Nanotechnology, Upstream Visions and
Sustainability Promises
Phil Macnaghten
Durham University
The paper
1.
2.
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‘Upstream’ move in STS
Upstream visions of nanotechnology in a corporate
setting
Public engagement research
Implications for sustainable global food markets (if
any)
The future in science and technology studies
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Growing STS literature
•
Expectations (Nik Brown, Mike Michael, Mads Borup,
Cynthia Selin)
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Visions (Armin Grunwald, Andreas Lösch)
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Imaginaries (Brian Wynne, Joan Fujimura)
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Emerging irreversibilities (Arie Rip, Harro van Lente)
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Scenarios
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Master narratives (Ulrika Felt, Brian Wynne)
Innovation science is shaped by (largely unacknowledged)
social values and master narratives that are both normative
and performative
Little research on ‘corporate’ visions
Innovation is understood as a vector (Andy Stirling)
space of technological
possibilities
time
Economics, history, philosophy, social studies of technology all
agree …
– technology is not homogeneous
– innovation can follow many different directions …
– there is no single ‘inevitable’ or uniquely ‘right’ technological pathway
Upstream public engagement
‘We have learnt that it is necessary with major technologies to
ensure that the debate takes place “upstream”, as new areas
emerge in the scientific and technological development process.’
Lord Sainsbury, Science Minister
Project with Unilever
1.
To understand the upstream visions held by R&D staff,
with a view to informing scenarios for public engagement.
2.
To provide upstream social intelligence on likely public
responses to the development of techniques and products
using nanotechnologies.
3.
To develop thinking about the practice of public
engagement in a corporate R&D context.
4.
To inform corporate strategy on nanotechnology issues.
Novel for Unilever
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The idea that science and technology does more than enable
the company to ‘meet needs’ and ‘deliver benefits’
The idea that scientists have visions (or values)
The idea that socials scientists should study their internal S&T
(as culture)
The idea that innovation pathways fits underlying social
trajectories
The idea that public unease might transcend concerns over
safety and harm
Nanotechnology and the landscape of promises
1.
Nanotechnology is largely about ‘promise’ and the
future
Nanotechnology: Another Industrial Revolution
“The world market for nanotechnology will exceed US$1 trillion by 2012”
US National Science Foundation
“...(when) such (nano)technologies arrive, the results will be awesome: they will
be equivalent to James Watt’s invention of the condenser, a development that
kick-started the industrial revolution”
Sir Harry Kroto, Nobel Laureate
“Transnational companies often carry out their own nanotech-related R&D. This
is because they understand that nanotech is likely to disrupt their current
products and processes”
UK Department of Trade and Industry
“Nanotechnology has become a big buzzword – so much so that the
stockbrokers Merrill Lynch has created an index to track investment in the newly
burgeoning industry”
BBC News
Nanotechnology: The Next Big Thing
“By anyone's measure, nanotechnology is the next big thing.
In fact, according to government R&D planners,
nanotechnology is nothing short of the next Industrial
Revolution.”
Chemical & Engineering News, 2002
This image of 112 carbon monoxide molecules
on a copper surface was made at an IBM
Research Center using a scanning tunneling
microscope.
Each letter is 4 nm high by 3 nm wide. About 250
million nanoletters of this size could be written
on a cross section of a human hair; this
corresponds to 300 300-page books.
President Clinton used the image to unveil the
US National Nanotechnology Initiative.
