From the moment the term “nanotechnology” went public, it has had a dark side. In his seminal 1986 book Engines of Creation, Eric Drexler describes how self-replicating nano-robots – grey goo – could consume all living matter on Earth. Years later, health and environmental activists in Europe tried to use nanotech’s potential dangers to nip the nascent technology in the bud (Â鶹´«Ã½, 21 June 2003, p 10).
This was a gross overreaction. After all, we encounter plenty of nanoscale objects – those between 1 and 100 nanometres across – in our environment without being harmed. Yet there are real concerns…
