Discussion Questions for THE DANCE OF MOLECULES: HOW NANOTECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING OUR LIVES (Nonfiction selection)

1. The author tries to use analogies from everyday life to make the concepts in the book easier to understand for the lay person. Did this distract you, or was it helpful?

2. On page 46, the author writes: "There are at least two dimensions to the ethical future of biology understood from the bottom-up: what do we do with the information, and what do we do with our newfound power to effect change?" How do you think the answers to these two questions will shape nanotechnology in the future? Or have they already impacted it?

3. The "pharmacies-on-a-chip" described in Chapter 2 (page 55) would allow doctors to deliver drugs much more effectively than via conventional methods. But do you see any risks for this technology to be used for nefarious purposes? How do you feel about your doctor being able to program your drug delivery from his cell phone?

4. The advances described in tissue engineering in Chapter 3, "Grow" would allow for a reduced need for donated organs and shorter wait times for those critically in need. What did you think about the author's comments about the future of tissue engineering related to using these organs for "preventative maintenance" and performance enhancement (pg. 76)?

5. Do you think that regulatory, policy, and legal changes can keep pace with the developments in nanotechnology that are described in this book?

6. Do you see a future for use of the solar and hydrogen powered devices explained in Chapter 4, "Energize"?

7. Do you think Sargent should have included a glossary in this book, with terms such as "buckeyballs" and "zeolites"? Do you think this would have helped your understanding while reading the book?

Discussion Questions for THE DIAMOND AGE: OR A YOUNG LADY'S ILLUSTRATED PRIMER (Fiction selection #1)

1. Did you find it easy or difficult to comprehend the world that Stephenson creates in The Diamond Age? Did you enjoy entering this new realm or find it frustrating?

2. Although the author creates a future in which nanotechnology is fully integrated into daily life, did you find any relation between the technologies described there and those in The Dance of Molecules?

3. Does the technology in the world of The Diamond Age make life better for the characters of the story? In what ways does it (or not)?

4. Three girls, Nell, Fiona, and Elizabeth, obtain copies of the Primer. What factors do you feel contributed to their varied results with the Primer?

5. This book not only focuses on technology but also comments on social, cultural, and financial differences. What did you think of these themes?

Discussion Questions for PREY (Fiction selection #2)

1. Crichton writes an introduction to the book that provides some information about nanotechnology. Did you find this introduction helpful for understanding the book?

2. Although this is a work of fiction, were there any aspects of the story that you found believable? Do you think an industrial/research situation like the one at the Xymos facility could really progress as far as it did without being discovered (or revealed) earlier?

3. Many of the programmers at Xymos had formerly worked with Jack. How important to the story were these previous connections between the characters?

4. On page 174, the author discusses the modeling of programming based on real organisms. For example, the PREDPREY program was based on predator-prey interactions in the wild. Does this idea of modeling computer programs after real organisms surprise you?

5. In the end of the book, you learn that Julia has been taken over by the nanoparticles. Did this surprise you or did you suspect that the swarm was controlling her all along?

Created March 2009