Will nanotechnology make the world a better place?

Nanotechnology could produce a revolutionary wave of innovation in society. The form that such a revolution might take will depend upon many things but certainly upon the context, content and purposes of research projects and agendas decided by existing political and corporate institutions. Lessons from the genetically modified organism debate indicate that the behaviour of these institutions is at least as important as the 'risk' in informing public acceptability. This article argues that current research priorities need to shift in favour of environmental and health protection to engender public support and/or an ongoing need to remain sensitive to emerging societal preferences.