In the early 1800s, groups of English workers wrecked machines that they felt threatened their jobs. (46){{U}} They were called "Luddites" after one of their leaders, a term that is now used for anyone who puts up resistance to new technologies. (47) The odd thing about nanotechnology's Luddites is that they have started resisting before the technology has really established itself. {{/U}}
As people start to buy products involving nanotechnology, from odour-resistant shirts to window glass that repels dirt, they will realise that many of these new things are useful and harmless. And as awareness of nanotechnology grows, they will begin to understand that it covers a range of different ways of doing things, some of which carry some risk and others do not. As a result, the technology's detractors will probably become more nuanced in their complaints.
Nanotechnology has the potential to cause an industrial upheaval, just as electricity did in its time. (48) {{U}}Like electricity, though, it has so many and such diverse applications that it is unlikely to arrive in one huge wave, as nanotechnology's critics fear. {{/U}}Instead, there will be a series of smaller waves. (49) {{U}}Many of the innovations the technology may bring are a long way off, leaving plenty of time to prepare. {{/U}}
Nanotechnology, like any new discovery, offers both risks and rewards. There will undoubtedly be some need to control its exploitation to minimize the risks, but there are also strong arguments for allowing the unfettered pursuit of knowledge, without it, innovation cannot flourish.
Twenty years ago, nobody could have foreseen that the invention of a new microscope would launch a remarkable new technology, perhaps a revolution. (50) {{U}}Scientists should be allowed to work with as little hindrance as possible to gain a better understanding of the object of their study-however large or small. {{/U}}