What is Technology? How Does Technology Address Human Needs and Wants?

Technology is comprised of the products and processes created by engineers

to meet our needs and wants.

Technology vs. Science

+ Study of our human-made world + Study of our natural world
+ Deals with “what can be” + Deals with “what is”

Technological Advancements
Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the Internet (Rappler,nd.):
+ Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.
+ Filipinos spend approximately 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop daily.
+ Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest digital populations in the world.
+ There are about 47 million active Facebook accounts in the Philippines
+ The Philippines is the fastest-growing application market in Southeast Asia.
Information Technology allows us to send signals around the world.
Science, Technology, & Society Examples: Television, Internet, satellite, GPS, cell phones
The onward progress of science and technology should be a movement POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
towards the good life. INTERNET –Information is stored for INTERNET – Harder to distinguish between
easy access reliable and unreliable sources
Ethical Dilemma Faced by Technological Advancements
It is for these reasons why there are people who call for the establishment of ethics of Communication Technology is giving or exchanging information.
technology. This will in one way or another guide people on how technology ought to Examples: Magazines, DVDs, photography, video games
be used in order to prevent abuse, misuse, and other unfortunate results. Digging
deeper, it can be said that these reasons make such devices somewhat unethical POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
because they bring undesirable consequences to people. This is why the ethics of DIGITAL CAMERAS Allow you to edit COMPUTERS, PRINTERS, & DIGITAL CAMERAS
RESPONSIBILITY is an appropriate theory that can be used in these dilemmas. and print only the pictures you like Make forgery and plagiarism easier

The word “RESPONSIBILITY” in the sense of being accountable for, and accountable to Biotechnology transforms living things into products or new forms of life.
is very appropriate to the ethics of technology because it makes each and every Examples: Genetic engineering, bionics
person in the scientific-technological development a proxy with reference to one
another. It is also important for the people in the scientific world to inform the masses of POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
HEALTH – Improves quality of life, HEALTH – Side effects of some medications –
the dangers of their contribution/s to the world of technology. In this way, the people
vitamins, vaccines, medications nausea, shortness of breath, etc.
will be sufficiently aware of what to do and what not to do. In addition, the agents
using the devices should also be accountable to and accountable for their use of their Agricultural Technology produces plants and animals for food, fiber, and fuel.
gadgets. Examples: Irrigation, food preservation, weed and insect control

POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS

FERTILIZERS– can make plants FERTILIZERS– have found their way into ground
produce more food per acre water, polluting good drinking water
Medical Technology creates tools to treat disease and injury. POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
Examples: Lasers, prostheses, ultrasound, medications NEW MATERIALS – able to reuse NEW MATERIALS – don’t know how
recycled materials to help the the materials will behave over long
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS environment periods of time.
X-RAYS – Make it easier to diagnose X-RAYS – Too many x-rays can cause
injuries cancer. Transportation Technology: Provides a way for people, animals, products, and
materials to be moved from one place to the next.
Environmental Technology creates tools to minimize the effect of technology Examples:
on the development of living things. Flight →Airplane, rocket, space shuttle Water →Commercial, cruise ships
Examples: Hybrid vehicles, conservation, waste management (recycling) Land →Train, subway, automobile, bicycle Non-vehicle →Conveyor belts, pipelines
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
RECYCLING – Improves water and RECYCLING – Disposal of garbage is Traveling long distances faster Accidents
air quality more complicated and time consuming
Energy is the ability or capacity to do work.
Production Technology is the manufacturing of physical goods on an assembly Examples:
line and the construction of structures on a job site. Chemical Energy → Gasoline Electrical Energy → Electricity
+ Manufacturing changes natural or synthetic materials into usable products. Mechanical Energy → Motion Radiant Energy → Light
Examples: Clothing, vehicles, food Thermal Energy → Steam
+ Construction Technology builds structures that support loads and protect us
from the environment. Power is the rate at which energy is transformed from one form to another.
Examples:
Examples: House, bridge, roads
Electrical power – provides light and operates motors
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS Mechanical power – moves automobiles, trains, and airplanes
MANUFACTURING – New products MANUFACTURING – Many industries Fluid power – uses fluids to produce motion
help to make our life easier and use materials that can harm the Hydraulic – uses a liquid
increase leisure time environment Pneumatic – uses a gas

