The Nanoethics Group to Speak in Yale University’s Lecture Series
Oct. 10
talk on possible societal and ethical issues arising from nanotechnology
SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CA – October 1, 2007 – The Nanoethics Group announced today that
that it has been invited by Yale University’s Technology and Ethics Working
Group to deliver a public lecture on nanoethics next week at the
university. As part of Yale’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics for
the last seven years, the Technology and Ethics Working Group is one of the
longest-continuing forums on the ethical challenges posed by new
technologies.
Patrick Lin, Ph.D., director of The Nanoethics Group and visiting assistant
professor at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly, San Luis
Obispo), will make a presentation entitled “The Rise of Nanoethics: Emerging
Issues in Nanotechnology and Society” on October 10 from 4:15-7:00 pm at
Yale’s
Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS), room B-012, located on 77
Prospect Street.
Dr. Lin will
discuss: a brief history of nanotechnology and its hype; lessons from the
past, including the stemcell and
genetically-modified food debates; predicted
benefits from nanotechnology;
and current,
emerging, as well as predicted issues arising from nanotechnology, such as
related to research ethics, environment, health, privacy, security,
economics, and more.
“We are pleased to see growing interest in nanotechnology’s possible impact
on society and ethics, from government agencies to the world’s most
respected universities such as Yale,” said Dr. Lin. “It makes sense that we
can, and should, apply some forethought to our technological creations to
help maximize benefits and minimize any disruption, rather than deal with
unwanted scenarios after the fact.”
With membership open to all interested persons, Yale’s Technology and Ethics
Working Group examines how new technologies—including such areas a
nanotechnology, pharmacological- and genetically-enhanced humans, virtual
reality, artificial life, cryonics, prosthetics/bionics, and cloning—can
raise crucial social and ethical questions. For a calendar of
events and more information about the working group, please visit
.
About The Nanoethics Group
The
Nanoethics Group is a non-partisan research organization formed to study
nanotechnology’s impact on society and related ethical issues. As
professional ethicists, we help to identify and evaluate possible harms and
conflicts as well as to bring balance and common sense to the debate. Our
mission is to educate and advise both organizations and the broader public
on these issues as a foundation to guide policy and responsible research.
For more
information, please visit
www.nanoethics.org.
