The United States is the single largest spender in nantotechnology research in the world. Last year's $1 billion US budget was greater than the
budget of the entire European Union. The United States also holds roughly two thirds of the patents on nanotechnology. The US is starting to lose
its lead, however as other nations begin to take interest. In addition to losing its lead, United States scientists are starting to wonder about the
potential health risks stemming from nanotechnology research. Many materials are becoming more known for being potentially harmful in a nanomaterial
state.
www.washingtonpost.com
The science of the very small is getting big in the United States. Americans are investing more money, publishing more scientific papers and
winning more patents than anyone else in the quickly growing field of nanotechnology, according to the first comprehensive federal report on the
science of things only a few hundred millionths of an inch in size.
But the nation's lead may be short-lived, the report warns, as Europe and Asia show evidence of gaining.
Moreover, important questions about the technology's safety and oversight remain unanswered and under-studied, the report concludes. Research on the
health effects of nanomaterials -- and necessary revisions in the way they are regulated -- are lagging, government officials said, even as the novel
materials find their way into an ever-widening spectrum of products, including clothing, cosmetics and computer hard drives.
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Given the budding research on the health risks associated with nanotechnology and the manufacture and implementation of such technology, this field
of science needs to be researched a little more fully. If we are to herald a technology such as this as the "engine of the next industrial
revolution," we should try to avoid the pitfalls of the last industrial revolution, and know the dangers before the technology becomes commonplace.
With so many other nations gaining interest in nanotechnology research, perhaps it would be wise for scientists from all of the nations researching
this to trade notes, and effectively enlarge the research pool. This could aid in a faster, safer implementation of this technology.
Nanotech is certainly very promising for our future, however, if the risks aren't known ahead of the implementation, it could also be very harmful to
our future. We need to ensure that this technology is ready for full implementation before distributing it to the public.
