Nanotechnology and Science Policies.
In the emerging field of nanotechnology the importance of social policies is extremely important. It governs whether or not we could adequately improve the lives of many or deal harm.
What is social science through the lenses of nanotechnology?
It is the study of social impacts of the emerging field of nanotechnology such as the use of scarce resources and what policies could do to assist in the development of nanotechnology.
This nanotechnology section will be based on critical and conflict minerals and what are the social implications of such situation.
Critical and Conflict Materials
Niobium is a rare earth material found in mainly Brazil, Canada and Australia. It is used as a superconductor for Quantum computers and other nanotech devices. Quantum computers are super computers that could process multiple problems at once instead of a single problem at a time like classical computers.
In order to make such computers, companies from around the world must work together in the most efficient manner. Starting from the raw resources that are being mined (This is known as primary production). Then it will later be processed and manufactured into chips and parts that will be used in the construction of the final product (This is processing process is known as the secondary production). The final part will be using these secondary production parts to be constructed into the final product, for example assembling the parts into the Quantum Computer (This is known as tertiary production).
Here’s an example where Niobium may be used: With the recent development of Artificial intelligence the need for a stronger and more powerful computer to process information that will lead to self-learning capabilities has never been greater. Just imagine having a computer system at home that will learn everything that you’ve taught them in an instant while giving you the most optimal answer and option like Iron man’s computer system Jarvis.
Unfortunately Niobium can only be found in mainly 3 countries and 88% of Niobium comes from only 2 mines in Brazil. What could be the potential issues of using such rare and scarce material?
Activity 1.
Resource Reliability Examination – Split into groups of 4
Primary production countries are in RED – These are raw materials such as Niobium ores.
Secondary production countries are in BLUE – These are processed Niobium goods such as Computer parts (Transistors, conductors etc.)
Tertiary production countries are in GREEN – These are the final products such as Quantum computers.
Firstly we will examine the reliability of the secondary production chain for Niobium. In order to examine this you are required to count how many countries are there that Niobium are being exported to. Fill it in this Box (Some examples has been done)
Remember: Secondary production chain are the Yellow Lines on the map!
Table 1.
Now you will have to examine the tertiary production lines now and insert the number and countries in which these tertiary production countries imports their materials from the secondary production countries (First example has been done for you).
Remember: Tertiary production chain are the Orange Lines on the map
Discussions:
Activity 2.
1. From the following tables could you see any country that is being too reliant on certain countries for the supply of Niobium or processed Niobium goods? If so, give reason as to why this is the case.
2. If Brazil stops producing Niobium due to the sudden closure of the 2 mines they have, what would happen to the other countries? Would all countries be affected equally? If not provide your reasoning.
3. Since Brazil produces 88% of the worlds Niobium what are the potential consequences of having so much Niobium in the hands of one country? Will there be a higher chance of conflict and corruption as a result? *Click the Brazil country and open the link to read about some potential consequences.
4. Scientists are often looking for materials with similar properties to the ones that are very scarce on planet Earth such as Niobium in the hopes of replacing them with a more readily source. What could the governments do in order to support this process?
Activity 2.
Listen to the video
1. Class Discussion Question
The cell phones and computers we are currently using contains minerals that are very scarce and only found in small parts of the world. These minerals sometimes fuel conflicts with rebel groups, who wishes to use these resources to fund their own agenda. What are some of the ways in which the government and we could do to stop this problem?
2. What are the potential problems that may arise if we stop obtaining resources from conflict areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Something to think about - Will the phones and computers be just as accessible to people? Who are all the stakeholders if we stop obtaining resources from these areas?
References:
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-14392015000100106
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-largest-producers-of-niobium.html
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/22/age-of-quantum-computing-d-wave