Comments on: Nanotechnology for drug detection http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2486 examining transformative technology Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:23:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Martin G. Smith http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2486#comment-245834 Martin G. Smith Sat, 19 May 2007 18:10:11 +0000 http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2486#comment-245834 This technology, while an advance, requires rigorous observation and if it makes its way into the Criminal Justice system, the proponents and ultimately the users of the technology must inevitably be prepared to be cross examined on the veracity of their evidence. Any notion that such ‘Testing’ is an ‘Instant End, to a case is foolhardy indeed. Just as fMRI’s have come under the close order scrutiny of observers such as myself, and in this instance I wholeheartedly endorse the use of the technology as a demonstrative assessment tool, 'Intelligent' Fingerprinting, while useful as an analysis/assessment tool, falls well short of the mark as evidence. Just as the DSM-IV has been justly removed from the evidence stream in the Criminal Justice system for its lack of evidential accuracy, so too will any promotion of Nanotechnology of any shade be subjected to the same scrutiny. Bias, as always, declared. This technology, while an advance, requires rigorous observation and if it makes its way into the Criminal Justice system, the proponents and ultimately the users of the technology must inevitably be prepared to be cross examined on the veracity of their evidence. Any notion that such ‘Testing’ is an ‘Instant End, to a case is foolhardy indeed.

Just as fMRI’s have come under the close order scrutiny of observers such as myself, and in this instance I wholeheartedly endorse the use of the technology as a demonstrative assessment tool, ‘Intelligent’ Fingerprinting, while useful as an analysis/assessment tool, falls well short of the mark as evidence.

Just as the DSM-IV has been justly removed from the evidence stream in the Criminal Justice system for its lack of evidential accuracy, so too will any promotion of Nanotechnology of any shade be subjected to the same scrutiny.

Bias, as always, declared.

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