. The book concludes with a look at some cutting-edge applications and prophecies for the future.Nanoscience will bring to the world technologies that today we can only imagine and others of which we have not yet dreamt. This book lays the groundwork for that future by introducing the subject to those outside the field, sparking the imaginations of tomorrow's scientists, and challenging them all to participate in the advances that will bring nanotechnology's potential to fruition. ... Read more

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Nanotechnology: Basic Science and Emergining Technologies
An excellent comprehensive introduction. Very good index and usefull references for deeper study. This book will serve as handy general reference. ... Read more

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An interdisciplinary approach to one of the hottest topics in nanotechnology and nanoscience

Biosensing Using Nanomaterials introduces novel concepts in the area of bioanalysis based on nanomaterials, opening new opportunities for basic research and new tools for real bioanalytical applications.

In fifteen chapters, readers are introduced to the most successful nanomaterials used so far in biosensing, including carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, and nanochannels. Each chapter provides a theoretical overview of the topic, a discussion of the published data relating to the bioanalytical system, and a selected list of references for further investigation. The result is a book that provides a comprehensive forum of interest to scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, teachers, and students.

Biosensing Using Nanomaterials is an important resource for a broad audience involved in the research, teaching, learning, and practice of integrating nanomaterials into biosensing systems for clinical, environmental, and industrial applications. ... Read more

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Explore the Properties of Today's Widely Used Nanomaterials— and Assess Their Potentially Harmful Effects on the Environment

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With the second edition of his highly successful textbook 'Nanophysics and Nanotechnology', the author has once more provided a unique, self-contained introduction to the physical concepts, techniques and applications of nanoscale systems by covering its entire spectrum from the latest examples right up to single-electron and molecular electronics. The book is basically at the level of an upper level undergraduate engineering or science student. New sections have been added on the use of DNA as an organizing stratagem in self-assembly, silicon nanowires, comments on the new success toward human cloning, the achievement of self-replication in a primitive set of electromechanical robots, recognition in the extra chapters of the acceleration toward alternative forms of nanoelectronics. Additional problems have also been provided.

* Free solutions manual available for lecturers at www.wiley-vch.de/supplements/ ... Read more

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Excellent textbook
This excellent textbook presents the basic concepts of Nanotechnology and Nanophysics in a well structured, solid manner, without leaving any aspects unattached. It is updated, with references to recently published work in top rated journals. The main advantage of the book is the wide spectrum of the issues covered, ranging from biology to quantum computing, allowing future applications to be tackled by the students easier.

fundamental approach to the field
Wolf explains from the vantage of a physicist what exactly is nanophysics, and what the engineering implications might be. He describes how the size of atoms, at 0.1 nanometers or so, sets a natural lower limit, and how the scale of nanometers lets us see and use quantum phenomena for designing new materials.

A solid background in quantum mechanics would not be remiss, before trying this book. Wolf offers a bottoms-up approach to understanding the various branches of nanotech research, which is currently burgeoning. ... Read more

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The maturation of nanotechnology has revealed it to be a unique and distinct discipline rather than a specialization within a larger field. Its textbook cannot afford to be a chemistry, physics, or engineering text focused on nano. It must be an integrated, multidisciplinary, and specifically nano textbook. The archetype of the modern nano textbook, Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology builds a solid background in characterization and fabrication methods while integrating the physics, chemistry, and biology facets. The remainder of this color text focuses on applications, examining engineering aspects as well as nanomaterials and industry-specific applications in such areas as energy, electronics, and biotechnology.

Also available in two course specific volumes

Introduction to Nanoscience elucidates the nanoscale along with the societal impacts of nanoscience, then presents an overview of characterization and fabrication methods. The authors systematically discuss the chemistry, physics, and biology aspects of nanoscience, providing a complete picture of the challenges, opportunities, and inspirations posed by each facet before giving a brief glimpse at nanoscience in action: nanotechnology.

Fundamentals of Nanotechnology surveys the field’s broad landscape, exploring the physical basics such as nanorheology, nanofluidics, and nanomechanics as well as industrial concerns such as manufacturing, reliability, and safety. The authors then explore the vast range of nanomaterials and systematically outline devices and applications in various industrial sectors.

All three volumes provide, upon qualifying course adoption, online access to a wealth of instructional materials including detailed lecture notes, review summaries, slides, exercises, solutions, and more. The authors provide enough material for both one and two semester courses.

