Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay Amy Tans Two Kinds is a short story about the relationship between a Chinese-American mother and her American daughter. Two Kinds is a chapter from Tans book, The Joy Luck Club, which is made up of sixteen stories about Tan growing up in America with a mother from ancient Chinese customs (Tan, 189). In this chapter, Tan describes her childhood not with emphasis on cultural differences, but as a girl trying to find herself all the while in constant conflict with her Chinese-American mothers desire for her to become extraordinary. Further research reveals to the reader that Daisy, Amy Tans mother, is her influence for writing. Daisy a child-survivor of Nanjing came to America in 1949 at the age of 18 leaving behind three daughters to escape communism and abuse (unknown, 2010). Daisy raised Tan as a Chinese mother with Chinese customs is expected to by using harsh words of warning to motivate greatness. Tans exposition of the story appears in the beginning with you could phrases that introduce the reader to the mother. You could open a restaurant. You could become instantly famous. You can be best anything (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 336). The reader is intrigued in the first three paragraphs as it is clear this mother, the static character throughout this story, expects no less than excellence. The first person narrator is the dynamic character of this story, Jing-mei. She is also the protagonist in an ongoing struggle for independence with her mother who is the antagonist. Jing-mei struggles to find who she is. At first, she convinces herself that if she hurries, she can fulfill her mothers expectations and would soon become perfect (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 336). However, the child-narrator in her coming-of-age attitude sets the tone for the battle-of-wills when she thinks the mother is beginning to give up hope (337). Jing-mei continues this battle determined not to try (p. 338) and determined to put a stop to her foolish pride (p. 339). The mother-daughter climatic moment occurs when Jing-mei selfishly yells You want me to be someone that Im not (p. 339). Tan allows the mother to invoke her position in the relationship with her reply of Only two kinds of daughters. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this hou se. Obedient daughter (p.339). Tan increases the mother-daughter conflict using dramatic visualization as Jing-mei repeatedly defies the mothers with the use of words like disappointed, failed expectations, I had been sent to hell and I wish I were dead (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, pp. pp. 337-339). The mothers comments to her daughter because you not trying (p. 337) and only ask you be your best (p. 337) poses a dilemma for the reader of whether to feel sympathy for the mother or daughter. What the daughter perceives as being an unsatisfied and disappointed mother is Tans use of situational irony. It is not until the end of this short story that the daughter realizes that her mother was not controlling or demanding for the sake of Chinese custom, but was only exhibiting a mothers enduring hope that her daughter would be someone great. Tan affirms this near the end as the mother reminds her thirty year-old daughter you could been genius if you want to (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 340). The pivotal moment of the story occurs in the last paragraph as the daughter for the first time notices the music pieces she rehearsed as a child (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 340). Tan dramatizes the irony further when Jing-mei, after the death of her mother, notices the two songs on the piano, Pleading Child (p. 340) and Perfectly Contented (p. 340) that are symbolic of the daughters growth from a child to an adult. She realizes the pieces were two halves of the same song (p. 340) just as she and her mother were. As the mothers character was seemingly over-bearing, she and her mother wanted the same thing; both wanted the best in life for Jing-mei. Tans chronological organization of the story allowed the reader to see the conflicts emerge and resolve as Jing-mei grew into an adult. This story was not about the cultural differences between Chinese and Americans as one might expect, but more about a mother-daughter relationship. Tan writes because it is about the meaning of my life (Tan, NEA Big Read: Meet Amy Tan, 2010). When we read this story as a chapter in The Joy Luck Club, Two Kinds completes Tans collection of stories that are about hope and the way she looked at the world (2010). I liked this story because I connected with Jing-mei at first and felt sorry for her. However, half way through the story, I began to feel sad for the mother after Jing-mei began behaving selfishly and defiantly by not trying. As short as the story was, it created a momentary emotional struggle for me. At first I could not understand why the mother would force a child into extracurricular activities of which she had no interest. I thought perhaps the mother, given Amy Tans real mothers tragic history, was living vicariously through her daughter. Later, as a mother of three daughters, I began to see why the mother was trying to convince her child to do something great. It was because she wanted her daughter to be no less than perfect. The story did not change my perspective on mother-daughter relationships because all mothers raising daughters have unique coming-of-age stories. I did stop and reflect upon my own mother and my childhood with her as we had our growing pains. I was adopt ed and my mother was very much like Amy Tans trying to make every perfect. Tan writes brilliantly with passion and I am a newly committed fan. I would not change a thing in this story.

