Resumo

WICKSON, Fern. Gobernanza nanotecnológica: por qué no podemos confiar en evaluaciones de riesgo científicas. Mundo nano [online]. 2011, vol.4, n.1, pp.33-56.  Epub 06-Set-2021. ISSN 2448-5691.  https://doi.org/10.22201/ceiich.24485691e.2011.1.50988.

The discourse of risk dominates modern industrialized societies and is particularly prominent in discussions relating to the acceptability of new technologies. For responsible technological advance, the typical call is for decision-making based on a ‘sound scientific assessment of risk’. Despite the serious limitations in our ability to understand and predict the potential impacts of emerging nanotechnologies, the discourse of risk continues to dominate public and political discussions on the development and regulation of this new field of research. In this article, I will: 1) describe some of the critical social science literature on risk analysis as a decision-aiding tool; 2) outline the emerging scientific research on risks associated with nanotechnologies, including the sea of uncertainty that surrounds this work, 3) highlight how the discourse of risk narrows the frame of discussion about the desirability of technological developments and, 4) point to some of the alternative decision-aiding tools that could begin to push discussions about nanotechnologies beyond a sole focus on the narrow discourse of risk.

Palavras-chave : risk; nanotechnology; analysis; science; technology.

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