Center for Neurotechnology Studies Launched at Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

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ENERGY 2020: A VISION OF THE FUTURE —A REPORT RETRIEVED FROM THE YEAR 2020 VIA A WORMHOLE

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Breakthroughs in electronics warfare may deploy in 2 years

for more go here

EURAB pushes European Commission to consider mandatory open access policies

see here
and on this blog

How Insect size robots will fight

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RFID “Tagged” Neighborhood Piloted in Tokyo

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Almost Half of All World Health Spending is in the United States

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NBICS and Social Cohesion

NBICS and Social Cohesion new column from me out

Extreme Genetic Engineering: An Introduction to Synthetic Biology

ETC Group just published a new report, Extreme Genetic Engineering: An Introduction to Synthetic Biology.

Human Rights for the 21st Century:Rights of the Person to Technological Self-Determination

IHEU- Appignani Humanist
Center for Bioethics and

Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies

present

Human Rights for the 21st Century:

Rights of the Person to Technological Self-Determination

New York City

May 11-13, 2007

Cocktail Reception: Friday May 11, 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Location: TBD

Conference: Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13, 9:00 am – 3:45 pm

Location: 777 UN Plaza, 2nd Floor, New York City, NY 10017

The 2007 conference “Human Rights for the 21st Century: Rights of the Person to Technological Self-Determination” will focus on (a) human rights in the context of bodily autonomy as well as reproductive and cognitive liberties, (b) emerging biotechnologies which may contribute to the exercise of such rights, and (c) challenges to the essentialist ideas of human identity underlying some human rights discourse.

The conference will address the various roles of emerging technologies and other products of scientific progress in today’s society, as well as their implications for the pursuit of bioethics. Potential topics to be considered include nanotechnology in medical treatment, novel vaccines against addictive behaviors, Internet-enabled social networking and engineering, designer genetic engineering, novel transplantable tissue and organ generation, neuroscience and its application to medical advances, as well as reproductive science and women’s rights. The conference intends to provide an open forum for interaction between various stakeholders in this debate, including those representing public, private, and international sectors.

These topics will be addressed through paper presentations and panel discussions. The deadline for the submission of papers is March 20, 2007. Accepted papers will be peer-reviewed and considered for publication in the Journal of Evolution and Technology (http://jetpress.org). Virtual registrations will be also available for those unable to attend the Conference who still wish to submit a paper for review and possible publication.

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Registration for presenters and early registrants is $50, payable by May 1, 2007.

Registration fee includes attendance at the two-day conference.

Cocktail reception: $15 extra.

The conference fee for students who attend is $25, for the general public (after May 1) $75.

The address for the submission of papers, registration fees (by check, payable to “IHEU”) or inquiries:

IHEU

P.O. Box 4104 Grand Central Station New York, NY 10162

Phone: (212) 687 3324 analita@iheu.org

Or by Paypal (online) to

http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/rights2007

Registration forms and other details will be posted on:

http://www.iheu.org/bioethics and at http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/rights2007

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Accommodation packages are available, on a first-come-first-serve basis, from the Pickwick Hotel, E 51st Street and Second Avenue. Tel: 212 355 0300, e-mail: info@pickwickarms.com.

Fifteen hotel rooms have been booked at Millenium UN Plaza Hotel New York, United Nations Plaza, 44th Street between First and Second Avenues, New York,NY, USA 10017-3575 Tel: 212 758 1234 fax: 212 702 5051 reservation: 866 866 8086 email: unplaza@mhrmail.com. Please quote Conference name when booking.

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The IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics focuses on raising awareness of bioethical issues confronting the international community and developing and implementing an international program for lobbying. The Center is a new initiative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. IHEU holds a special consultative status with ECOSOC at the United Nations, a general consultative status with UNICEF and the Council of Europe as well as operational relations with UNESCO in Paris.

The Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies examines the social implications of technological progress, promoting public policies that distribute the benefits and reduce the risks of accelerating innovation. The IEET is chaired by Dr. Nick Bostrom of Oxford University, and served by Dr. James Hughes of Trinity College (Hartford CT) as its Executive Director. The thirteen Fellows of the IEET span expertise from nanotechnology, neurotechnology, biotechnology and information science to bioethics, philosophy and health policy. The IEET publishes the Journal of Evolution and Technology (jetpress.org) and hosts the Changesurfer podcast.

Mapping UK Nanotech

The new version of the UK’s Industrial Map OF UK Micro and NanoTechnology has just been released, profiling 643 companies which “are either exclusively or partly, manufacturing or developing products based on micro and nanotechnology or offering services in this field.”
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Nanomission Demo Now Available For Free Download

PlayGens’ grotto were busy putting the finishing touches to the nanomedicine module of Nanomission.
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A Spotless Mind?

Policy, Ethics & the Future of Human Intelligence

Friday, February 16, 2007

8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

National Press Club

529 14th Street N.W.

Washington, D.C.

Is a machine-dominated society á la The Matrix or a Borg-esque collective intelligence looming in humanity’s future?