CONSTRUCTION – Provides shelter, CONSTRUCTION – Noise and debris, POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
improves roads, creates employment traffic problems, accidents and Without energy and power, most Overuse of nonrenewable resources
opportunities injuries technologies would not exist or work

Materials Technology: The development of materials with outstanding Nanotechnology is manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular level.
combinations of mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties that make Examples: Sensors, Nanobot, molecular manufacturing
other advances possible.
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
Examples: Mosquito repellent clothing, artificial skin grafts for burn victims, advanced
IMPLANTED SENSORS - Continuously IMPLANTED SENSORS - Impede
building materials such as composite decking
sense and adjust medical treatment privacy
Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are rapidly developing technologies Greenhouse Effect
that have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. However,
there is also a growing concern that these technologies could be used for
harmful purposes, such as creating super intelligent machines that could pose
a threat to humanity.

- This article reviews the potential future impact of AI and robotics on society.
It discusses the potential benefits of these technologies, such as their ability to
improve our lives in many ways, including by automating tasks, providing
healthcare, and solving complex problems. However, the article also discusses
the potential risks of AI and robotics, such as their potential to be used for
malicious purposes, such as creating weapons or surveillance systems.

- The article concludes by calling for a more ethical approach to the

development of AI and robotics. It argues that we need to carefully consider What are the greenhouse gases (GHGs)?
the potential risks and benefits of these technologies before we deploy them
on a large scale. + Carbon dioxide + Ozone
+ Methane + Water Vapor
Advantages of AI and robotics: + Nitrous Oxide
+ They can automate tasks, freeing up human time and energy for other activities. These are naturally found in the atmosphere and they trap heat close to the
+ They can provide healthcare, such as by diagnosing diseases or providing physical
Earth’s surface. But by burning of fossil fuels to sustain our modern lifestyle, we
therapy.
increase their levels very fast.
+ They can solve complex problems, such as designing new drugs or finding new ways
to generate energy. Carbon Dioxide: Combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas in power
Disadvantages of AI and robotics: plants, automobiles, industrial facilities

