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Popular Culture
The term popular culture can be tricky to define because, although most people know what they mean when they use it, it is also a large and ambiguous term, one that can have many meanings and describe many objects or relationships. Like the term nature, its use is frequently dependent on its context (human “nature” may or may not be the same as the “nature” we find in our backyards). One workable definition might be that popular culture encompasses any kind of “text” that impacts mainstream forms of communication. Texts do not just mean books, however; the term can also refer to popular magazines, films, television shows, modes of expression, and even clothing styles or automobile design. These texts can perform many functions—they can communicate meanings, bond groups together in communities, ask probing questions, and provide entertainment, to name a few. One scholar studying depictions of nanotechnology in popular culture, then, might examine the way nanotechnology is portrayed in films, television shows, and popular science magazines. Other scholars could study how environmental or industry groups talk about nanotechnology on their Websites, or how a clothing company advertises (or conceals) the use of nanotechnology on its tags and labels. Most scholars make claims about nanotechnology and popular culture on the basis of such examinations.
Why Popular Culture Matters
Like other emerging or controversial science fields such as biotechnology or nuclear energy, nanotechnology is not always well understood by the public. What this means is that public perceptions of nanotechnology may be shaped, at least in part, by popular culture's depictions of it. We know that people get their information about science from a number of sources. How this information is used is often shaped not just by people's ability to understand science, but also by their relationship to their media sources. It can also be influenced by their discussions about that information with trusted friends or colleagues, and by their “mental models,” or the way they imagine, picture, and process that information.
We can assume that popular culture's representations of nanotechnology are important in shaping public perceptions of nanotechnology. But it is difficult to say how important they are. Popular culture doesn't emerge from a vacuum, nor are people blank canvases, soaking up whatever popular culture tells them. People usually have preconceived ideas about science and technology, drawn from a number of sources and experiences, which may be reinforced by popular culture texts. But we can't claim that popular culture has the power to wholly shape public perceptions of a particular technology. At the same time, if people do not have access to other information about nanotechnology, popular culture may step in to partially fill that void, and not always in ways that are accurate.
Surveying popular culture for representations of nanotechnology can be daunting, methodologically. Nanotechnology is not always defined as such in popular culture texts, or may be inaccurately described or represented. Popular novels such as Michael Crichton's Prey clearly identify the technology and are centered around it, but films and television shows may only briefly refer to nanomachines, nanoprobes, nanochips, or other permutations, without giving more information. In these cases, “nano” most often connotes technologies that are small, dangerous, invisible, and intrusive.
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- Art, Design, and Materials
- Bionanotechnology Centers
- Context
- Clinton, William J.
- Converging Technologies
- Feynman, Richard
- Fullerene
- Human Enhancement
- IPOs of Nanofirms
- Journal of Nanoparticle Research
- Microscopy, Atomic Force
- Microscopy, Electron (Including TEM and SEM)
- Microscopy, Exotic
- Microscopy, Optical
- Microscopy, Scanning Probe
- Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling
- Nanobiotechnology
- Nanohype
- Nanomaterials
- Nanotech Chronicles, The
- National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Initiative (U.S.)