Customer Reviews (1)

Good text but smelly
This book is well-written and covers the field of nanoscience well, but the material the publisher used for the pages gives off a very noxious odor.With the book open in front of you on the table, you will probably develop a headache within about ten minutes. ... Read more

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Funding of development and implementation of nanotechnology experiences into the undergraduate curriculum has been increasing in recent years due to the expectation of the enormous impact nanotechnology research will have on the future workforce and the need for understanding of nanotechnology concepts by the general population. This symposium series book describes various course and curricula modifications being incorporated by institutions as well as specific laboratory experiences appropriate for undergraduates.Also included is an introduction to techniques necessary for characterization of materials at the nanoscale. ... Read more

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Nanotechnology provides tools for creating functional materials, devices, and systems by controlling materials at the atomic and molecular scales and making use of novel properties and phenomena. Nanotechnology-enabled sensors find applications in several fields such as health and safety, medicine, process control and diagnostics. This book provides the reader with information on how nanotechnology enabled sensors are currently being used and how they will be used in the future in such diverse fields as communications, building and facilities, medicine, safety, and security, including both homeland defense and military operations.

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Miniaturization has revolutionized human affairs by making possible inexpensive integrated electronic circuits comprised of devices and wires with sub-micrometer dimensions. These integrated circuits are now ubiquitous, controlling everything from our automobiles to our toasters. Continued miniaturization, beyond sub-micrometer dimensions, seems likely. And so we are compelled to explore science and technology on a new, yet smaller scale: the nanometer scale. This volume is a survey of the machinery and science of the nanometer scale. Its twenty-two contributing authors, drawn from many different disciplines including atomic physics, microelectronics, polymer chemistry, and bio-physics, delineate the course of current research and articulate a vision for the development of the nanometer frontiers in electronics, mechanics, chemistry, magnetics, materials, and biology. They reveal a world thirty years hence where motors are smaller than the diameter of a human hair; where single-celled organisms are programmed to fabricate materials with nanometer precision; where single atoms are used for computation, and where quantum chaos is the norm.Aimed at the level of comprehension of at least a junior- or senior-level undergraduate science (biology, chemistry, physics, or engineering) student, the book provides a survey of developments within the breadth of the nanotechnology field. The book is thus intended for both students and researchers in tunneling microscopy, polymer chemistry, bio-physics, atomic physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, condensed matter physics, biology, lithography, and chaos. Mathematical derivations have been minimized, but not eliminted. The book contains many illustrations, some in color. ... Read more

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Good book
This book is very suitable for the person engage in nanofabrication area. ... Read more

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In this fascinating book, noted science writer Ed Regis takes readers inside an imminent scientific revolution--nanotechnology--that was first conceived by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. Profiling the visionary scientists and engineers who may soon make molecule-sized machines a reality, Regis Brilliantly explores nano's implications--from medicine and manufacturing to computing and warfare. 15 photos.Amazon.com Review
K. Eric Drexler envisions a world in which poverty and hungerno longer exist, because food can be made out of thin air, and wenever grow old, because cells can be regenerated as swiftly as they"age." Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the molecularlevel, is what he's betting will make it happen. Ed Regis tells thestory of Drexler's forays into this new science, showing thescientist's attempts to convince his colleagues that he hasn'tdescended into pulp fiction. He also fills in a lot of the historicaland technical background, from the 19th-century arguments over whetheratoms exist to modern experiments that have isolated and manipulatedsingle atoms. Regis's prose is clear and straightforward, but notwithout a sly sense of humor. Apart from Drexler's own Engines of Creation,this is the book on nanotechnology to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

This was my first Nanotechnology book.
I read this book as a hardcover about 9 years ago when I was still in highschool, it was a fast and very interesting read then, and it still is today. Even if it lacks actual scientific material(Though possesses a lot of basic science facts and detailed examples of real nanotechnology as well as mostly theoretical) and glorifies the what-ifs and Ed Regis' obsession with this dude Drexler, it is a very good book for the science dreamer. And it helped me get an A on my research paper even if my teacher didn't understand what the hell I was babbling about. This is a great book for a highschool-level research paper, but iffy for a serious college paper, since it is so outdated and the technology won't come in our lifetimes thanks to politics and a god complex.

I give this an 82% enjoyment, as you don't have to be a science nut to understand the book.

