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Innovative Research Reveals how Science Fiction, Futurist Scenarios Influence Nanotechnologies in Society What is the relationship between nanotechnology development and space exploration? Two CNS-UCSB researchers are uncovering surprising ideological and social movement links between these two seemingly unrelated scientific endeavors. CNS Co-Director W. Patrick McCray and Social Science Graduate Fellow Mary Ingram-Waters are conducting a case study of advocacy efforts on behalf of the space elevator. Their goal is to identify the social processes by which advances in nanotechnology have helped revive interest in building an elevator system to serve as an alternative to rockets for launching people and cargo into outer space.
This research is being conducted for CNS’ Working Group 1, which is sponsoring several studies on the History of the Nano-Enterprise. “This is one of only a few research enterprises in the U.S. that focus specifically on studying the historical context of nanotechnology”, noted McCray, who is the Working Group’s leader. “I have colleagues at other institutions that are also interested in this subject. But by and large, the history of nanotechnology has not yet received much scholarly attention. This is too bad as understanding nano’s history has important implications for current and future issues involving policy, applications, and public perception.”
In studying the relationship between nanotechnology and the space elevator, UCSB’s Dr. McCray, a historian of science, and Ms. Ingram-Waters, a doctoral candidate in sociology, are reviewing science fiction and scientific literature describing the space elevator’s technical requirements and uses. They have also identified a number of leaders from space advocacy organizations dating back to the L-5 Society of the 1970s who have since moved into leadership roles in the pro-nanotechnology movements of the 1990s and today. McCray and Ingram-Waters will interview some of these individuals for their study.
The idea of a space elevator has appeared in numerous science fiction and futurist writings during the past century. For example, noted sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke based his 1978 book The Fountains of Paradise around the construction of a space elevator in Sri Lanka. As currently imagined, the space elevator is a device consisting of a climber that carries payloads up and down a long cord, or tether, anchored near the Earth’s equator. The tether would extend upward to another anchor point located in geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles above.
Space elevator advocates have long considered creation of the tether to be the major technological challenge among the many obstacles that must be overcome to transform the concept into reality. Some proponents saw the development in the early 1990s of carbon nanotubes as offering the strength and flexibility required for building a workable space elevator tether.
According to McCray, “One of the major goals of research conducted at CNS is to arrive at a richer understanding of how the nano-enterprise came to be an object of such great attention and interest, both among policy makers as well as industry leaders. To do this, the Center is studying not only issues related to industrialization, innovation, and diffusion of technology, but also the development of social perceptions that are integral in shaping the nature of the nano-enterprise.”
Ingram-Waters said that studying nanotechnology’s science fiction roots will help further understanding of how nanotechnology emerges in society as well as the public’s expectations “There are, as of yet, very few nanotechnology products out on the market,” she said “and much of the language around nanotechnology is still very revolutionary, it’s still very science fiction-like.” As she explained, “Thus, it sounds quite similar to the rhetoric that futurists use when they talk about technologies to support cryogenics, space travel and colonization, and other transhumanist projects such as using artificial intelligence to send one’s personality into space. Nanotechnology is seen as an enabling technology for those kinds of activities. So it makes sense to look at futurist groups in order to understand where the emergent qualities of nanotechnology are coming from.”
“One of the things that Mary and I are trying to do with this work is point out that underneath the standard model of nanotechnology’s history lies an interesting and important hidden history,” said McCray. “Not only has this hidden history played a large part in shaping the public’s understanding of nanotechnology but it has also affected how policy makers approach the topic.”
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Patrick McCray and Mary Ingram-Waters describe their research in more detail in an interview from September 25, 2006, which can be found at our 'Publications ' section. To arrange a personal interview with McCray, please contact him directly at pmccray@history.ucsb.edu or (805) 893-2665. To interview Ingram-Waters at mci0@umail.ucsb.edu, or by phone at (805) 893-6031.
About CNS-UCSB
UCSB’s Center for Nanotechnology in Society is one of two national research centers funded by the National Science Foundation to study the social implications of nanotechnology. Its goal is to aid scientists and scholars, policy makers, and the public in better understanding key social factors that will affect the eventual success or failure of nanotechnology industries in the U.S. and abroad over the next decade. These include:
• Globalization and international collaborations in nanotechnology research and development operations
• The historical development of nanotechnology research enterprises
• Intellectual property regimes and scientific research
• Public risk perceptions of possible health and environmental risks posed by nanotechnology products, along with techniques for involving members of the public in efforts to reduce such risks
• Global news coverage and framing of nanotechnology products as social benefits or liabilities
• Uses of the Internet and other information technologies by nanotechnology advocacy and opposition groups to mobilize public opinion
• Group processes promoting creativity and innovation leading to technological breakthroughs by nanotechnology research groups.
About Nanotechnology
A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. Research has shown that materials engineered at the scale of 1 to 100 nanometers have unique properties and unusual powers. Although understanding of nanotechnologies’ properties is still relatively in its infancy, scientists have suggested that nanotechnologies may someday lead to major breakthroughs in a broad range of applications, such as water filtration, solar energy, drug efficiency, computer processor speed, telecommunications, and security. The governments of a number of countries, including the United States, are pouring significant amounts of money into supporting nanotechnology research enterprises at universities and other laboratories. |