The Outline Of Cloud Computing Information Technology Essay

The Outline Of Cloud Computing Information Technology Essay Cloud computing is something where Internet is commonly visualized as clouds with computation being done through the Internet. Database resources can be accessed via Internet from anywhere without the need to worry about maintenance or management of actual resources. Data of multiple customers is stored at one common location. Cloud computing should have proper techniques for proper segregation of data to ensure data security and confidentiality. Security measures are needed to make sure that data of one customer does not affect another customers data. Providers of cloud computing must be equipped with proper disaster recovery policies. Key terms Saas, Iaas, Paas, SOA, Grid Computing, Resource sharing, Web2.0 Introduction In the recent years, cloud computing has grown from being a promising business concept to one of the fastest growing segments of the IT industry. But as more and more information on individuals and companies is placed on cloud, we need to consider how safe an environment is. Cloud computing is an independent platform in terms of computing. The best example of cloud computing is Google Apps where any application can be accessed using a browser and can be deployed on thousands of computer through the Internet. Architecture Characteristics of cloud computing a) Dynamic computing infrastructure Foundation for the dynamic infrastructure is a standardized, scalable and secure physical infrastructure. Levels of redundancy must be implemented to ensure high levels of availability but is must be easy to extend as usage growth demands it without architecture rework. b) IT service centric approach Users of the cloud generally want to run some business service or application for a specific, timely purpose which means giving preference to quickly and easily accessing a dedicated instance of an application or service. c) Self service based usage model Self service provides users the ability to upload, build, deploy, schedule, manage and report on their business services on demand. d) Minimally or self managed platform For a service provider to efficiently provide a cloud for its constituents, they must leverage a technology platform that is self managed. e) Consumption based billing Cloud computing is usage driven. Consumers pay for only what resources they use and therefore are charged or billed on a consumption based model. Types of services The main services provided by cloud computing service model can basically be divided into three main categories namely Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provides virtual servers with unique IP addresses. Also, it provides blocks of storage on demand. Customers benefit from an API from which they can control and manage their servers. This service is also known as utility computing since the customers can pay for exactly the amount of service they use. It provides grids, clusters and virtualized servers, networks, storage and systems software designed to expand or substitute the functions of an entire data center. The best example of IaaS is Amazons Elastic Compute Cloud [EC2] and Simple Storage Service. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is a set of software and development tools that are hosted on the providers servers. Developers can create applications using the providers APIs. PaaS basically provides virtualized servers on which users can run existing applications or develop new ones without being worried about maintaining the operating systems, server hardware, load balancing or computing capacity. PaaS also allows a lot of scalability by design. Google Apps is one of the most famous Platform-as-a-Service providers. Other good examples include Microsofts Azure and Salesforces Force.com. The third type which is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) makes the broadest market. It is the most widely known and broadly used form of cloud computing. In this service, the providers allow the customers only to use their applications. The software through user interface interacts with the user. However, these applications are provided through a Web browser, and not by a locally-installed application. It reduces worries to a great extent about application servers, storage, application development and other common concerns of IT. Salesforce.com, Googles Gmail and Apps, instant messaging from AOL, Yahoo and Google, Twitter and VoIP from Vonage and Skype are some common examples of SaaS providers. Example of cloud architecture Amazon s3 cloud computing- The Amazon S3 provides a web service interface for the storage and retrieval of data in the cloud. Setting a maximum limits the number of objects that can be stored in S3. S3 uses the concept of buckets as containers for each storage location of objects. The data is stored securely using the same data storage infrastructure that Amazon uses for its e-commerce web sites. Security issues Securing confidential data is an important area of concern as unauthorized users may get access to it. Large organizations dealing with sensitive data have laid out regulatory compliance policies. Sometimes the network utilizes resources from another country or they might not be fully protected, hence the need for appropriate regulatory compliance policies. In cloud computing, it is very common to store data of multiple customers at one common location. Cloud computing should have proper techniques where data is segregated properly for data security and confidentiality. Breached security system Providers of Saas and Paas boast of robustness of systems claiming that security in cloud is tighter than in most enterprises. Risks involved The idea of multi tenancy and decoupling between specific hardware resources and applications exists at the heart of cloud infrastructure. Companies need to be vigilant. An important measure of security often overlooked by companies is how much downtime a cloud service provider experiences. Change in the software Companies need to know whether a software change might actually alter its security settings. Local law and jurisdiction Data that might be secure in one country may not be secure in another. Users of cloud do not know where their information is held. Incentives of CC It is ideal for a small firm that has to occasionally batch process a ton of calculations to produce a data product. It is cheaper and economies of scale make cloud computing more economical. Organizations and individuals can benefit from mass computing and storage provided by large companies with stable and strong cloud architectures. Companies that desire to build massive, scalable environments, utilizing virtualization and cloud computing will increase their future margin of success. It may be more environmental friendly. Reducing the number of hardware components needed to run applications on the companys internal data center and replacing them with cloud computing systems reduces energy for running and cooling hardware. By consolidating these systems in remote centers, they can be handled more efficiently as a group.