Eric Drexler -- where did you go?
I'm not sure how this book turned up in my reading list -- I believe I found it on the back shelf of a bookstore.I read it because I have been interested in Nano-stuff ever since reading a terrific science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem long ago, and more recently Kurtzweil's new book -- The Spiritual Machine.Ed Regis writes in a well-informed pop journalistic style.His smoothly written narrative weaves together the many stories, names and achievements of nano-experts -- most notablyEric Drexler, the high priest of nanotech, who predicts an age when all of life's need will be satisfied by tiny, human-engineered molecular engines.Although bacteria are frequently invokes as examples of nanotech machines, Drexler's tiny molecular contraptions are remarkable in that they do not require water and function at a level even smaller than the familiar biochemical landscape of the living cell.Unfortunately, although Drexler has designed simple molecules that will probably work as simple tools, many questions remain unanswered.How are these devices powered?How are they built?What will they do?Even Richard Feynman confessed that he didn't have any ideas about real-world applications.Although the book is filled with ideas of Nano-robots swarming through our veins, fixing damaged brain cells, etc. -- almost all the real plan required to these microscopic things is just vaporware.In the end, vision is not knowledge, the map is not the territory, and I predict that the future will be far different from the magical nirvana that is envisioned here.The book make me better informed, and left many ideas buzzing around my head like tiny . . . well, never mind.

-- Auralgo

Well-written and fun, but there are better options. 3.6 stars
NANO was well-received when published, and I'd been half-
meaning to read it for awhile. Your reaction to this book may vary
depending on your previous exposure to the ideas behind
nanotechnology. For simplicity, I'll break down the possible
audience for this book:

1) You've heard the name, but what is it, exactly? SFAICT this is
Regis' intended audience. But you're better off reading K. Eric
Drexler's "Engines of Creation" (published 1986, several editions
available). Drexler et al's "Unbounding the Future" (1991) is in
essence the YA edition of "Engines" -- you don't need both, and
"Engines" is better-written and more interesting. Really, "Engines"
is the seminal work for the field and the best starting place. You may
want to start by browsing Dr. Drexler's website first:
foresight[dot]org --which has lots of good information.

2) You've read "Engines", maybe some of Drexler's other stuff, and
have a fair idea what nanotech's about (this is me):Part I of Nano
will be a rehash with a few new anecdotes. A quick skim. Part II has
quite a bit of interesting newish material. Part III, the philosophical
wrapup, is embarassingly jejeune.

3) You're a molecular nanotechnologist:you saw this book AWB,
glanced at it, and dismissed it.

Note that my copy has truly wretchedly-printed photos.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman
review copyright 1998 by Peter D. Tillman. Slightly revised, 6-06

More biography than scientific review
This book is a pretty good account of K. Eric Drexler and his quest to bring "nanotechnology" into the popular and the scientific world. If you are looking for a book with some real theory behind it, this may not be the book for you. There is some science, but it's pretty light. You may want to get some of the books in the bibliography or something. As the book explains, part of the reason that real science on nanotechnology is hard to find is because it hasn't been widely researched yet. This book is somewhat balanced between Drexler's vision and his critics', but it usually errs on Drexler's side. To be fair to the reader, this book really should say that it's really more of a study of K. Eric Drexler than of nanotechnology.

A Pretty Good Introduction For Knuckleheads
I liked this book because it introduced me to the who, what, where, when, how and why of Nanotechnology.It gave me lots of history, written in a "See Spot Run" kind of style for scientific knuckleheads who just might be poets or other kinds of humanities types trying to hedge their bets by seeing what the techheads are up to--and it introduced me to one major concept that I still chew on: Quantum physics doesn't necessarily pertain to things like the nanotech bull-doggings of incredibly tiny bits of matter that folks like Eric Drexler like to plan and execute.In other words, it really is possible to know where a sub-atomic particle is in space--or at least know where it is in such a way that you can catch the little bugger and hitch it up to some itsy bitsy fly wheel, or tack it to a slice of silicon one or two atoms long and an atom wide, or etc.I find that idea of the pure "fact" of existence existing--as in granuals, or other discrete units--relatively untouched by Schrodinger's uncertainy principal or the other Alice in Wonderland paradoxes that we've all been taught to expect when we approach the very very very small--refreshing, to say the least.Indeed, I thought the microcosm was hide-bound in theory and that it somehow merged with some Princeton prof's blackboard if we followed it to the far side of the sideways eight, but to know that it is really THERE beyond all of that jazz, puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step.Makes me hope that the far reaches of the Macrocosm can be found to exist in the same way without silly string, dark matter and black holes.What a refreshing thought to look up at the night sky and not think of Stephen Hawking's career!The other concept that I took away from this book was that nanotechnology could be pretty dangerous stuff and that--wouldn't you know it?--it's already being explored by the governments of the world as a better way of killing people.So I was given a reason to cheer and yet another reason to think the world is on its way to hell in a handbasket.Not bad for 325 pages of easy-to-read type. ... Read more

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Nanotechnology & Society is a collection of sixteen papers focused on the most urgent issues arising from nanotechnology today and in the near future. Written by leading researchers, policy experts, and nanoethics scholars worldwide, the book is divided into five units: foundational issues; risk and regulation; industry and policy; the human condition; and selected global issues. The essays tackle such contentious issues as environmental impact, health dangers, medical benefits, intellectual property, professional code of ethics, privacy, international governance, and more.

