The Press: Nanotechnology focus of festival

Paul Gorman writes in The Press about the month-long festival – dedicated to all things nanotechnological – which is about to begin in Christchurch.

The festival will feature work by artists, scientists and a playwright, as well as various public lectures and interviews.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Canterbury University physicist and nanotechnologist Associate Professor Simon Brown said many people were perplexed by nanotechnology and the role New Zealand was playing in its development.

“”This is an attempt to allow the public to find out more and make up their own minds about all this stuff,” Brown said.

“”On one hand, you have an incredible amount of cool science happening, with huge potential for countries like New Zealand to genuinely become knowledge economies. But, on the other hand, there are legitimate concerns about a lot of the nanoproducts coming out; people in intimate contact with nanoparticles whose properties are not known in sunscreens, cosmetics, toothbrushes to washing machines, dressings.””