It's a small world after all.

October 21, 2003 1:57 PM

Nanotech? Kids stuff. The nanotech industry and research community has been plugging away steadily since Eric Drexler's cheerleading for it in the early 80's. Now the National Science Foundation acknowledges (in the form of this Request for Proposals) that kids as young as 7th grade must be prepared for living in a nanotech world.
posted by badstone (2 comments total)

From the RFP:
The interdisciplinary nature of NSE involves all of the sciences and engineering. Its economic, environmental, social, and ethical dimensions require careful study as well. These interactions create important opportunities and challenges for education at the middle school, high school, and undergraduate levels (i.e., grades 7-16). If citizens are to understand and appreciate the potential for nanoscale science and engineering, it is imperative that our schools offer scientifically accurate and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities in the relevant disciplines and that ways be found to collaborate across disciplines and to transcend traditional boundaries. This, in turn, requires that the science education leaders and science teachers have not only a deep understanding of nanoscale science and engineering, but also an appreciation for the challenges of learning about related social and ethical implications of nanotechnology.
posted by badstone at 2:00 PM on October 21, 2003

Ma! Joey made a grey-goo scenario on the couch!
posted by Ryvar at 3:03 PM on October 21, 2003