Nervous About Nanotech
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Britain's Prince Charles recently registered his royal concerns on an unexpected topic: nanotechnology. As you might already know, nanotech refers to products and processes on an extremely small scale -- a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Nanotech image courtesy of Accelrys.com
The prince likened nanotech to thalidomide -- a drug linked to widespread birth defects in the 1960s. In the U.S., the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology might not go that far, but nonetheless has concerns about nanotech. Executive Director Mike Treder says the center is most focused on a process called "molecular manufacturing." (Thanks also to CRN research director Chris Phoenix for important background information.) Jeff Horwich guest-hosts.
