Nanotechnology and Homeland Security: New Weapons for New Wars

Chapter 5. Environmental and Economic Aspects of Nanoscience

	“Nature never did betray the heart that loved her”
	--William Wordsworth

It is important to remember that both security and nanotechnology are complex subjects. The threats to societal security come in many guises, from something as simple (if frightening) as a bomb attack on an office building to more subtle means such as disseminating computer viruses or electronic disinformation or tampering with drug packaging and distribution.

Security concerns go well beyond those associated with terrorism, ranging from new diseases like AIDS, SARS, and Ebola to the tremendous challenges associated with climate change, energy supplies, and global warming. Nanotechnology can be of great value in ...