FRITZ ALLHOFF, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Western Michigan University and Research Associate in the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at The Australian National University.

PATRICK LIN, PhD, is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and has academic appointments at Dartmouth College and Western Michigan University. Both editors are also co-founders of The Nanoethics Group.

Product Description
Is the nano-age here to stay or will a bubble soon burst? This thought-provoking page-turner takes a critical glance at how nanotechnology has affected virtually all areas of our lives. From the pharmaceutical industry to energy production and storage, many fields have been truly revolutionized during the nano-age. The internationally renowned author explores the topic in nine entertaining chapters. ... Read more

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While simultaneous breakthroughs occurring in molecular biology and nanoscience/technology will ultimately revolutionize all of medicine, it is with our efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer that many of the most dramatic advances will occur. In support of this potential, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer in 2004 and pledged $144.3 million in funding over the next five years.

Edited by one of the most dynamic pioneers in the field, Nanotechnology for Cancer Therapy focuses on those nanoscientific and nanotechnological strategies that are evolving as the most promising for the imaging and treatment of cancer. Among the various approaches considered, nanotechnology offers great possibilities for the targeted delivery of drugs and genes to tumor sites and the ultimate replacement of those chemotherapeutic agents so compromised by side effects.

Within this volume, the expertise of world-renowned academic and industrial researchers is brought together to provide a comprehensive treatise. Composed of 38 chapters, the book is divided into 7 sections that cover -

Product Description
Nanotechnology promises to transform the materials of everyday life, leading to smaller and more powerful computers, more durable plastics and fabrics, cheap and effective water purification systems, more efficient solar panels and storage batteries, and medical devices capable of tracking down and killing cancer cells or treating neurological diseases. Policy analysts predict a radical change in the industrial sector; at present, the U.S. government spends nearly $2 billion annually on nanotechnology research and development.

Yet the nanotechnology revolution is not straightforward. Enthusiasm about nanotechnology s future is tempered by recognition of the hurdles to its responsible development, including the capacity of government to support technological innovationand economic growth while also addressing potential environmental and public health impacts. This is the first volume to engage scholarly perspectives on environmentalregulation in light of the challenges posed by nanotechnology.

Contributors focus on the overarching lessons of decades of regulatory response, while posing a fundamental question: How can government regulatory systems satisfy thedesire for scientific innovation while also taking into account the direct and indirect effects of 21st century emerging technologies, particularly in the face of scientific uncertainties? With perspectives from economics, history, philosophy, and public policy, this new resource illuminates the various challenges inherent in the development of nanotechnology and works towards a reconceptualization of government regulatory approaches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A refreshing perspective
The nanotechnology industry is maturing and the need for managing its environmental, health, and safety matters is one of the most pressing as it does.This management must also be done with knowledge that varies in its depth, sophistication, and reliability. Prof. Bosso's book provides both an appropriate scope and vision of this problem as well as practical approaches to dealing with it.All of the authors correctly note that this matter is more than technical; they consider the interests of government, industry, and NGOs and propose ways of building consensus among them. This is politically adroit and the book provides a pragmatic framework for, as the title says, governing uncertainity. ... Read more

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The second, completely revised and enlarged edition of What is What in the Nanoworld summarizes the terms and definitions, most important phenomena, and regulations occurring in the physics, chemistry, technology, and application of nanostructures. A representative collection of fundamental terms and definitions from quantum physics and chemistry, special mathematics, organic and inorganic chemistry, solid state physics, material science and technology accompanies recommended second sources (books, reviews, websites) for an extended study of any given subject.

Each entry interprets the term or definition under consideration and briefly presents the main features of the phenomena behind it. Additional information in the form of notes ("First described in", "Recognition", "More details in") supplements the entries and gives a historical perspective of the subject with reference to further sources.

Ideal for answering questions related to unknown terms and definitions among undergraduate and PhD students studying the physics of low-dimensional structures, nanoelectronics, and nanotechnology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nanoword history in one book
An excellent handbook covering a wide range of important issues in relation to the nanoworld. The book will be certainly an asset for those who need a quick overview about different interesting phenomena and peculiarities observed in nanostructures.

very useful
It is very useful and timely book, which allows specialists in nanophysics to understand quicker and better a lot of contemporary information they have to deal with. ... Read more