Media Release
A free public forum to discuss issues about nanotechnology will be held at the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel in Hobart on the evening of Tuesday 3 June, providing an opportunity to hear varying expert opinions and to ask questions about nanotechnology.
The forum is part of a series being held around Australia to assist members of the public gain a better understanding of advances in nanoscience and encourage community dialogue about issues concerning nanotechnology.
Questions raised to date have included, what is nanotechnology and is it safe? Should we spend more money researching this area of science? How do we measure nano particles when we cannot see them with the naked eye?
The panel of experts will also look at possible social impacts of nanotechnology and how the public can get involved in science policy development. The panellists include:
Professor Paul Mulvaney, an Australian Research Council (ARC) Federation Fellow and Professor of Chemistry at Melbourne University's School of Chemistry and at the Bio21 Institute. He will provide an introduction to uses of nanotechnology and talk on the unusual properties of nanoscale crystals and the way materials change colour and their electrical properties.
Dr Dong Yang Wu is a Science Director for the Niche Manufacturing Flagship at CSIRO. With her team of 40 scientists, she investigates various industry applications for nanotechnology.
Ms Georgia Miller is the Nanotechnology Project Coordinator from Friends of the Earth. She has an Honours degree in Environmental Science. She will talk about the need to support greater public involvement in science policy development and to make technology more responsive to social needs.
The free forum is sponsored by the Australian Office of Nanotechnology (AON) within the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR).
Editorial details for news editors
The forum is to be held on Tuesday 3 June from 6pm-8pm. Free refreshments are available at 5.30pm. The venue for the forum is the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel which is located at 1 Macquarie Street, Hobart.
Entry is free and all members of the public are welcome.
For comments on the public forum, please contact the DIISR Spokesperson:
Ms Tess McDonald, General Manager, Enabling Technologies Branch,
Innovation Division, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
Telephone: 02 6276 1272 or mobile 0409 699 056.
In Hobart on 2 and 3 June for interviews with speakers and details on the forum, contact:
Fiona Childs, Nanotechnology Communications, AON on mobile 0420 961 487.