Emerging technologies in the areas of neuro-enhancement and artificial intelligence promise to drastically alter: our ability to augment human intellectual and sensory capacity; the role of machines; and how we connect, communicate, and share information. But, will such changes bring about the panacea promised by their proponents, or will they be akin to opening Pandora’s Box? Even before such interventions become possible, their exploration should not be left to the realm of science fiction writers and pop-culture movie moguls. Rather, society, as a whole, must engage both science fact and science fiction in confronting the issues presented by these technologies – from who gets them to how they should be used.

To that end, the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future (IBHF) at Chicago-Kent College of Law/Illinois Institute of Technology is hosting a conference that brings together some of the key voices in the discussion of these critical 21st-century issues:

Ø Keynoters:

o U.S. Representative Brad Sherman, J.D., CPA, (D-CA), member of the House Committee on Science;

o Patricia Smith Churchland, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at the University of California San Diego and author of Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain; and

o Charles T. Rubin, Ph.D., IBHF fellow, associate professor of political science at Duquesne University, IBHF fellow, and author of the forthcoming book Why Be Human? Defending Progress Against Its Friends.

Ø Special Presenters:

o William P. Cheshire, Jr., M.D., neurology consultant at Mayo Clinic, associate professor of Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and Center on Nanotechnology and Society fellow;

o Marsha Darling, Ph.D., IBHF fellow, and professor of history and interdisciplinary studies and director of the African American & Ethnic Studies Program at Adelphi University;

o Jim Davies, Ph.D., assistant professor at Carleton University’s Institute of Cognitive Science;

o Linda MacDonald Glenn, J.D., L.L.M., faculty member at the University of Vermont’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences in the Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences and at the University Vermont in the Department of Biomedical Writing;

o Andrew Imparato, J.D., president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities;

o C. Ben Mitchell, Ph.D., IBHF fellow and associate professor of bioethics and contemporary culture at Trinity International University;

o Katrina Sifferd, J.D., Ph.D., IBHF affiliated scholar and adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College; and

o Lee Zwanziger, Ph.D., assistant professor in Science and Technology Studies at Virginia Tech, and senior science policy analyst with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The event will be chaired by Nigel M. de S. Cameron, Ph.D., president of IBHF, and associate dean and research professor of bioethics at Chicago-Kent College of Law/IIT.

RSVPs are required. There is no charge for the event.

For more information: http://www.thehumanfuture.org/events

To RSVP, contact

Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future

E-mail: rsvp@thehumanfuture.org

Phone: 312.906.5337

Fax: 312.906.5388

Nanotechnology for security and crime prevention

(Nanowerk News) A one day conference in London/UK next week will examine a wide spectrum of new scientific developments taking place in the fight against crime. The latest discoveries and advances will be discussed, from anti-terrorism laser technology with the potential to revolutionise airport security to the latest research discoveries in nanoforensics.
The event “Nanotechnology for Security and Crime Prevention” is organized by the Institute of Nanotechnology and will take place on January 18, 2007 at the Royal Society.
Topics will include:
– The Importance of Nanotechnology in Crime Control: Promises and Pitfalls
– Nanomaterials for Detection and Decontamination
– Wireless, Passive and Sensitive MEMS Detector of Chemical or Bio Materials in the Environment
– Nanotechnology Enabled Solutions for Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Security
– Anti-Counterfeiting Technologies: Physical Unclonable Function
– Single Molecule Analysis on a Hand-held Electrical Nanopore Device
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Nanotechnology in China – Ambitions and realities

Is China poised to become the world’s nanotech superpower, or is this prediction hyperbole? What is China’s comparative advantage in the high-tech sector, and how is it exploiting this advantage in nanotechnology? Will China’s investment in nanotechnology pay off? And how will the United States respond to China’s growing nanotechnology capacity–with competition, cooperation, or both?

These questions are the topic of an event and live webcast on Tuesday, February 6th at 3:00 p.m. in the 5th Floor Conference Room of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars ( http://www.wilsoncenter.org/directions ).

*** Webcast LIVE at http://www.wilsoncenter.org ***

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Thailand to host nanotechnology seminar

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) (January 9, 2007)

Bangkok (dpa) – Thailand will play host next week to a major nanotechnology seminar that is expected to draw more than 300 scientists to Bangkok to discuss trends in the relatively new field, organizers said on Tuesday.

It will be the second such seminar organized in Asia by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Nano Technology Council (IEEE-NTC), said Wiwat Tanthaphanichkul, director of Thailand’s National Nanotechnology Centre (NanoTech).
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Nanotechnology risk discussion – where is the public?

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Self-Cleaning Underwear — No Washing For Weeks

New fabric developed by the U.S. Air Force uses nanotechnology that “both kills bacteria, and forces liquids to bead and run off.” The scientists have used the fabric to create UNDERWEAR and t-shirts, and believe it will “revolutionize” the sports apparal industry.
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Alternative-Energy Spending Fizzles Out

USA Congress ends without funding research programs, as the United States falls behind in alternative technologies.
Read More at Source

Dabur Pharma introduces Nanoxel in India

MUMBAI: Dabur Pharma Ltd has announced the launch of Nanoxel-a novel drug delivery system for the widely used anti-cancer drug Paclitaxel. This nanoscale drug delivery system is India’s first indigenously developed nanotechnology based chemotherapy agent. “We are very excited to launch the first nanoparticle drug delivery system outside of the United States”, said Dr Anand Burman, Chairman of the company.
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