Public Well-Being

A variety of terms are used to describe the quality of life in a community or society. Some terms refer to the prosperity of a community, others to its general happiness as a psychological standard, or to the environmental health of a community, while other terms seek to measure factors that may be indicative of a public well-being. All of these are part of measures, often somewhat subjective, that are used by politicians and others to describe the general well-being of people in an organization, a small community, or a wider society.

The term welfare is used in relation to a community not only to refer to public support for those in an indigent or needy situation in life, but to the general prosperity of that community. As a consequence, public welfare would encompass all of the things that a government or private agency could do to improve the quality of life in a community. For example, business investments could provide jobs, and government could [Page 646]provide support of schools, hospitals, infrastructure or economic development. Developing the social welfare of a community enriches it; as a result civic groups, religious communities and organizations, sports clubs and other social organizations contribute to the well-being of a community and make it a richer place to live.

Nanoscale science and the nanotechnologies it produces are anticipated by many researchers and their supporters as a field of research that will greatly increase the public's well-being. The anticipated returns from nanoscience investments are expected to bring vast economic changes because there will be so many new products and processes that the current economy will be transformed. The anticipated impact is expected to be very significant in those communities where new, high-paying jobs will be created to advance nanoscale science and technology development. New positions will also be created to produce the nanoproducts. The expected economic prosperity is hoped to be of such significance that it will transform many communities with the wealth that is generated.

Nanoscale scientific research is growing and requires a well-educated workforce. It also will require specialized factories to build the research facilities, and the equipment needed. If a community is able to secure production facilities or a research center, it would increase the public well-being. Moreover, if the income of a community benefiting from nanoscience or nanotechnology increases, tax revenues and private investment revenue will stream into the social structure of the community, increasing its quality of life. It is similar to a community that wants to attract a college or university in its town or community because of the income generated, and because of the sociocultural improvement that result from having people in the theater, artists, writers, and other talented people in the community.

Among the expected benefits of nanotechnology is an improvement in human health. To reduce the number of people suffering from chronic illnesses or modify the problems of the aged would increase the public well-being by reducing the cost of healthcare and by giving enabling people to live longer, healthier lives.

Historically many new scientific advances have been opposed for cultural, social, economic, ideological, racial, moral, or religious reasons. These reasons may have seemed justified, but the subsequent advances in scientific understanding were in many cases won only after hard battles. These struggles have more often than not pitted scientists against one another, waging intellectual battle with theories that were in conflict. At other times, opposition has arisen against new scientific theories for economic or political reasons. The historic smallpox inoculation controversy in which the Reverend Cotton Mather supported inoculation in the face of serious public opposition is one of many such historic examples.

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