Nanotechnology: Some Opportunities for one
multinational
• Looking Great
• Enjoying a Long Life
• Defying Age
• Vibrant Colour
• Improving Health
• Adding Style
• Providing Cleanliness and Hygiene
• Delivering Essential Nutrition
• Fighting Infection
• Getting the Most Out of Stuff
• Heightening Pleasure
• Communicating with Consumers
Looking Great
Nano-engineering of oil droplet
surfaces with smart polymers…
…allows enhanced delivery of material…
ABA
Oil
Rake
Oil
…that make dry-damaged-coloured hair look great
Branched
Oil
Enjoying a Long Life
The large surface area of nanoparticles made
of good fats from plants (sterols/stanols)…
…lowering cholesterol levels and
helping consumers to live longer
by eating our foods
…results in improved transfer of the
fats in the stomach into living cells …
Defying Age
Simple biomolecules and
nanocrystals…
…form self-assembled
structures…
…that resemble complex biological materials
and allow repair of teeth, skin, hair and fabrics
Improving Health
Creating nanoparticles of anti-oxidant
actives isolated from green tea…
…allowing delivery of health and
hygiene from our brands
…protects and
products…
stabilises
the
material
in
Adding Style
Decorating oil droplets with silica
nanoparticles…
…modifying feel and inter-fibre
adhesion…
Oil
…allows delivery of ordered
structures…
…for volumised, easy to style hair
Providing Cleanliness & Hygiene
Mimicking the ‘Sacred Lotus Plant’
(Nelumbo Nucifera) or Stenocara beetle…
…through nano-scale patterning on
large wax particles…
…produces self-cleaning and water repellent surfaces
Delivering Essential Nutrition
Invisible nanoparticles (with no taste) made out of
vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements…
…can be incorporated into clear
and translucent drinks…
…which look fantastic, taste
great and provide essential
nutrients to consumers
Fighting Infection
Single molecules of productinsoluble antimicrobial actives…
silver
triclosan
climbazole
…incorporated into
dispersible nanoparticles…
…yield enhanced activity from products to
treat tooth decay, scalp itch or foot odour
Getting the Most Out of Stuff
Our detailed understanding of substrates…
…informs development of materials
that bind chemically or biologically…
… to deliver benefits only where they are needed
Heightening Pleasure
Fragile fragrance, flavours, vitamins,
enzymes put in a ‘bag’…
… that isolates them from their environment
and exhibits affinity for the substrate...
…allows controlled release to meet
consumer demands for longlasting perfume, great tasting
food...
The public groups
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Four focus groups, each 3 hours
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Group 1- “Involved Mothers” 30-40 yrs, BC1,
Mothers of at 1+ pre teen child, Working
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Group 2 – “Metrosexuals”, Male/Female, 25-30 yrs,
C1
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Group 3 – “Aspirational Women” 40-55 yrs, C1/2,
Mothers of teenage/post teenage children
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Group 4 – “Organic Men” 45-60 yrs, BC1, Empty
nesters, Working full time
Scepticism about safety
“I would assume that before it came to market, whatever product, it would have
been properly tested.
Surely something like thalidomide was thoroughly tested and look what it did.
You know, it was going to be revolutionary safe on everything and look
what it did. It was claimed to be revolutionary, safe and everything, and
look what it did.
Valid point
It has to be tested for a few generations just to see the impact, thirty years or so.
So can we trust them? Obviously not.”
(Group 4)
“How can something like that slip onto the market without anyone knowing about
it?” (Group 1)
Int
What do they think the role is of corporate science?
“It’s marketing science… 99% of it is rubbish”
(Group 4)
Beyond ‘benefit’ to questions of broader motivation
“Well, the only people who will benefit, will be people like L’Oreal and
Dove and all that because they are the ones who are going to take
the money...” (Group 3)
“I think what concerns me is the drive of all of this. You’re going to
create better tasting dessert. There’s nothing better than apples,
right? Apples are great. They grow. They’re natural. I mean, all the
stuff that we need is already here. What is the point of this? Why are
we being driven always away from just the natural free things that
grow, you breathe, to things that you have to pay for?... It’s all about
just markets.” (Group 4)
“People are stuck in a certain consumer hamster wheel where we
always have to buy the latest, the latest, the latest and I don’t think
that is a positive thing because 99% of the things we use we don’t
need…So this is vested interest that keeps the people on the
hamster wheel of innovation. So you always have got the next, the
next, the next. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad either.”
(Group 4)
What do we “need”?
“But you don’t need to do that. You can feed the world as it is. It’s not
about that there’s not enough food, it’s about the politics of food.
And it’s about economies of scale. It’s about how markets operate. I
mean, we can have enough food for everyone if you don’t have
America polluting the world like it is and using up all the world’s
resources and they share them out, there’s enough for everyone.”
(Group 4)
“Why does food need engineering.
Yeah. What is the benefit of that.” (Group 3)
“We can live without any of that” (Group 1)
(– metaphorically and literally – cf. Medical applications)
Messing with nature
“You know that it is ‘messing with nature’ really.” (Group 1)
“Because you know if by enhancing the taste and what have you, it’s like
you don’t know what’s going to be real and what’s not going to be
real. You’re kind of kidding yourself because your taste buds are
there or however they taste is natural and then you kind of give them
something that’s just not really…
I think that’s when you come into ethics though in a way because you
know everything in the planet is growing for a reason… [and] for us to
sort of- and it’s like do we take all that away and who gives anyone
the right to completely you know do that.” (Group 2)
“OK, but what’s the long-term consequence of this. Nobody will know
what the long-term consequence is…
I mean that’s all messing around with…
They’re messing around with the building blocks of matter.” (Group 3)
How does this make you feel?
