Beyond Micro, There’s Nano!

A bit of a stretch for the Studio, but not really. I stumbled upon this interesting article over at LLRX.com about nanotechnology and why law librarians might want to acquaint themselves with the topic. In reality, the article explains why lawyers might want to acquaint themselves with the topic.

I learned much from reading the short article. I learned that a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. At this tiny level, unique properties apparently are observed in certain materials and that these properties are different from those displayed in those materials at the macro level. Application for this science is quite broad and ranges from human health and research to developments construction and engineering fields.

There also are studies suggesting health risks from exposure to the by-products of this technology. The article compares the fibers generated from the carbon tubes created by nanotechnology to asbestos fibers. Of course, that rings all sorts of bells in the mind of a toxic tort insurance coverage lawyer. Whether or not a similar link exists with this technology, the potential will raise the same specter of large scale litigation, and will demand the attention of both plaintiff’s and defense bars.

What is particularly great about this article for me as a researcher is the lengthy list of resource links on the subject. The links are grouped “government, non-profit and research sites”, “blog and news sites” and “legal blogs.” If you are looking for the next big litigation boom, perhaps this is a good place to start. If you are generally curious about the world around you, these links might feed your cutting-edge tech desires.