Perhaps the weekend trip to Paris left me in a more philosophical mood, but I’ll be spending this weekend at an Experimental Deliberative Forum in Harrogate. Led by the Universities of Durham and Coimbra, the DEEPEN project “seeks to implement forms of collaborative design of new spaces of ethical deliberation where citizens, stakeholders, experts and decision?makers can meet, debate and …
Technology or Simplicity?
In a change from the usual run of nanotech and investing conferences, I’ll be at the “Ideas For A Greener Living” exhibition at Olympia (London) on 18th April. I’m taking part in a debate with ‘eco expert’ Penney Poyzer, organised by the 21st Century Technology Network. At the core of this is whether we should rely on technology to try …
Good Riddance to Bad Science
I enjoyed Rick Weiss’”Good Riddance” piece directed at the outgoing US administration, and it probably echoes the views of many US based researchers. Good riddance to the lies, the deception, the White House-edited pseudoscience reports. Good riddance to the stacked science advisory committees, the faux peer-review of proposed regulations, the junkyard claims of “junk science.” Good riddance to the scientist …
The First and Last Nanotech Conference
Usually I get a flurry of emails inviting me to IBF’s Nanotechnology Investing Forum in Palm Springs in February, but this year the wire was silent. Perhaps, I thought, because of the talk I gave last year which didn’t go down too well with the assembled nanotech VCs. I was at the first one in 2002 and now it appears …
UK Nanotech – Missing in Action?
Further to my recent post wondering what was going wrong (if anything) with the UK’s nanotechnology sector, the UK Nanoforum conference was recently announced, a conference “with a focus on trade, investment and collaborations.” Perhaps I’m being uncharitable here, but I don’t see too much evidence of either nanotechnology or business here. Ionscope are a great little company working on …
Drexlerians and Saudi Arabia’s Nanotech
One of the presumed characteristics of those who are adherents to molecular nanotechnology (MNT) as proposed by Eric Drexler is their ability to keep an open mind, while simultaneously pointing out that the rest of us are “too conservative” or “close-minded,” but their open-minded qualities seem to run aground when faced with the prospect of a Saudi Arabian nanotechnology initiative. …
Make Stuff, Sell Stuff, Do IPO!
The US nanotechnology industry, currently passing around its begging bowl on Capitol Hill should perhaps take a hint from Edward Cupoli, an economics professor at the State University of New York at “Albany’s College of Nanoscale,” who told reporters “Consumers are hungry for nano-size innovations. The market is driven primarily by young, tech-savvy consumers who demand more and more functionality …
Nanotech in the Desert, Six Years On
Earlier in the month I popped over to Palm Springs to visit IBFs Nanotech Investing Forum. Six years ago I gave a keynote speech at the first IBF Nanotechnology Investing Forum in which I gave my vision for the future of nanotechnology. My message was simple, “there is not, and there never will be a nanotechnology industry.” This was very …
Nanotech and Fashion?
There have been a number of nanotech and textiles conferences recently, but mainly focusing on the technical end of the textile industry, although the fashion end of things gets the occasional look in such as last years anti bacterial smog proof dress. However, as London is one of the world’s creative hubs for the fashion industry, and even has a …
Where does technology end and fashion begin?
In one of the more intriguing conference programs Cientifica has been involved with, we have joined forces with the London College of Fashion (LCF) on a conference that discusses nanotechnology’s impact on the fashion industry: Micro and Nanotechnologies for Fashion and Textiles to be held at LCF on January 24th. What does nanotechnology have to do with fashion, you ask. …