Sensitive Issues about Ethics

This article reflects an effort to combine science, society and technology with a discussion about nanotechnology and ethics. The authors provide background information about several develo... See More

This article reflects an effort to combine science, society and technology with a discussion about nanotechnology and ethics. The authors provide background information about several developments in nanotechnology and then provide several questions for each that could be used in middle or high school setting. These questions evoke the ethics behind the use of a nanotechnical device. Ethics is a controversial issue and discussing these sorts of things can be challenging. These authors provide a way to use societal issues in a classroom setting.

Science, technology, and ethics

As we strive to develop new technologies from new scientific knowledge, we need to be able to assess the potential impact on social aspects of our lives as well. This article does a nice job... See More

As we strive to develop new technologies from new scientific knowledge, we need to be able to assess the potential impact on social aspects of our lives as well. This article does a nice job of providing a means for students to consider values in the science classroom using nanosensors, which allow detection of many types of structures and compounds in many settings. Even if we can collect immense amounts of data about people, the article provides thought-provoking questions about the ethics and benefits based on cases. This could be useful in a variety of science courses at the high school and college level, where we are trying to develop them as scientifically literate citizens, and an understanding of the nature of scientific thought.