Leaving the Past Behind in Everyday Use Essay -- Everyday Use essays

Leaving the Past Behind in Everyday Use      Ã‚  Ã‚   Everyday Use by Alice Walker is a short story about how people get caught up in the superficial value of material things, and the jealousy this desire causes.   In this short story Dee, the eldest daughter, was always ashamed by the way she lived during her childhood years.   As she was educated more and more, her feelings of hatred for poverty and ignorance grew intensely.   After she finished college her abhorrent feelings grew immensely, and she tried to take advantage of those less educated than her.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dee always hated the way she lived when she was being raised by her mother.   Dee was obviously overjoyed when the house that she hated so much, was finally destroyed.   "A look of concentration on her face as she watched the last dingy gray board of the house fall in toward the red-hot brick chimney.   Why don't you do a dance around the ashes?   I'd wanted to ask her.   She hated the house that much."   The destruction of this symbol of poverty gave her a spark of hope that she and her family would move up in the world, that eventually snowballed into a much larger hatred.   She was always ashamed of her past and did everything in her power to improve her status.   Even when she was sixteen years old, her mother recalls the urge Dee had to improve everything she could.   Her mother said, "Dee wanted nice things.   A yellow organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school; black pumps to match a green suit she'd made form an old suit somebody gave me."   Even though she knew her family couldn't afford "nice things" she had a burning desire for them.   This desire made her take the time and effort to alter a suit her mother was given, into a nicer ... ...and her chin.   She was making a last ditch effort to try to make a distinction between her financial class and her mother's.   The fact that she hid her entire face behind a pair of dark shades, is symbolic of her trying to put a barrier between herself and her poor past.    Works Cited Cowart, David.   "Heritage and Deracination in Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" Studies in Short Fiction 33 (1996): 171-84. Hoel, Helga.   "Personal Names and Heritage:   Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use'." 2000. Trondheim Cathedral School, Trondheim, Norway.   30 Jan. 2000. Showalter, Elaine.   "Piecing and Writing."   The Poetics of Gender.   Nancy K. Miller, Ed. New York: Columbia UP, 1986.   222-47. Walker, Alice.   "Everyday Use."   Literature:   Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. 4th ed. Robert DiYanni, Ed.   New York:   McGraw Hill, 1998.   408-413.   

Cather in the Rye :: essays research papers

The Catcher and the Rye is a very controversial book even today. Many schools and libraries across the country have banned this book for various reasons. This paper will explore some of these reasons why this book is still causing debates among educators. To first understand why this book has caused so many debates we have to look at the time it was written in, the 1950’s. In the 1950’s the world was just recovering from the devastations of World War II, which ended five years ago. The United States emerged as a Super Power, the wealthiest nation and the American way of life envied throughout the Western world. This was a time when people were friendlier, more caring, and honest. People were not afraid to leave their homes without locking their doors. Neighbors were always there to help you for whatever reason and, families were close knit. They would have dinner each night, watch television, and do activities together. Children in this time were brought up to respect their elders, conform, and behave according to the their elder’s values. Most of them did so, although a growing spirit of rebellion and a new assertiveness of ideas and styles soon developed. The term â€Å"teenager† became widely used. Teena gers found their own taste in music and fashion. Girls were most likely found wearing clothes like people that they saw on television and the movies. Music had also changed. Teenagers were very fond of a new type of music known as Rock And Roll. Bill Haley and his band was just one group that caused a stir among the elders as to what was respectable, and banned Haley’s movie as well as his record from jukeboxes. This was the first measure that elders took to â€Å"save the children†, from destroying their values. However, the media with magazines, radio, television and the movies fueled the ideas of being a teenager. One popular song of this time was â€Å"All Shook Up† by Elvis Presley that seems to symbolize this time in history. (Stacy & Finkelstein) One author J.D. Salinger wrote his first novel during this time and added to the controversy by his writing style. Salinger chose to write his novel in the first person, told by a seventeen year old boy named Holden Claudfield. Throughout the novel, Holden uses foul language, discussed sexual matter, and rejects the traditional American ideas.

