Nanotechnology, the science of molecular engineering at the atomic scale, has captured the popular imagination. From movies to TV series to video games, utopian fantasies and horror scenarios involving nanotechnology have become a staple of the entertainment industry. The hyperbole surrounding this new technology comes not only from the media but also from scientists who exaggerate the anticipated benefits of nanotechnology to justify research funding, as well as from environmentalists and globalisation opponents, who sometimes indulge in doom-and-gloom prophecies to advance their own agendas. The result is widespread misinformation and an uninformed public. In an effort to set the record straight, professor of communication studies David M. Berube has written this thoroughly researched, accessible overview of nanotechnology in contemporary culture. He evaluates the claims and counterclaims about nanotechnology by a broad range of interested parties including government officials and bureaucrats, industry leaders and entrepreneurs, scientists, journalists, and other persons in the media. Berube appraises programs and grand initiatives here and abroad, and he examines the environmental concerns raised by opponents, as well as the government and private responses to these concerns. With so much argumentation on both sides, it is difficult for anyone to determine what is true. "Nano-Hype" provides up-to-date, objective information to inform the public. Based on over a decade of research and interviews with many of the movers and shakers in nanotechnology, this critical study will help the reader separate the realistic prospects from the hype surrounding this important cutting-edge technology.
David M. Berube is professor of communication studies at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and the associate director of Nanoscience and Technology Studies at the USC NanoCenter.
""Hold on tight! A captivating read at lightening speed that sets the record straight, dispels the fiction behind the facts, and creatively educates the novice to the history and politics of nanoscale technologies....A thorough analysis of questions and concerns raised by the unknowns associated with nanotechnology, the leaders involved with its development, and the international race to compete." Sonia E. Miller, Founder & Global President Converging Technologies Bar Association (CTBA) "Dr. Berube has done an excellent job of describing who are the people and organizations behind the nanotechnology revolution. This book is a must read for anyone wishing to invest in nanotechnology or manage a nanotech company. Many years from now, when nanotechnology has permeated every aspect of our lives, Dr. Berube's book will still be referred to for telling how it all got started." Kelly Kordzik, President of the Texas Nanotechnology Inititative Chair of the Nanotechnology Practice Group at Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.
