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Key themes & questions

Small Talk has developed a set of key themes and questions, based on current research and feedback from Small Talk events, which we hope will help event organisers focus their events. We hope that these themes and questions will develop over time to reflect public interest. They are intended to be useful rather than restrictive and event organisers may chose to pose questions grouped around one or more existing themes, or choose an entirely new theme.

What are Nanotechnologies?

What are nanotechnologies? How do they differ to other sciences and technologies?

Who is developing nanotechnologies? Who are they being developed for?

What different types of nanotechnologies are there? Should they be treated differently?

What current and potential future uses can nanotechnologies be put to?

What issues do different types of nanotechnologies raise?

Regulation & Funding

Should nanotechnologies be treated differently to other science and technology? Why?

What regulations/assurance would you want to see in place?

Who should regulate the development and use of nanotechnologies? How?

Are there areas of research or uses of nanotechnologies that should not be allowed?

How much money should be put into nanotechnologies research? By who?

Where should the funding go? How should it be distributed between different areas of research?

Benefits & Concerns

How could nanotechnologies improve our lives? Which areas are most interesting/exciting?

Who will benefit from nanotechnologies? How will they benefit?

What concerns do nanotechnologies raise? Which areas are of most concern?

How might nanotechnologies affect society? Will these effects be good or bad?

What do you think are the main risks associated with nanotechnologies?

How should these risks be dealt with?

Should we be looking for lower-tech solutions to problems?

Fact v fiction

What are nanotechnologies currently being used for?

What possibilities are there for uses of nanotechnologies in the future?

When will these future uses of nanotechnologies become available?

Which stories of future benefits are possible? Which are science fiction?

Which stories of future risks are possible? Which are science fiction?

Who should decide the future direction of nanotechnologies?

How far can we go with nanotechnologies? How far should we go?