An unprecedented partnership is to seek out informed public views on nanotechnology, giving the public the opportunity to become part of the debate as to how this emerging and potentially revolutionary technology should develop.
A five-week long citizens' jury on nanotechnologies, NanoJury UK, will begin in Halifax, Yorkshire on 25th May, sponsored by the IRC in Nanotechnology University of Cambridge [1], Greenpeace UK, the Guardian and the Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Centre of the University of Newcastle.
Science, technology and our future: the big questions.
The search for perfection
Publication date: April 2002
Summary
Dr Donald Bruce, Director of the Church of Scotland's Society Religion and Technology Project, speaking on the dangers of treating genetic modification as a way to 'perfect' ourselves and the world around us.
Science, technology and our future: the big questions.
What is 'natural'?
Publication date: 16th April 2002
Summary
Chris Leaver explained how all food crops were the products of human intervention and made a plea for genetic modification to be used to feed the world, particularly with a growing population.
Science, technology and our future: the big questions
Publication date: 16th April 2002
Summary
Patrick Holden made a plea for more intuitive and emotional elements to be integrated in our too-rationalistic decision-making, and that we have much to learn from nature as well as to take from it.
Science, technology and our future: the big questions.
What is 'natural'?
Publication date: 16th April 2002
Summary
Aubrey Manning concluded that because there is no clear dividing line between our ape-ancestors and modern humans and their inventions that everything, including machine guns and space shuttles were 'natural'. But that still meant we had to behave with responsibility
Science, technology and our future: the big questions
Publication date: 16th April 2002
Summary
What is 'natural'?
Richard Dawkins pointed out that nature is Darwinian and dominated by the short-term greediness that is required within competitive ecosystems to pass on one's genes. Humans are no different and are dominated by those instincts, but with our complex brain-power we have the ability to rise above these destructive tendencies and be a good steward to the planet and ourselves.