Analysis of A Black Birch in Winter :: Black Birch in Winter Essays

Analysis of A Black Birch in Winter This poem is extremely easy to understand if one understands the comparison being made. Although by saying that a tree may look old in the winter but it will appear reborn in the spring is what Wilbur is talking about, he is relating and comparing this to the life of an aging man. The poem states that "Old trees are doomed to annual rebirth, new wood, new life, new compass, and greater girth." This means that the tree will stretch and crack year after year to accommodate new growth. This resembles a rebirth of the tree each year, but also an aging process. The poem talks about the old tree and relates it to an aged man. "Or the trenched features of an aged man." It means that the tree is comparable to the aged man because it grows, stretches, and cracks as the years go by. The man grows older and becomes more wrinkled or "cracked," also. He will continue to get more wrinkled and cracked as the years go by. The tree can be looked upon as something not that fancy, like "mosaic columns in a church," along with the features of an aged man. The mosaic columns would appear to be big and old, probably scarred from weather and time, as a tree might look. As one looks and studies the old tree and its annual rebirth, one might notice that it is like a form of art. "And this is all their wisdom and their art, to grow, stretch, crack, and not yet come apart. The older trees get the stronger they usually get. When one looks at the cracks and features of the tree, one can notice how strong and wise the tree is by all the patterns and age marks on the tree. Rings are features that can tell how old a tree is. As the tree grows each year, and becomes stronger, the rings build themselves up around the old wood, which makes the tree bigger. There are some symbols in this poem that some critics of the psychological method use. Yonic and Phallic symbols are images that depict female and male images. Yonic symbols are concave symbols, which refer to females.

Argument Essay †Illegalize Alcohol Essay

Our country is facing a growing problem. It is a problem of moral decay. The legal and open use of alcohol is an unnecessary vice that is enjoyed and accepted by a majority of the United States population, unfortunately, it leads to social and moral downfalls. Alcohol should be held to the same standards as other illegal mind and body-altering substances, as alcohol is addicting and has no medical value. Lawmakers and active voters should put an outright ban on alcohol. The revenue that is generated from the manufacturing, distributing, and sales of alcohol is a major source of taxable income that is a benefit. As of 2007 the U. S. Government was collecting $5. 6 billion dollars annually from the taxation of alcohol (joshritchie). This revenue has tended to increase each and every year. Although the revenue is important, the question must be asked, is it moral? Is it moral for our government to profit off the sale of a frivolous vice that causes fatalities and creates addicts? The revenue that is made from the taxation of alcohol could be lost, and would simply increase our never-ending national debt by a miniscule amount. Through out history our country has faced several social epidemics that have resulted in many people becoming substance abusers. Though these times our government has stepped in and enforced laws to restore the moral and social fabric of the infected areas. The current epidemic that we are facing is the abuse of alcohol. It is widespread and available almost everywhere in our country. â€Å"According to the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) tool, from 2001–2005, there were approximately 79,000 deaths annually attributable to excessive alcohol use. † (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Beyond the number of the deaths that are related to alcohol every year, a staggering number of people in the United States are alcoholics. According to the National Library of Medicine, â€Å"nearly 17. 6 million adults in the United States are alcoholics or have alcohol problems†. (U. S. National Library of Medicine) We need to completely ban alcohol so that we can start working on decreasing the number of addicts in our country rather than encourage the use to every single person just as he or she turns a certain age. The United States government has already tried to ban alcohol in the past, it was a complete failure and subsequently repealed. This attempt resulted in a spike in organized crime and was an obvious failure. Eventually the government conceded and re-legalized the use of alcohol. I too will concede that it was a failure on the part of our government in enforcing the prohibition of alcohol. Even today we are fighting the exact same battle by the DEA with the Controlled Substances Act. There is already a long list of illegal substances that are given priorities and schedules and are subsequently enforced. It would not be a stretch to incorporate alcohol into this list of illegal drugs. Many would assert that it would be difficult to enforce the mere consumption and manufacturing of small amounts of alcohol by individuals in there own homes. It is a very simple process to either brew low alcohol content drinks or to distill higher alcohol content spirits. The enforcing of these laws would be similar to current laws of cannabis cultivation. These laws would seem just as hard to enforce, yet they are enforced. The manufacturing of homemade alcohol could be given the same fear of punishment and could be enforced on incident-to-incident bases. Alcohol has the tendency to increase