Nanotechnology has been heralded as the key technological development of the 21st century. Yet, there has been little discussion on the present and future social significance of this nascent technology. To that end, Illinois Institute of Technology's (IIT's) Center on Nanotechnology and Society, an affiliate of the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future (IBHF), at Chicago-Kent College of Law, has been created to catalyze informed interdisciplinary research, education and dialogue on the ethical, legal, policy, business, and broader societal implications of nanoscale science and technology - all with a special focus on the human condition.

To achieve these goals, the Center on Nanotechnology and Society brings the foremost scholars and researchers in law, ethics, technical areas, and the social sciences together with leaders in business and industry. The Center on Nanotechnology and Society's conversation on nanotechnology and human dignity includes: