NANOTECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY AND NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

Nanotechnology is defined as one of the most important technologies of the 21st Century. The ability of technology to deliver possibilities far beyond the known borders so far has led the debates to be multi-faceted between hopes and concerns from obscurity. Scientific success stories of mankind that take centuries on any subject now take place in the processes expressed in hours. There are always new revolutionary results that make all of the stories written so far trivial. We have to rethink the words impossible and imagination" and now dreams do not seem so far from being real. With the "nano" phase of technology, the developments that will make a significant impact on every detail of our social life. We expect nanotechnology to be a paradigm shift in technology. As such, by fundamentally changing what is possible on offensive and defensive matters, nanotechnology has the potential to either cause harm or provide strategic advantage to a nation based on its level of readiness. Similarly, with the social media revolution, we have seen a lagged impact on social fabric through the impact of a new technology. We are recently noticing of these changes could be weaponized. Thus, such long term sociological impacts must also be considered.