+ They could be used for malicious purposes, such as creating weapons or surveillance + Accounts for 60% of the warming effect
systems. →Volcanic Eruption and Forest Fires
+ They could lead to job losses, as machines become capable of doing more and
Methane: 23 times more potent and 21 times more effective in trapping heat
more tasks that are currently done by humans.
+ They could pose a threat to human autonomy, as machines become increasingly than CO2
intelligent and capable. Sources – (enteric fermentation in livestock prodn)
→ Landfills, Natural Gas Systems, Coal Mining, Manure
What is the cause of climate change? Management, Wastewater Treatment, Rice Cultivation, Stationary Sources,
+ CO2 is one of greenhouse gas caused by human activities. Mobile Sources, Agricultural Residue Burning
+ CO2 traps solar heat in the atmosphere then air temperature is increased. + Accounts for 20% of the warming effect
+ Global warming increased about 0.3-0.6OC during 1860-1994. emitted by decomposing garbage and agricultural wastes
 Climate change is both an environmental and development issue, which
threatens:
Nitrous Oxide: 296 times more potent than carbon dioxide
+ environmental sustainability
Sources – (fertilizers and manures) agricultural soil management, animal
+ poverty alleviation and the livelihoods of the poor
manure management, sewage treatment, mobile and stationary combustion
+ human health
of fossil fuel, and nitric acid production. Nitrous oxide is also produced naturally
+ national and regional security
from a wide variety of biological sources in soil and water, particularly
microbial action in wet tropical forests. Climate change is an inter- and intra-generational equity issue:
• industrial countries are primarily responsible for causing the Earth’s climate
+ Accounts for 7% of warming effects to change
Emitted from the production and use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture • developing countries and poor people in developing countries are most
and combustion of fossil fuels vulnerable
• the actions of today will affect future generations
Human activities that lead to the increase in concentration of GHGs include:
+ Worldwide deforestation + Waste management practices Throughout Earth’s history, the climate has varied. Reflecting the complex
+ Increasing industrial activity + Intensive agriculture interactions and dependencies of the solar, oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric
+ Motor vehicle emission and living components that make up planet Earth’s systems. It is the belief, f or
the last million years, earth has experienced cycles of warming and cooling
Reason for climate change
that take approximately 100,000 years to complete.
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT → GLOBAL WARMING → CLIMATE CHANGE
(Increase in Green House Gases) (Increase in Global Temperature) During each cycle, global average temperatures most likely have fallen and
risen 9 deg F (5 deg C) each time. This took the Earth into an ice age and then
Climate Change: Changes in regional climate characteristics, including warming it again. These cycles are believed to be associated with regular
temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and severe weather events changes in the Earth’s orbit that alter the intensity of Solar energy the planet
receives.
Any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a
result of human activity [IPCC] The sun is the most powerful driving force on the Earth’s climate. Solar
variability is the main cause of climate change. When the sun activity is low,
→Climate change is a significant and persistent change in the area’s average
the cooler the Earth’s temperature. The more active the sun, the higher the
climate conditions or their extremes.
Earth’s temperature.
→Climate has changed in the past, is changing now and will change in the
The climate is always changing in response to the influences of the Sun and the
future.
orbit of the Sun.
→Change in climate attributable directly or indirectly to human activity that
Climate change is the result of
alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to
• Earth's orbital eccentricities,
natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods [UNFCC]
• Earth’s axial wobble,
• Solar brightness variation,
• cosmic ray flux, etc..
Other terrestrial drivers of climate change include: The Earths climate has changed, and is predicted to continue to change,
• Super volcanic events globally and regionally:
• Tectonic movement + Warmer temperatures + Higher sea levels
+ Changing precipitation patterns + More heat waves
Precession of the Equinox: the wobble of the earth as it rotates on its polar axis. o More floods, droughts
This changes the orbital timing of the equinoxes and solstices. This precession + More frequent extreme weather events
has a cycle of 26,000 years. The Earth is closer to the sun in January [perihelion]
and farthest from the sun in July [aphelion]. What are effects of climate change?
Example of changes:
Variations in the earth’s orbital characteristics + The amount of pattern of rain and snow
+ The length of growing season
Eccentricity: The shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Over a 100,000-year + The frequency and severity of storm
period, the orbit changes from being elliptical to nearly circular and back to + The change of sea level rise
elliptical.
How much warming will there be?
The greater the eccentricity [more elliptical] the greater variation in solar IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has projected further
energy at the top of the atmosphere. Currently we are in a period of low increase in global surface temperature of 1-3.5 oC by the year 2100 as
eccentricity. compared with 1990.
Another process that can change the Earth’s climate abruptly is a shift in the IPCC Projection: (Oct 2001)
ocean’s circulations. This can happen due to massive volcanic eruptions. • CO2 concentration in 2100 of 540-970 ppm.
• An increase in globally averaged surface temperature of 1.4-5.8oC.
Climate has changed throughout geological history.
• An increase in sea level of 0.09-0.88m.
There have been many natural reasons:
Impacts of climate change to Tropical Asia:
• Changes in the Sun’s energy received by the Earth due to slow orbital
changes • Ecosytems:
• Water resources:
• Changes in the Sun’s energy reaching the Earth’s surface due to + The Himalayas are expected to result in increased recession of glaciers and
volcanic eruptions. increasing danger from glacial lake outburst floods caused by increased
temperature and precipitation.
Human activities vs climate change
• Food and fiber production:
• Major contributors: (80-85% of CO2 being added to atmosphere + Climate change impacts could result in significant changes in crop yield,
• Coal, oil and natural gas through combustion and release CO2 storage, production, and distribution
• Modest contributors: + The net effect of changes in regionwide is uncertain.
• Deforestation: CO2 is released by wood burning • Coastal systems:
• CO2 from deforestation in tropical regions are responsible for 15-20% of + Sea-level rise is the climate-related impact on large delta regions such as:
CO2 emission. Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia
• Paddy rice field, landfills produce methane and other greenhouse gas • Human health:
which causes about 30% of warming + Some vector-borne diseases are expected to increase in Tropical Asia with
• Fertiliser and other chemicals release N2O cause about 10% of warming global warming. Epidemic potential of
Malaria (increase 12-27%) Schistosomiasis (decrease 11-17%)
Dengue (increase 31-47%)
Global Impacts of Climate Change Climate change is already having an impact on all kinds of wildlife. Species worldwide
+ Average global temperatures are anticipated to warm by somewhere between are shifting their ranges, migrating sooner, and bearing young earlier than in the past.
1.5°C and 6.8°C from 2000 to 2100, depending on human activities. • Global Warming will melt polar ice caps and glaciers. Arctic temperature twice
+ Sea level rises threaten the viability of many coastal zones and small islands. the global rate.
• 13,500 sq. km. ice shelves disintegrated in Antarctica
+ Temperature rises are predicted to change precipitation patterns - both seasonal
and absolute - which seem likely to exacerbate water supply problems.
• Threaten Earth’s permafrost

