Neuroscience research has been expanding, providing new insights into brain and nervous system function and potentially transformative technological applications. In recent years, there has been a flurry of prominent international scientific academies and intergovernmental organizations calling for engagement with different publics on social, ethical, and regulatory issues related to neuroscience and neurotechnology advances. Neuroscientific activities and outputs are value-laden; they reflect the cultural, ethical, and political values that are prioritized in different societies at a given time and impact a variety of publics beyond the laboratory. The focus on engagement in neuroscience recognizes the breadth and significance of current neuroscience research whilst acknowledging the need for a neuroethical approach that explores the epistemic and moral values influencing the neuroscientific agenda. The field of neuroethics is characterized by its focus on the social, legal, and philosophical implications of neuroscience including its impact on cultural assumptions about the cognitive experience, identity, consciousness, and decision-making. Here, we outline a proposal for neuroethics engagement that reflects an enhanced and evolving understanding of public engagement with neuroethical issues to create opportunities to share ideation, decision-making, and collaboration in neuroscience endeavors for the benefit of society. We demonstrate the synergies between public engagement and neuroethics scholarship and activities that can guide neuroethics engagement.
To many Americans, nanotechnology remains a science of the future; most are unaware that nanoscale science is already being incorporated into products they use in their everyday lives. Informal learning environments are an ideal venue in which to not only educate the public about current applications of nanotechnology but also engage them in a discussion of its impacts. Developed through a partnership between two NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers at Penn State and Cornell Universities and The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the “Small Wonders: Find the Nano in Your Life” program has been distributed to 20 science and children's museums around the United States. This cart-based program includes interactive demonstrations of commercially available products that use nanoscale technology, including sunblock, nanosilver food containers, and nanoiron for environmental remediation. Macroscale models enable visitors to understand the underlying science, while real products allow visitors to explore the hope, hype, and reality of each. Here, we discuss the educational goals of the program, our approach to presenting questions of both science and policy, and methods and results of visitor evaluation. This third collaborative project continues to build on a model of program development and distribution that has been highly successful at reaching a broad audience.
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