Emerging and Readily Available Technologies and Security is a study on the ethical, legal, and society issues relating to research, development, and used of rapidly changing technologies with low barriers of entry that have potential applications, such as information management, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology. The nanotechnology sector, which generated about $11.5 billion in product sales in 2009, is predicted to expand rapidly over the next decade. The increasing production and use of engineered nanomaterials may lead to greater exposures of workers, consumers, and the environment, and the unique scale-specific and novel properties of the materials raise questions about their potential effects on human health and the environment. For this reason government agencies, academic institutions, industry, and others have conducted many assessments of the environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has many prospects for improving the quality of life of humans and solving problems related to poverty, health, and the environment. However, it can also have a negative impact if it is not used in accordance with ethical principles. It is not a panacea for our ills.
