Dr. Silver,
There are very important decisions to be made concerning the uses of the discoveries being made in the relatively new field of nanotechnology and involving the safety of individuals and the environment.
Should ordinary citizens be informed on nanotechnology and given encouragement and opportunity for input into the decisiion making process? Or would it be better to leave these decisions to the scientists, industrialists, and government experts?

Dr. Silver / Phung ,

Will the fact that properties of elements on the Nanoscale
are different from the properties of those same elements on the Macroscale effect antimicrobials ?

Thank you,
G. E. Seaman
Madison

What the heck is nanotechnology anyway?

What is a buckyball? What is a quantum dot? What is nanosilver?

What are beta-peptides? How are they made? What do they do? Are they in any products? Will they be in any products in the future, and if so, what kinds?

Why is there a train on the flyer? Why is there a baby on the flyer? Why is there a washing machine on the flyer?

I can repeat the information that particles on the nanoscale are "more reactive" but I don't really understand what that means. I don't know how to explain that to somebody else. Why is it bad that the smaller size makes particles more reactive? How would this cause trouble in our bodies if we ingest nano sized antimicrobials? Should we completely avoid them or what? Thank you for helping us understand.