- Nature Nanotechnology
- Prey
- Roco, Mihail
- Self-Replication
- Social Movements and Nanoscience
- Technology Assessment
- Technoscience
- Economics and Business
- Agrifood
- Artificial Intelligence
- Benny the Bear
- Commercial Incubators
- Commercialization
- Competitiveness and Technonationalism
- Computational Nanotechnology
- Consumer Products Inventory
- Corporate Research and Development
- Electronics and Information Technology
- Energy
- Entrepreneurs in Nanoscience
- Export Controls
- Food
- Food Packaging
- General Purpose Technology
- Globalization
- Intellectual Property Rights
- International Development
- iPod Nano
- IPOs of Nanofirms
- L'Oréal
- Lux Research
- Magic Nano
- Market Projections
- Market Resistance and Acceptance
- Nano-Bible
- NanoBusiness Alliance
- Nanoenabled Products in Commerce
- Nanogate (Tribological Coating for Automobiles)
- Nanointermediaries in Commerce
- Nanomanufacturing
- Nanomaterials in Commerce
- Nanophotovoltaics
- Nanotechnology in Manufacturing
- Nanotechnology Industries Association
- Nanotechnology Law and Business
- Nanotechnology Patent Class
- Patents
- Publicly Traded Nanofirms
- Titanium Dioxide
- Venture Capital
- Workers' Rights
- Workforce Development and Training
- Zinc Oxide
- Engagement and the Public
- Center for Nanotechnology in Society (ASU)
- Center for Nanotechnology in Society (UCSB)
- Center on Nanotechnology and Society (Kent School of Law)
- Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (Australia)
- Centre for Bioethics and Public Policy
- Consensus Conference on Nanotechnology
- Democs
- Foresight Institute
- Friends of the Earth Nanotechnology Project
- Hyle
- International Council on Nanotechnology
- International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health
- Nanoforum
- Nanologues
- Nanoscale Undergraduate Education Program
- Nanotechnology Engagement Group (Involve)
- National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering
- National Citizens' Technology Forum
- Popular Culture
- Public Attitudes Toward Nanotechnology
- Public Engagement
- Public Understanding of Nanotechnology
- Public Value Mapping
- Public Values
- Public Well-Being
- Science Cafés
- Environment and Risk
- “Grey Goo” Scenario
- Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
- Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK)
- Desalinization
- Environment Canada
- Environmental Benefits
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Environmental Ethics/Philosophy and Nanotechnology
- Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.)
- Ethics and Risk Analysis
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Germany)
- Green Nanotechnology
- Health and Environmental Risks (Netherlands)
- Human Enhancement, Biological Risks
- International Risk Governance Council
- International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health
- Magic Nano
- Ministry of Environment (South Korea)
- Nano Risk Framework
- Nanomedicine, Toxicity Issues of
- Nanophotovoltaics
- Nanotech Environmental, Health, and Safety Roadmap
- Nanotoxicology
- Nanoweapons, Ethical Issues of
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (U.S.)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (U.S.)
- Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement (U.S.)
- Risk Amplification
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Attenuation
- Risk Communication
- Risk Governance
- Risk Management
- Risk-Benefit Perceptions of Nanotechnology
- Water Purification
- Ethics and Values
- Access
- Bioethics
- Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (Australia)
- Centre for Bioethics and Public Policy
- Codes of Conduct, Corporate
- Codes of Conduct, Professional
- Environmental Ethics/Philosophy and Nanotechnology
- Equity
- Ethics and Risk Analysis
- Human Enhancement, Biological Risks
- Journal of Lutheran Ethics
- Nano-Ethics
- NanoEthics
- Nanoethics Group
- NanoEthics Network
- NanoEthicsBank
- Nanomedicine, Ethical Issues of
- Nanoscientists as Moral Agents
- Nanoweapons, Ethical Issues of
- Neuroethics
- Privacy
- Public Attitudes Toward Nanotechnology
- Public Engagement
- Public Value Mapping
- Public Values
- Security
- Speculative Ethics
- United Nations Millennium Development Goals
- Geographies and Distribution
- Argentina
- Australia
- Berkeley, California, Local Regulatory Efforts
- Brazil
- California
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, Local Regulatory Efforts
- Canada
- China
- European Union
- France
- Geopolitical Implications
- Germany
- Global Value Chains
- Globalization
- Grenoble
- India
- Indigenous Nanotechnology
- International Development
- iPod Nano
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Nanodistricts
- Nanoenabled Products in Commerce
- Nanogate (Tribological Coating for Automobiles)
- Nanotechnology Foundation of Texas
- Nanotechnology Victoria
- Netherlands
- New York
- Regulation (Europe)
- Regulation (U.S.)
