Nanotechnology has always been burdened with a bit of an identity crisis. Scientists, pundits and everyone in between are constantlyoffering up definitions for the term. This blur of definitions often leads to confusion, and worse inflating peoples expectations of what nanotechnology can deliver.

One possible example of this disconnect between nanotechnology and its expectations is the recent bankruptcy of A123 Systems. One cant help but think that the stalwart support the company received over the years from investorsraising more than $1 billion from private investors, despite never turning a profitwas in part due to a blind trust that the magic of nanotechnology would somehow save the day.

How is it that nanotechnology has been transformed into this seemingly magic vehicle for technological innovation for everything from curing cancer to enabling electric vehicles? To understand it, we need to take a step back and move beyond mere definitions of nanotechnology and instead reach some deeper understanding of how weve become so flummoxed in defining it.

Photo: University of Nottingham

Richard Jones of Sheffield University (center) with Professor Chris Rudd of the University of Nottingham (Left) and guests

To our rescue is Professor Richard Jones, who in addition to being a noted scientist is an eloquent commentator on nanotechnology, addressing here in the pages of Spectrum the role of nanotechnology in achieving the Singularity.

In Jones' contribution to a new book: Quantum Engagements: Social Reflections of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies in a chapter entitled What has nanotechnology taught us about contemporary technoscience? he suggests that nanotechnology has come to have its peculiar status through a combination of political and cultural forces along with only a smattering of science.

Jones examines the etymology of the term "nanotechnology," and shows how it came to prominence outside of the scientific community. And when he turns his lens on the science of nanotechnology, he finds that it is such a smorgasbord of different scientific disciplines its hard to see how any of it can really be related, never mind form the foundation of a scientific field. Here are some, if not all, the disciplines Jones explains fit under the nanotechnology umbrella:

Jones argues that nanotechnology has not done anything to bring these fields together, nor is there any indication that they are about to merge into one, broad field known as nanotechnology. However, the wide disparity between the many disciplines could explain why tensions appear between the visions of nanotechnology proposed by different high status academic champions, and disparities are apparent between these visions and the nature of actual products which are claimed to use nanotechnology.

The innovation infrastructure that has been built up around nanotechnology also has fueled some of nanotechnologys unusual characteristics. Jones carefully goes through how the funding mechanisms have changed over the last 30 years and how corporate structuresthrough the breakup of monopolies (like AT&T)have resulted in the great corporate laboratories of the post-WWII era being diminished to mere shadows of their former selves.

More:

Nanotechnology As Socio-Political Project