the probability of someone committing a violent crime. If alcohol were banned and harder to get a hold of this number of crimes would greatly diminish. The National Center for Victims of Crime has referenced the U. S. Department of Justice concerning drug and alcohol related crimes. The report states, â€Å"The U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey asks the violent crime victims who reported seeing their offenders whether they perceived the offender to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to the 1999 survey, over a quarter of the violent crime victims could make such a determination. About twenty-eight percent (28%) of those reported that the offender was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The most common substance identified was alcohol alone. About sixteen percent (16%) reported that the offender was under the influence of alcohol alone (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001). † (The National Center for Victims of Crime) This only takes into account the victims that were able to see their offender; this means that there are possibly more unaccounted for alcohol related crimes. The legal and open use of alcohol as a vice is leading to the downfall of our society. It is creating addicts while not offering a single practical medical benefit. The United States Government has already invested time, money, and effort to enforcing its Controlled Substances Act. Alcohol should be held to the same standards as all other physically altering substances are held to. Alcohol poses the risk of dependence and has no beneficial medical value. In order to start the moral fabric of our country we need to do away with the crime inducing substance alcohol. Lawmakers and active voters, it is our duty to hold our selves to higher standards and completely abolish the manufacturing, sale, and use of alcohol. Works Cited â€Å"Alcoholism: MedlinePlus. † National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health. 25 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. . â€Å"CDC – Alcohol and Public Health Home Page – Alcohol. † Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. . â€Å"Drug Related Crime. † The National Center for Victims of Crime. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. . Joshritchie. â€Å"How Much Is the Government Making Off of Alcohol? | Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog. † Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog | It’s All about the Refund. 5 July 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2011.

When Small Means Big: The Impact of Nanotechnology

A revolution in science and technology, which will significantly impact our daily lives, is looming in the horizon. The scientific community is now excited by changes that could be brought about by the multidisciplinary discipline of nanoscience and nanotechnology, which is comprehensively defined asâ€Å"[r]esearch and technology development at the atomic, molecular, or macromolecular levels, in the length of approximately 1–100 nm range, to provide a fundamental understanding of phenomena and materials at the nanoscale, and to create and use structures, devices, and systems that have novel properties and functions because of their small size. The novel and differentiating properties and functions are developed at a critical length scale of matter typically under 100 nm.Nanotechnology research and development includes integration of nanoscale structure into larger material components, systems, and architectures. Within these larger scale assemblies, the control and construct ion of their structures and component devices remain at the nanoscale†. (National Research Council 2002, cited in Dreher 2004).Although technically encompassing any device measuring at least 1,000 nanometers—a nanometer (from Greek ‘nano’, meaning dwarf) is one-billionth of a meter (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004)—much of the work being done presently focuses on materials smaller than 100 nm (Gupta et al 2003) since it is at this level that materials exhibit unique physical and chemical properties that can be harvested to convey improvements to engineered materials (i.e. enhanced magnetic properties, better electrical and optical activity, and superior structural integrity) (Thomas & Sayre 2005).Ralph Merkle, as cited by Gupta et al (2003), noted that atomic configuration, to an extent, determines physical and chemical characteristics of materials, using as examples carbon in diamond, or silica from sand. From this perspect ive, the manufacturing techniques we are using today appear crude since we are moving molecules by heaps and mounds, and, therefore, are manufacturing devices that could still be improved for accuracy and precision (Gupta et al 2003). Nanotechnology, according to Gupta et al, aims to explore and exploit the possibility of designing at the molecular and atomic levels, and producing a generation of novel products that boast of greater strength, lighter weight and better precision (2003).Technically nanotechnology is not something new. Ball (2003) notes that nanoscale devices have been, and are currently being, utilized by organisms in their daily functioning. He cites, for instance, the proteins that serve as motors to flagella of motile bacteria, as readers and interpreters of the genetic code, or as miniature solar panels in plants that gather sunlight for photosynthesis (Ball 2003). The possibility of harnessing this potential within the environment and put them to practical use ha s been floated in the scientific community as early as the 1940s, when von Neumann forwarded the idea of manufacturing systems