+ A greater risk of both flooding and drought conditions in many parts of the world. Philippine response to climate change
+ Climate change also seems likely to increase the magnitude, frequency and risk of Adaptation measures to Mitigate effects of climate change:
extreme climatic events, such as storms and sea surges. → Geo-hazard mapping – identify areas most vulnerable to Landslides and
+ Accelerate melting of glaciers and increase of sea level forewarn Communities.
→ Completed geo-hazard mapping of 27 provinces located in Eastern seaboard
+ Inundation/ Flooding of Low-Lying Areas and Small Islands (most Vulnerable to typhoons.
+ Millions of people will be affected by flooding, esp. Those located in mega deltas of
Asia and Africa. Climate Change in the Philippines
+ Storm surge and coral reef destruction. Effects of sea level rise Dry seasons becoming drier. ; Wet seasons becoming water.
El Niño - La Niña
+ HEALTH RISKS: - Variability in temperature > heatwaves & extreme cold fronts
- High risk for the old, the sick, children and the poor Luzon-wide blackout that lasted for more than a week in some areas the suspension of
- Ecosystems to be destroyed sea and air travel, marking the first time in 15 years that the country’s premier
international airport was closed
Facts on climate change on biodiversity
• Many animals have responded to local climatic changes Climate Trends & Projections in the Philippines
• According to studies CLIMATE CHANGE could drive a million of the world’s species Philippine vulnerabilities to climate change
to extinction as early as 2050. Whether we lose a few species or more will depend • Typhoons and Floods: The Philippines is located in the typhoon belt. An average
critically on the degree of warming. of 20 typhoons visit the country every year and incidents of flooding are higher
• Climate change is taking place because of human activities, especially the in the country than anywhere else.
burning of fossil fuels. → Landslides and mud flows
→ Floodings and rise of sea levels & tsunamis (32,400 Kilometers, Longest
Highlights from 2003 WTO Conference on Tourism & Climate Change: Coastline)
Beach Tourism will suffer damage: • Variable in temperature
• beach erosion; + Disrupt cycle of planting and harvesting
• greater damage from sea surges & storms; + Disrupts feeding habits, migration and reproductive pattern of animals
• increased sea levels;
• decrease in water supply Devastations from el niño and la niña
Whale sharks have a high degree of association with spawning of coral, fish and crab → Low productivity and food shortage
and other important ecological processes. → Loss of income of poor farmers and fishermen

