The politics of small things: nanotechnology, risk, and uncertainty

Nanotechnology is increasingly talked about with the same breathless excitement that surrounded biotechnology and information technology at the start of the 1990s. It has also caught the attention of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have spent the past decade campaigning against genetically modified (GM) crops and foods. A debate is now taking on a sharper focus around issues of nanoparticle toxicity and the need for tighter regulation. This 2004 article explores three dimensions of uncertainty in emerging debates over nanotechnology.