Due to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the anthrax letters of a few weeks later, the concept of dual use has spread widely in the life sciences during the past decade. This article is aimed at a clarification of the dual use concept and its scope of application for the life sciences. Such a clarification would greatly facilitate the work of policymakers seeking to ensure security while avoiding undesirable interventions of government in the conduct of science. The article starts with an overview of the main developments in life sciences in relation to dual use. This is illustrated by discussions on synthetic biology and dual use. The findings lead to a reconsideration of the dual use concept. An area in need of further attention is to what extent threats and intentions should have impact on the definition of dual use. Possible threats are analyzed against the background of the phenomenon of securitization of health care and life sciences: considering these sectors of society in security terms. Some caveats that should be taken into account in a dual use policy are described. An acceptable, adequate and applicable definition of the dual use concept could help researchers, universities, companies and policy makers. Such a definition should build upon, but go beyond, the view developed in the influential Fink-report, which concentrates on the so-called ‘experiments of concern’, e.g. experiments that enhance the virulence of pathogens (National Research Council of the National Academies 2004) It will be argued that—in addition to these more technical aspects—a definition of dual use should include the aspect of threats and intentions.
No abstract
Koos van der BruggenJürgen Altmann, Military Nanotechnology. Potential Applications and Preventive Arms Control. Routledge London/New York 2006.Most technologies have their roots in civil technical universities and in research laboratories of private enterprises. But in history there is hardly any technology that has not been used -or abused -for military purposes. A well-known example is nuclear technology. The discoveries of Einstein and others in the first half of the twentieth century were applied to develop the atomic bomb. Robert Oppenheimer and other famous physicists were involved in this socalled Manhattan-project. The main reason for their participation was the fear that Nazi-Germany would develop its own nuclear weapon.After the Second World War the world became divided during the Cold War, which would last for more than 40 years. One of the consequences was an arms race between the United States with its allies and the Soviet Union with its allies. Scientists and engineers played a major role in this arms race. All kinds of technical and scientific research was not only -and often not even in the first place -directed at civil use, but also at its military value. Nuclear technology, biotechnology, information technology: military or military relevant (dual-use) applications were prominent on the agenda.The end of the Cold War was not the end of this military involvement in research and development. That is clearly shown by Jurgen Altmann in his book Military Nanotechnology. Potential Applications and Preventive Arms Control. Since the 1980s, but with considerably more promises and results in the 1990s and in this first decade of the twenty-first century nanotechnology has become a new focus of scientific and technological research. Altmann gives a short description of this early history and of the promises and risks of this "next industrial revolution." Almost from the start it was realized that nanotechnology (NT) could have far reaching consequences for warfare and the armed forces. Well-known authors on NT as Drexler and Joy have paid attention to possible military applications of NT. During the first workshop of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) on societal implications of NT seven possible applications for "national defence" are given: continued information dominance through advanced electronics; more sophisticated virtual reality systems; increased use of enhanced automation and robotics; higher performance (lighter weight, higher strength) in military platforms; improvements in chemical, biological and/or nuclear sensing; design improvement for nuclear non proliferation monitoring; combined nano-and micromechanical devices for control of nuclear defence systems.The possible applications are very divergent. For anyone who knows a bit of nanotechnology this should not come as a surprise. As Altmann writes: when working at the nanometre scale "the borders between the disciplines physics, chemistry, biology vanish, including their sub-, intermediate and applied fields." Nanoethics (2007)...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.