- Russia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Trade Secrets and Nanotechnology
- United Kingdom
- United Nations Millennium Development Goals
- United States
- Governance
- 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003
- Anticipatory Governance
- Arms Control
- Berkeley, California, Local Regulatory Efforts
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, Local Regulatory Efforts
- Center for Nanotechnology in Society (ASU)
- Center for Nanotechnology in Society (UCSB)
- Center on Nanotechnology and Society (Kent School of Law)
- Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK)
- Department of Agriculture (U.S.)
- Department of Defense (U.S.)
- Department of Energy (U.S.)
- Department of Health (UK)
- Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.)
- Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Germany)
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany)
- Food and Consumer Goods Authority (Netherlands)
- Food and Drug Administration (U.S.)
- German Research Foundation
- Governance
- Intellectual Property Rights
- International Council on Nanotechnology
- Iran Nanotechnology Policy Studies Committee
- Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congressional
- Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency
- Law
- Ministry of Defence (UK)
- Ministry of Environment (South Korea)
- Ministry of Science and Technology (Brazil)
- Ministry of Science and Technology (South Korea)
- Monash Centre for Regulatory Studies
- Moratorium
- Nanotechnology Law and Business
- Nanotechnology Promotion Act of 2002 (South Korea)
- Nanotechnology Safety for Success Dialogue (Food Industry)
- National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
- National Cancer Institute (U.S.)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U.S.)
- National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Development Plan (South Korea)
- National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Initiative (U.S.)
- National Program of Nanotechnology (Brazil)
- National Research Council (Brazil)
- National Research Council (Canada)
- National Science Foundation (U.S.)
- National Toxicology Program (U.S.)
- Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (Canada)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (U.S.)
- Reflexive Governance
- Regulation (Europe)
- Regulation (U.S.)
- Risk Governance
- Sixth Framework Programme
- Technological Determinism
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)
- Toxic Substances Control Act and Nanotechnology
- Woodrow Wilson International Center
- History and Philosophy
- “Nano Culture”
- Bainbridge, William
- Control
- Converging Technologies
- Drexler, K. Eric
- Emergence
- Engines of Creation
- Feynman, Richard
- Future
- Historical Examples of Nanomaterials
- History-in-the-Making
- IBM
- Indigenous Nanotechnology
- Joy, Bill
- Kabbalah
- Kroto, Sir Harry
- Kurzweil, Ray
- L5 Society
- Nanophilosophy
- Nordmann, Alfred
- Novelty
- Roco, Mihail
- Smalley, Richard
- Taniguchi, Norio
- Transhumanism
- Integration and Interdisciplinarity
- Nanotechnology Companies
- Nanotechnology Organizations
- Asia Pacific Nanotechnology Forum
- Australia Nanobusiness Forum
- Australian Office of Nanotechnology
- Australian Research Council Nanotechnology Network
- Canadian NanoBusiness Alliance
- Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology
- Center for Nanotechnology in Society (ASU)
- Center for Nanotechnology in Society (UCSB)
- Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
- Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology
- Center on Nanotechnology and Society (Kent School of Law)
- Commission for Atomic Energy (France)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization
- Community Research and Development Information Service
- Foresight Institute
- Friends of the Earth Nanotechnology Project
- International Council on Nanotechnology
- International Nanotechnology and Society Network
- International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health
- Iran Nanotechnology Policy Studies Committee
- Latin American Nanotechnology and Society Network (Mexico)
- Nanobase
- Nanoparticle Occupational Safety and Health Consortium
- Nanotechnology Business Alliance
- Nanotechnology Engagement Group (Involve)
- Nanotechnology Enterprise
- Nanotechnology Foundation of Texas
- Nanotechnology Group
- Nanotechnology Industries Association
- Nanotechnology Institute (ASME)
- Nanotechnology Issues Dialogue Group (UK)
- Nanotechnology Safety for Success Dialogue (Food Industry)
- NanoTrust Project (Austria)
- National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (U.S.)
- National Nanotechnology Initiative (U.S.)
- National Program of Nanotechnology (Brazil)
- National Science Foundation (U.S.)
- Society for Nanoscience and Technology
- VISION Online
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