Nanotechnology: Sociotechnical interactions and social impacts

This communication discusses the partial results in the field of sociological research to: Nanotechnologies applied to foods and biofuels, recognizing the essential elements for the development of indicators of risk and regulatory marks that protect health and the environment. Notice o4/CII - 2008 - Nanobiotechnology - CAPES. The analysis focuses on the study of social and cultural impacts resulting from new interactions arising from the socio-technical advances and promises of nanotechnology. The publicity of these advances and, especially, those promises has resulted in the development of expectations and beliefs even within the scope of the multifaceted social imaginary. The new steps of nanotechnology are introduced in the dimension of the fantastic and lead to continuous interpenetration between the findings and predictions in this field techno and the so-called science fiction. The same way that the promises of nanotechnology spark the creativity of fiction, many of the marvels envisioned by these are already part of our daily lives or are part of the promises taken for granted. The risks involved in nanotechnology range, then, among those assigned to the current developments, the promises given to the industry, those what can be apprehended through laboratory tests and the risks that agents attribute to it.