Migratory birds…. * The Philippines has not been spared from weather-related disturbances and
• changes in migration & feeding patterns; disasters. The past typhoons have been unusually strong and have brought
• viewing times impacted devastation to the country and our people.
 • In December of 2003, at least 200 people died from landslides and flooding after Climate Change in the Philippines
we experienced the heaviest rainfall in 25 years. In three days of storm, more + Dry seasons becoming drier. + Wet seasons becoming wetter.
than a meter of rain fell in Surigao City – more than three times the monthly
average. Natural Disasters
• In 2004, the death toll stood at 412, with 177 people missing, after typhoon Winnie • Increasing trend in the number of victims due to natural disasters is:
triggered landslides and flash floods. o partly due to better reporting
• In Quezon alone, 114 died in Real, 100 in Infanta, and 92 in General Nakar. o partly due to increasing population vulnerability, and
• In February of 2006, an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 people died after a school and o may include a contribution from ongoing global climate change
an estimated 500 houses in the village of Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Leyte was • Developing countries are poorly equipped to deal with weather extremes
buried by mudflow. o especially in high-risk areas (coastal zones & cities)
• In February of 2006, an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 people died after a school and o Number of people killed, injured or made homeless by natural disasters is
an estimated 500 houses in the village of Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Leyte was increasing rapidly
buried by mudflow. Additional likely health impacts that are hard to assess:
• changes in air pollution and aeroallergen levels
WORLD’S SUPER TYPHOON: TYPHOON HAIYAN / TYPHOON YOLANDA • altered transmission of other infectious diseases
→ Nov. 8, 2013; Tacloban, City • effects on food production via climatic influences on plant pests and diseases
→ deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, killing at least 6,109 people • drought and famine
→ strongest storm recorded at landfall • population displacement due to natural disasters, crop failure, water shortages
→ originated from an area of low pressure several hundred kilometers east- • destruction of health infrastructure in natural disasters
southeast of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia on November 2, 2013 • conflict over natural resources
• direct impacts of heat and cold (morbidity)
What can we do?
• To reduce energy consumption with improving energy efficiency Things to Remember
• To search new energy source as renewable or clean energy • Earth’s climate is influenced by interactions involving the Sun, ocean,
Abatement options: Consider 3 kinds of options: atmosphere, clouds, ice, land, and life.
1. Improved energy efficiency • Climate varies by region as a result of local differences in these interactions.
• Covering 70% of the Earth’s surface, the ocean exerts a major control on climate
→ Reduced energy use in building as eco-design to save energy
by dominating the Earth’s energy and water cycles.
→ Improved fuel efficiency of new cars: by increased average mileage
• The oceans have the capacity to absorb large amounts of solar energy.
→ Make appliances more efficient: refrigerators, dishwasher, etc are used
• Heat and water vapor are re-distributed globally through density-driven ocean
new technology to save energy
Example of clean energy: Solar energy, Wind energy, Thermal energy, Biomass energy currents and atmospheric circulation.
• Changes in the ocean circulation caused by tectonic movements or large
2. Use of cleaner energy influxes of fresh water from melting polar ice can lead to significant and abrupt
3. Changes in agriculture and forestry climate change, both locally and on global scales.
• Solar power drives Earth’s climate. Energy from the Sun heats the surface, warms,
How can human solve this problem? the atmosphere, and powers the ocean currents.
• UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in 1992 • Each year 186 billion tons of CO2 enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Responding to concern that human activities are increasing ‘GHGs’ • 90 billion tons come from biological activity in the earth’s oceans
concentration in the atmosphere. • 90 billion tons come from sources such as volcanoes and decaying plants
• Kyoto Protocol is one protocol to UNFCCC to reduce GHGs emission by harnessing • 6 billion tons from human activity
the force of the global marketplace to protect environment. • CO2 is a nutrient not a pollutant. All life, plants and animals benefit from it.
o A central feature of protocol is a set of binding emission targets for developed
countries based on 1990 baselines.
Focus should be on adapting to climate change and cleaning the environment HOW DO THEY DO IT?
for healthy living.
1. Accept that the earth’s climate is continuously changing
2. Continue to study the science of climate change and understand what changes are coming
3. Continue to find ways to adapt to climate change
4. Continue to find ways to recycle
5. Continue to find ways not to pollute the air
6. Continue to find ways not to pollute the oceans
7. Continue to find ways to feed the population of the world
8. Continue to find alternate fuels and energy

