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Perceptions of Nano Ethics among Practitioners in a Developing Country: A Case of India

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Abstract

Many developing countries have allocated significant amounts of funding for nanoscience and nanotechnology research, yet compared to developed countries, there has been little study, discussion, or debate over social and ethical issues. Using in-depth interviews, this study focuses on the perceptions of practitioners, that is, scientists and engineers, in one developing country: India. The disciplinary background, departmental affiliation, types of institutions, age, and sex of the practitioners varied but did not appear to affect their responses. The results show that 95% of the Indian practitioners working in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology research recognized ethical issues in this research area, and 60% of them could offer specific examples, which included possible ill effects on environment and human, use as a weapon, hype, professional ethics, laboratory testing on animals, cyborgs, widening the gap between rich and poor, self-replication, and longevity of human life. The results may offer opportunities for future cross-cultural research, as well as offer examples that can be used to raise the awareness of other practitioners in India and elsewhere regarding the importance of ethical issues.

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Notes

  1. https://scifinder.cas.org

  2. In the USA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has a ‘Hybrid Insect- Micro- Electro- Mechanical Systems’ (HI-MEMS) program, which aims to implant and place MEMS inside insects such as moths and beetles during the early stages of metamorphosis. That way, as the bugs mature, tissues grow around and fuse together with the nano machines. This is popularly known as ‘cyborg insects’. The program is aimed to develop technology that provides more control over insect locomotion, just as saddles and horseshoes are needed for horse locomotion control. Due to the small size of anything related to nano, the issue of surveillance becomes imperative. This kind of project already exists and there bound to be ethical concerns if this technology falls in wrong hands. For further information on the project please visit http://www.darpa.mil/mto/programs/himems, accessed on August 10, 2009.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the Indian scientists and engineers, who participated in this study, for their valuable time and opinions. We thank Prof. Prajit K. Basu, Department of Philosophy, University of Hyderabad for his contribution to this study. We thank Dr. Abani K. Pradhan for providing valuable insights to draft versions of this paper. We thank Michael Skavarla of Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility, Cornell University for introducing the concept of ‘cyborg insects’ to us. We are also thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility, Cornell University, 250 Duffield Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Debasmita Patra

  2. Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

    E. Haribabu

  3. Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Katherine A. McComas

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  1. Debasmita Patra
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  2. E. Haribabu
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Correspondence to Debasmita Patra.

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Patra, D., Haribabu, E. & McComas, K.A. Perceptions of Nano Ethics among Practitioners in a Developing Country: A Case of India. Nanoethics 4, 67–75 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-010-0086-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-010-0086-7

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