Ever wondered what “the public” think about nanotechnology? Here’s your chance—the Wilson Center
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies and
Consumers Union (the US publisher of
Consumer Reports—equivalent to
Which? In the UK) are running a two-day on-line nanotech dialogue on 24-25 October (
ConsumersTalkNano). Sign up; get your mother, your brother, your kids, your colleagues to log on—the more the merrier, as we stop talking about engaging people on nanotechnology, and start doing it!
Engaging people on any aspect of science is not easy. Let’s face it, we’re all busy, and struggle to find time to do the things that interest us, never mind the things that don’t! To be honest, if someone asked me to “engage” on something like “the impact of globalization on Morris Dancing” (to pick a topic completely at random), I could find half a dozen reasons why I couldn’t—with cutting my toenails probably appearing somewhere near the top.
Yet engaging people on science is important. How else can we have informed discussions on how it should be used in our lives? And I’m not just talking about consumers here—researchers also have a lot to learn about how their work is used and perceived by others.
One of the most informative meetings I have attended recently was with a group of people from all walks of life in
Madison, Wisconsin. They thought I was there to teach them about nanotech—they were wrong! Over the course of the evening (and a few beers), I had an education in the interests, aspirations and concerns of people who aren’t fully immersed in nanotech. And they reminded me that we are all members of the public, and that science and technology are there to serve each one of us.
So while engaging people on nanotechnology might seem like pulling teeth at times, it is vitally important we get it right, so all of us “public” can make good decisions on how emerging technologies are going to be used. And where better to start than with
ConsumersTalkNano—which I can assure you will be a lot more fun than a trip to the dentist!