Challenge of Public and Workforce Education in Nanotechnology: Science vs Science Fiction – David Smith

Date: Mon. February 7th, 2005, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Location: Rockefeller 221

Dave will discuss nanotechnology education as a challenge in both the areas of public education in science (for the K-99 audience ) and as another battle of hype against reality; science fiction against science. How he currently teaches freshman-level nanotechnology will be discussed as will the experimental platform he uses, called the Nanopedia, the Web Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology, for which he has a modest NSF grant, shared with Alexis Abramson of the engineering school. He will particularly discuss some of the science fiction aspects of Michael Chrichton’s novel “Prey,” about nanotechnology gone awry, asking for audience comments on whats right and what’s not. Let’s just say that the book scares NSF’s nano-public-relations strategists.