Nanotechnology

Feynman Honored with Commemorative US Stamp

Richard Feynman's curiosity was profound and paved the way for the field of nanotechnology. He won the Nobel Prize in 1965 in part due to his unorthodox and innovative lectures on physics. Now he is one of the subjects of a series of commemorative stamps available here. Notice the incorporation of his "Feynman Diagrams" in the detail, shorthand for calculations of rates for electromagnetic and weak interaction particle processes.

Canadian Report on Nanotechnology in Developing Countries and the UN Millennium Development Goals

Researchers at the University of Toronto and the Canadian Program on Genomics & Global Health have released a report concluding that developing countries are already harnessing nanotechnology. They have also identified and ranked the ten applications of nanotechnology most likely to benefit developing countries and demonstrate how these applications can contribute to the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They further propose a way for the international community to accelerate the use of these top nanotechnologies by less industrialized countries. The full report is here.

Report Available Discussing the Impact of Nanotechnology on Society

New technologies have always been of great interest to philosophers, sociologists, ethicists and psychologists, among others. The University of South Carolina report the results of a study of the societal implications of nanotechnology conducted through its Philosophical and Social Dimensions of Nanoscale Research program. The complete report can be found here.

EPA Awards to Study Effects of Nanotechnology

The EPA has awarded grants to 12 universities to further investigate the potential health and environmental impacts of nanomaterials. See the notice here.