Trivia: 14,000 students emit 3500 tons/yr or 250 kg per student.

+ A tropical tree removes an 8 kg of CO2 per yr (or 8 tons per hectare)
+ The number of trees each student needs to plant is 31 trees to reforest a 250-hectare area.
"The powerful forces that shape the essence of tourism, including the human urge to see and experience
the natural world, must continue to be harnessed to support the achievement of the goals of the
Convention on Biological Diversity ". Ahmed Djoghlaf - Executive Secretary-Convention on Biological Diversity
(2007)

WHAT IS GMO?
Genetically Modified Organism: The ability to modify the genetic makeup of
plants and animals, and even to transfer genes from one species to another.

An Artificial selection - desired traits has been limited to naturally occurring

variations.
A product of genetic engineering with precise control over genetic changes
introduced into an organism.

METHOD
ANIMALS FUTURE GMO?
 Featherless Chickens Peck ~ First Genetically Engineered Monkey • Altering the DNA within an organism by changing the organisms original
 GE Spider Goat ~ GE Salamander - can swim
 Genetically Engineered Mice/Mouse
genome.
• Deleting genes that are harmful
FOOD/PLANT • Duplicating genes that induce certain protein productions, additional
 BT Corn/Maize ~ BT Canola ~ GE Tobacco starch production in corn
 BT Soybean ~ BT Cotton ~ GM Tomato • Editing genes to change specific sequences and change proteins
 Golden rice
o Large amount of A-vitamins
o Contains the element of beta-carotene Nanotechnology involves the study and use of extremely small substances, often
• PROS called nanoparticles.
o Quality & Nutrition → The word 'nano' comes from the Greek word which means 'dwarf’.
o Less Farm Lands → A nanometre (nm) is 0.000 000 001 meter (or 10-9 m). That's one millionth of a
o Resilient Crops millimeter. Nanoparticles are very small, less than 100 nm across.
o New medical treatments
When did nanotechnology start?
o Efficiency
o Reduced Environmental Impact • Nanotechnology is not a new idea. Nanoparticles have in fact been used by
o Herbicide tolerance - crop can withstand herbicide applications people for thousands of years.
o Insect tolerance - plant produces toxin to kill pest • The Egyptians used ink containing nanoparticles of black pigment.
o Disease resistant – crop is resistant to certain disease • Nanoparticles of lead sulfide were used by the Romans to dye their hair black.
o Increased Storage – crop can be stored longer to avoid spoilage losses • Nanoparticles of gold and silver have also been used since the 10th century to
o Industrial uses – crops to make more efficient industries color ceramics and stained glass.

• CONS Are there nanoparticles in nature?