or machines that are capable of self-replication, which could potentially lower production costs (Gupta et al 2003).Richard Feynman in 1959, in an address to the American Physical Society entitled ‘There Is Plenty of Room at the Bottom’, advanced the possibility that, similar to what we are doing at the macroscopic scale, we could maneuver atoms to where we want them to be, and produce materials that would solve the problem of manufacture and reproduction (Buxton et al 2003; Gupta P et al 2003). In 1986, K Eric Drexler provided a picture of nanotechnological use in the future in his book Engines of Creation, where humans are utilizing self-replicating nanoscale robots in daily life processes (Ball 2003).The move from the drawing board to actual application, however, has been very recent—as evidenced by the relatively few nanotechnology pr oducts—fuelled by theoretical and laboratory progress which showed that, indeed, systems can be built from molecules and atoms maneuvered at the microscopic scale (Gupta et al 2003). L’Oreal recently introduced in the market sun creams that contain nano-sized grains of titanium dioxide, which absorbs ultraviolet light, but without the ‘smeared chalk’ appearance of regular creams (Ball 2003). This same technology, according to Ball (2003) was taken a step further when it was found that titanium dioxide particles become reactive when exposed to ultraviolet light, leading to the development of self-cleaning tiles and glasses—titanium-coated tiles and glasses that use the sun’s energy to burn up dirt stuck to their surfaces. In the filed of medicine, nanotechnology is currently being utilized with state-of-the-art technology to combat genetic diseases (Dunkley 2004).In addition to these, researches are currently undergoing, exploring the various possible applications of nanotechnology in various fields. For instance, in the medical sciences, the development of nanorobots could aid in precise, and rapid, cellular repair and regeneration, delivery of drugs at the site where it is needed, destruction of cancerous cells, or unblocking of clogged blood vessels (Dunkley 2004). The capacity to detect disease through alterations in body chemistry or physiology is also a possibility through nanotubes or nanowires coated with detector molecules (Buxton et al 2003). Molecular imaging, according to Buxton et al (2003) will also provide us with a view of the human body beyond gross anatomic structures, since this would utilize molecules that would home to tissues affected by specific disease processes. Environmental problems we face today, such as air pollution or oil spills, could be remedied through nanorobots designed to clean these toxic elements from the air we breath or the water we drink (Dunkley 2004).The material sciences will also significantly benefit from nanotechnology, with the promise of development of stronger and lighter plastics, computers with faster processors and increased memory storage, ion storage for batteries (which will improve performance), quick-charging battery cars, and fuel cells for motor-driven devices that are environment-friendly and energy efficient (Gupta et al 2003). Perhaps a bit too far in the future, Dunkley even forwards the idea that it might be possible, with nanorobots moving atoms and molecules, for us to create common and everyday things from our own backyard, moving manufacturing to the domain of the household with a wheelbarrow and a shovel (2004).Because of the great promise held by nanotechnology, governments worldwide are investing in nanoresearch, to further refine our understanding of this small world. Global investment in nanotechnology has been estimated to be â‚ ¬5 billion, according to the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering (2004). The E uropean Union pledged to spend â‚ ¬1 billion (Ball 2003), whereas Japan allocated $800M in 2003 (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). The United States is willing to spend nearly $3.7 billion for nanotechnology from 2005 to 2008, with nearly $500 million allocated for research funding (Dunkley 2004; The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004; Thomas & Sayre 2005).The considerable change nanotechnology can bring, as well as the huge sums of money governments worldwide are currently spending to make this a reality, has sparked some questions from various sectors on the impact of nanotechnologies, not only to the scientific fields to which it will be applied, but to the society in general. In the biological sciences, for instance, the primary concern is the possible toxicity exposure—and chronic exposure, at that—to nanoparticles can bring about, since these materials have the capability of interacting with cells and cellular organ elles, and hence, alter body physiology (Ball 2003; The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).Dreher (2004), and Thomas and Sayre (2005) have recently reviewed the evidence on the health impact of nanotechnology exposure, and found that there is a paucity of evidence to encourage or preclude use of nanotechnologies in humans pending full investigations and detailed evidence supporting or debunking the same. Ball (2003) notes that, in the same way as new drugs or devices, nanotechnology must be viewed as a potential health hazard unless proven otherwise. Large scale production in the future would necessitate hazard-testing and human exposure assessment, to minimize risks (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).The significant economic impact of nanotechnologies, according to experts, may not be felt in the short-term, although this must be viewed with caution, since it is entirely