ELSI

ELSI represents Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications for nanotechnology. This is an important field of research in public understanding of science in general, and nanotechnology in particular. Scientists and policy-makers nowadays have recognized the need to connect with the general public. Science and technology, after all, is not something happening only in the laboratory. It has pivotal impacts on human life and the society.

Nanotechnology is not only considered to be able to alter "human characteristics," it can also bring about potential dangers that are unknown at the current state of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, it challenges people's deep-rooted beliefs about life and nature. In other words, to the general public, nanotechnology is not just a scientific issue, it is also a social issue which lends relevance to everyday life.

The book Societal Implications of Nanosciences and Nanotechnology was published in 2001 and derived from a workshop sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). It addresses the need and efforts to understand the relationship between human, the environment, society, and the technology.

Excerpts of book chapters can also be found here.