o it can be dangerous to other insects that are important to our ecosystem.
Natural nanoparticles also exist. For example:
o It sparks concern on changing the field of agriculture.
• Insects and lizards are able to stick to walls because of the nanostructures on their feet.
o It can damage the environment. • Spiders' webs are made of super-strong nanofibers.
o It causes unwanted residual effects. • Butterflies wings contain shiny reflective nanocrystals.
o It can create more weeds. • Chloroplasts in plant cells are nanofactories that harness the Sun's energy to make
o It threatens crop biodiversity. glucose.
o It has trade issues. * Nanotechnology scientists try to copy natural nanoparticles to make new
o It has unpredictable and unintended effects. materials that are useful.
o It threatens animal welfare.
o It has adverse effects on the health of people. When did modern nanotechnology start?
• The idea of nanotechnology was suggested in 1959 by Richard Feynman, an
SOCIAL/ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: American physicist.
• Violation of Natural Organisms’ intrinsic values. • He offered a $1,000 prize for the first working motor less than 1/64th of an inch across
• Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species. (smaller than a pinhead).
• Stress for animals
• The prize was claimed just a year later by Bill McLellan, a scientist working in
California.
BIOSAFETY
• Scientists have since made structures smaller and smaller. This work is now called
• Mechanisms developed through policy and procedures to ensure the nanotechnology, a term first used in 1974 by Norio Taniguchi, a materials scientist in
environmentally safe application of Biotechnology which results to develop Japan.
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO).
How has nanotechnology developed? More future uses of nanoparticles
• As scientists have steadily made things smaller, they have needed new pieces • Nano-scale microchips and wires for smaller electrical devices.
of equipment to help them. • Nano-scale solar cells to trap solar energy, mimicking photosynthesis.
• In 1981, the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) was invented and allowed • Nano-size containers to store hydrogen, being used as a fuel.
scientists to see the nano-world. • Paints and glues containing nanoparticles will be lighter, stronger and need less
• Using an STM, it is possible to see individual atoms and even move them around. solvents.
• In 1989, an STM was used to move 35 xenon atoms onto a tiny piece of nickel. • Composite materials made from nanostructures, which are stronger, harder and
lighter.
Using nanoparticles - health
Is nanotechnology safe?
• Nanoparticles are already used in various ways.
o Sunscreen contains nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium oxide, which As nanotechnology becomes more commonplace, how careful do we need
absorb and reflect harmful UV rays from the Sun. to be?
o These particles are so small that they are invisible on the skin. Before • In 1986, a researcher called Eric Drexler made a prediction about nanoparticles
nanoparticles, the oxide particles were big enough to be seen, so the in the future.
sunscreen looked white on skin. • He suggested that because nanoparticles can build themselves into molecules
o Plasters and bandages can contain nanocrystals of silver, because it is toxic to by self-assembly, self-replicating nano-robots will consume the atoms of the
bacteria. Silver can even be woven into athletes' socks to kill the bacteria that world as they replicate, eventually turning everything into a "grey goo".
makes socks smell.
Is the development of nanotechnology a movement towards the good life?
Using nanoparticles - cleaning
• Nanoparticles can also help to keep things clean. Could dirty football shirts MEDICINE
be a thing of the past? → Researchers are developing customized nanoparticles, the size of molecules,
o Fabrics have been developed with nano- coatings, which repel liquid and that can deliver drugs directly to diseased cells in our body. When it's perfected,
resist stains. this method should greatly reduce the damage treatment such chemotherapy
o Spillages on treated fabrics will not soak into the fabric, but form beads of does to a patient's healthy cells.
liquid, which can simply be wiped away.
ELECTRONICS
o Windows that are self-cleaning have been developed by British scientists. How
could self-cleaning windows work? → Nanotechnology holds some answer on far how we might increase the
Using nanoparticles - glass capabilities of electronic devices while we reduce their weight and power
• How do self-cleaning windows work? consumption.
o Nanoparticles could affect many aspects of our everyday lives. FOOD
o British scientists have used already nano- particles to develop self-
→ Nanotechnology is having an impact on several aspects of food science, from
cleaning glass.
how food is grown to how it is packaged.
Future uses of nanoparticles – medicine/medical FUEL
• Nano-coatings on hip and joint replacements to prevent rejection. → Nanotechnology is being used to reduce the cost of catalysts used in fuel cells.
• Nano-electronic implants in the retinas of blind people, which communicate with
cells, making it possible for them to see.
• Nano-capsules of drugs that will target cancer cells only.
• Nano-scaffolds will be able to support the growth of new skin and body tissue.
• Nano-sensors inside clothes, or even inside our bodies, that will be able to run health
checks or deliver medicine.