Roughly half of the population of the Netherlands have no idea
what is meant by the term 'nanotechnology'. There are plans to
change this situation through social dialogue.
The University of Twente is already getting to grips with this
issue, by exploring the ethical and philosophical aspects of the
matter.
If it was up to Dave Blank, that dialogue would have started
long ago. In the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in The Hague, Prof. Blank
(who is the scientific director of MESA+) gave an impassioned
account of nanotechnology. He has given similar presentations in
the past, at the Lowlands outdoor music festival. "Soon we'll have
a lab-on-a-chip that gives you an instant read-out of your health
status." He explained to Jan Douwe Kroeske that this technique
involves "A barely perceptible pinprick, and instantaneous
results". Surely that raises all manner of ethical issues? Prof.
Blank replies "Of course, such questions should not be evaded.
Provide open and honest information, and listen carefully to what
society has to say. It would be unfortunate if the discussion were
to be side-tracked. If people were to say "Oh, never mind".
Nanopodium
Maria van der Hoeven, the Minister of Economic Affairs, is
convinced of the potential of nanotechnology. She has stated that
"This is an area in which the Netherlands can play a pioneering
role, and in which it can truly excel". At the same time, she is
not prepared to turn a blind eye to the risks involved.
Nanotechnology often staggers the imagination, for instance, it
operates on scales of millionths of a millimetre. We must restore
the 'human scale', however, if people are to see the true potential
of this technology. With this in mind, the Minister has
commissioned the services of the Nanotechnology Social Dialogue
Committee. The Committee started work on this assignment on
September 29th, in The Hague, during the
Nanopodium (Nano Platform) event. The Minister is keen to
see people from various walks of life getting involved, including
companies, private citizens, and young people.
Interaction
Professor Arie Rip, of the University of Twente, is exploring
the ethical and philosophical aspects of nanotechnology. At the
very start of the dialogue, he is aware of a widely felt need to
'get the idea across to the people'. "Ordinary people know too
little about this issue, and it is up to us to put that right. In
doing so, what is it that we want to achieve? If, after all is said
and done, science were to adopt a 'business as usual' attitude,
then this would have been a pointless exercise as far as society is
concerned. This has been our experience in previous discussions of
this kind." During the meeting, he identified the environmental
movement's call for better regulation as a case in point. "But what
is the point of rules if we simply do not understand the issues
yet? In these situations, you have no recourse but to use tools
such as 'soft governance'. This goes beyond the mere dissemination
of information, it requires genuine interaction." Prof. Rip is on
the staff of the Faculty of Management and Governance, and he is
also chairman of the International Society on the Study of
Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies.
Changing attitudes
One of his colleagues at the University of Twente, Tsjalling
Swierstra (Philosophy of Engineering) feels that there is too much
emphasis on the risks of nanotechnology. "This mostly involves
fears about damage to health and the environment. While this is
certainly important, it is really a matter for toxicologists and
lawyers. It would be much more interesting if the dialogue were to
address the question of how we can change our practices and our
beliefs when nanotechnology introduces all manner of new devices
into our lives. For example, how will healthcare change if we
develop the capacity to detect disease at a very early stage, how
will our views about privacy change if we are constantly surrounded
by tiny sensors, or how will our views on the place of mankind in
the world change if we start designing and building novel,
functional forms of life?" Prof. Swierstra and his colleague
Marianne Boenink (Faculty of Behavioural Sciences) are the joint
editors of a new book entitled 'Leven als bouwpakket' (DIY
life kit), a Rathenau Institute publication, which was presented on
the 29th.
Particles
Dave Blank, too, has no wish to evade a discussion of the risks
involved. With regard to the Strategic Research Agenda for
Nanotechnology, in which he also had a hand, as much as 15 percent
of the research budget has been allocated to risk research and
technology assessment. Nevertheless, he feels that it is
regrettable that the debate is always about nanoparticles. "That
focus is far too narrow. It is hardly surprising that people are
afraid of invisible particles that they could unknowingly inhale.
Naturally, this is an issue that has to be thoroughly investigated.
However, most areas of nanotechnology have nothing whatsoever to do
with particles. To return to the lab-on-a-chip, this will allow us
to study the way in which medicines affect our bodies at the
cellular level. This means that we will soon be able to cut back on
animal testing, which is also very good news indeed!"
Further details on the Nanotechnology Social Dialogue
www.nanopodium.nl
Further details on the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology
www.mesaplus.utwente.nl
Further details on the publication entitled 'Leven als
bouwpakket' (DIY life kit)
www.rathenau.nl