difficult to predict what impact a developing technology that has n ot yet realized its full potential will have (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). The differing capacities of developed, developing and underdeveloped countries to participate in the nanotechnology race has also raised concerns that it might intensify the economic gap between these nations, leading to what is referred to as a ‘nanodivide’ (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). Finally, patenting of nanotechnology—which is advantageous since it would, though economic incentive, encourage other individuals to contribute to scientific progress—may stifle creativity or innovation when a broad one is granted (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).Another area of concern is military and defense capability. The development of new devices—pervasive sensors, improved clothing and armor, and enhanced information and communication exchange—could be viewed both as opportunities and threat s, depending on who uses them, and how they are used (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). But more than this, the Royal Society (2004) cautions that the secrecy coupled with development of technologies for defense use might fuel public distrust, and heighten the understanding that nanotechnology is being developed primarily, if not entirely, for military ends.Ethical issues pervading the socio-cultural impact of nanotechnologies are also a concern. For instance, development of new nanodevices may cause a significant change in employment patterns, role perception, education patterns, and eventually family life (Dunkley 2004). The end result, still according to Dunkley (2004) would be a shift in our present definition of inequality, poverty, and class, and finally, the way we construe society in general.If what Dunkley predicted would come true (i.e. manufacturing at our own backyard), then the capacity to produce would be entirely dependent on having the neces sary resources for this production, which brings to fore the concern of concentration of the harvests of nanotechnology in the hands of a few. Although nanomanufacturing could present the solution to hunger and homelessness, the question remains whether it will alter our perception of the material world where we move (Dunkley 2004).The possibility of devices being used to store personal information, although enhancing personal security on the one hand, also raises the possibility of violation of civil liberties, especially when collection and distribution of the same is made without the consent of the person involved, or access to these information could be limited to the hands of the few who could develop and control personal information databases or systems (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).Finally, the possibility of radical human enhancement, or the creation of humans in the future, through nanotechnology (in conjunction with biotechnology and informati on technology), though a remote possibility, still carries with it the burden of resolving whether these creations are really human, and whether they also possess souls like we do (Dunkley 2004). In the same vein, this new capability would radically change, if not totally abolish, our perception of religion and morality (The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). On a lesser plane, the possibility of nanotechnology extending human longevity to hundreds of years will definitely alter our view of aging and death (Dunkley 2004).What, then, lies in store for us in the future with nanotechnology? Actually, no one can tell, since nanotechnology is but a frontier—which, to Melbin is a pattern of sparse settlement in space or time—or what Dunkley (2004) describes as relatively ‘unsettled and a wilderness waiting to be discovered’. Until such time, therefore, that the full potential of nanotechnology has been realized, or at least understood throug h research, we may endlessly speculate about how nanotechnology will affect our daily lives and society in general, who will benefit from its, what and capabilities will it provide us. The concerns, however, raised in this paper are valid considerations of the impact the future application of nanotechnologies will have, and this necessitates caution and vigilance on the part of all stakeholders.ReferencesBall P, 2003 (23 Jun), ‘Nanotechnology Science's Next Frontier or Just a Load of Bull?’, New Statesman, vol. 132, no. 4643, pp. 30-31.Buxton DB, Lee SC, Wickline SA, Ferrari M & for the Working Group Members, 2003 (02 Dec), ‘Recommendations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Nanotechnology Working Group’, Circulation, vol. 108, pp. 2737-2742.Dreher KL, 2004, ‘Health and environmental impact of nanotechnology: Toxicological assessment of manufactured nanoparticles’, Toxicological Sciences, vol. 77, pp. 3–5.Dunkley RWS, 2004, ‘Nanotechnology: Social Consequences and Future Implications’, Futures, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 1129-1132.Gupta P, Malhotra R, Segal MA & Verhaeren MYFJ, 2003, ‘Recent trends in nanotechnology’, in R Gulati, A Paoni & M Sawhney (eds), Kellogg on Technology & Innovation, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 261-283.The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2004, Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties, The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering, London.Thomas K & Sayre P, 2005, ‘Research strategies for safety evaluation of nanomaterials, Part I: Evaluating the human health implications of exposure to nanoscale materials’, Toxicological Sciences, vol. 87, no. 2, pp. 316–321.