“Int:
Int:
Int:
Right… this makes you feel what?
Very uncomfortable.
This makes you feel what?
Combative.
Skeptical.
I’m not sure of what I feel.
I’m not sure what Nano Technology is.
Sure.
Is it making things better or is it gonna make things worse?
I’m very confused. The rules are very suspicious about
anything…
I think that is quite scary, myself. ” (Group 3)
Nanotechnology as double-sided
“Nanotechnology is “presented as if there isn’t a down side” (Group 1)
“There’s got to be some downside to it somewhere” (Group 1)
“There are always benefits, there’s always downsides” (Group 4)
Int:“You’re not saying it’s good or bad. You’re saying you know that it
could possibly be this…”
“Like a balance… because everything so far has been about like a
balance. You mean will we look for the nano for more.”
“Until we see an option that you can’t really give a correct opinion on it
because you don’t know how effective it is.”
“Because the nano world might not bring perfection to certain people as
well. So they might always keep looking for more.” (Group 2)
Visioning the nano-world
“It’s in the place of being, creating and being God. That’s what the
attraction is. You can get close. You get that to the molecular level.
You can take it and put it back together again, in the way you want it
to be. Take the thing that’s going to become a boy out and put it back
together again, you’ll going to have a little girl instead. That’s the
attraction. That’s certainly playing God.” (Group 4)
“You know, nano is invisible. You can use it like a virus. So there’s that
aspect.” (Group 3)
“I think it’s like a huge leap that hasn’t- you know what I mean? You know
they’re chasing things, it’s frightening. And I think that’s quite
frightening about it. All of a sudden and it’s like how much research is
going to go in or is it going to go on the market too quick and then
there’ll be because I think personally we always seem to be trying to
correct technology… like GM foods, what have you. That was
technology but now we’re trying to stop and it always seems like we
seem to be backtracking on things.” (Group 2)
“Where do you get your pleasure from if everything is so wonderful”
(Group 1)
“I think people think everybody will end up looking the same. All the blond
hair and blue eyes and stuff like that.” (Group 2)
The metaphysics of the nanoworld
For the nanoscientist
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Nanotechnology as the enabler
of human capacities, needs,
desires and potentialities
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Through nanotechnology people
will be able to transcend their
material and ‘natural’
constraints and thus realise full
liberation and emancipation
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Based on a style of thought that
conceives of nature and
humans as infinitely malleable
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The world is in principle reconstructable and thus available
for redesign and improvement
For the public
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Seductive appeal: ‘be careful
what you wish for’
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Denial of ‘finitude’
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Unravelling of moral boundaries
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Part of a wider narrative of
instrumentalisation of life and
control over nature
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Antithesis to ‘values’ of
sustainability (e.g. restraint,
humility, care, becoming)
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Requires a language beyond
‘benefits’
Implications for sustainable global food markets (if any)
Our commitment is to manage our social and environmental impacts responsibly,
to work in partnership with our stakeholders and to contribute to sustainable
development. In this we are guided by a clear set of values and standards that
govern the way we do business.
the social impact of our products, principally on people’s health through nutrition and
hygiene;
the steps we are taking to minimise our environmental footprint and secure sustainable
supplies of key raw materials;
how our operations create wealth and how this benefits stakeholders and local
communities.
(Unilever Environment and Social Report)
Implications for sustainable global food markets (if any)
Our commitment is to manage our social and environmental impacts responsibly,
to work in partnership with our stakeholders and to contribute to sustainable
development. In this we are guided by a clear set of values and standards that
govern the way we do business.
the social impact of our products, principally on people’s health through nutrition and
hygiene;
the steps we are taking to minimise our environmental footprint and secure sustainable
supplies of key raw materials;
how our operations create wealth and how this benefits stakeholders and local
communities.
(Unilever Environment and Social Report)
Sustainability presented as ‘downstream’ activity for
major corporations
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Corporate social responsibility, Lifecycle analysis etc.
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Independent from visions (and associated values) driving innovation