Edited by author 09-20-2003 08:18 AM
How accurate and fair is the general media's coverage of nanotechnology?

It depends on your definition of accurate and fair. Idiotic and hilarious is more descriptive of the general media when it involves covering most topics in science. Every now and then they get it right but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

As a former journalist turned PR flack, I have to say I'm astounded at how often my former colleagues--general AND trade--miss the "accurate and fair" mark.

To be fair, many of the journalists I deal with have practically no time to think about what they're about to write or to fact-check. After the past two-plus years of falling media revenues and increased workload, if they want to feed themselves and their families, they not only have to feed to print beast that they've always had to feed, but are also now doing the feeding of the print beast that their recently laid-off colleagues used to do while also feeding the new Web, conference, and newsletter beasts.

In addition to the hysterical cries that Howard has written of on his blog, my fear is that it could lead to a death spiral for the media: more and more errors leading to less and less trust of the media--from both the readers AND the sources.

Do you feel the news media is too negative and nationalistic? I do, so I decided to create an online magazine that focuses on the positive aspects of people and groups from different countries and backgrounds. Go to http://www.globalheroesmagazine.com.

What's New on Howard Lovy's NanoBot

Nano is chocolate in Silicon's peanut butter
A couple of days ago, I met Zyvex President Tom Cellucci at an Ann Arbor restaurant (Take a note, young entrepreneur wannabes: this high-powered nano honcho enjoys Greek salad and hummus, while this low-powered journalist just sat and chain-drank coffee), and we discussed a range of issues. Among them were the short-term commercialization steps the company is taking along the way to its goal of building a molecular assembler.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107598714129205144

Drexler: More Empty Arguments
Dear Howard, A recent review of Daniel and Mark Ratner's book, "Nanotechnology and Homeland Security," highlights the current tactics of the denialist camp.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107668470273012406

Driving under the influence of Feynman
One of my dirty little secrets is that I listen to audiobooks from audible.com (My commute from suburban Detroit to Ann Arbor keeps me in my car about two hours a day). This morning, I "read" (OK, had read to me), Richard Feynman's "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out."
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107641725258447010

More pieces of Feynman
In my previous post, I talked about how the nanotech founding father's words get me through my morning commute. Feynman was big on making science understandable to everyday slobs like me. I've written about this subject before, and I do wish that I had been around during his heyday. But I wonder how I would have handled this interview, relayed by Robert P. Crease in a March 2001 article in Physics Web, Revenge of the Science Writer.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107660948892697905

Writers who know what I meme
David Pescovitz and Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing bloggers, NanoBot advisers and legendary writers, have contributed some excellent work to Small Times in the past couple of days.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_08_nan...#107670259634351579

Small Tech Business Directory is online
If I can get all commercial on you for a moment, I've been meaning to highlight the great work going on at Small Times.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107650713335572043

A Game of Risk
Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post writes: "Just when you absorb one type of danger, someone invents a new one – SARS or avian flu or something enigmatic called nanotechnology."
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107644530195891361

InstaMission
Good evening, Mr. Phelps, The Speculist and CRN have joined your IM (InstaMail? InstaAntiModz?) Force.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107643622299219119

What up with BBC doc?
Small Times London Correspondent Ben Wootliff brought this to my attention. The BBC is airing the above documentary tonight.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107600652778840366

Big honor for little blog
Thank you, Nanotechnology Now, for naming the NanoBot one of the Best of 2003. They write: "Choice post in 2003 include - but are not limited to - Stairway to Heaven and Apocalypse Nano, The Hulk, Prince Charles and other scary things and 2003: The Year of the Straw NanoMan.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107591332352837454

Unauthorized uses of 'Nano'
As before, cease and desist orders are being sent to the following perpetrators
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107642808772625836

News in a NanoSecond
From The Guardian: "A Horizon investigation into the dangers of nanotechnology was watched by 2.1 million, 300,000 more than watched The Diana Conspiracy, Channel 4's investigation into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_nan...#107652514558023744

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Howard Lovy
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Independent commentary at
Howard Lovy's NanoBot
http://nanobot.blogspot.com
E-mail: howard@lovy.com