Tracing interdisciplinarity of converging technologies at the nanoscale: A critical analysis of recent nanotechnosciences

It is shown that a specific type of interdisciplinarity is involved in the nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science (NBIC) scenario on converging technologies (Roco–Bainbridge report of the US National Science Foundation), and it is argued that the NBIC scenario is based on a ‘technoobject-oriented interdiscipline’.

Abstract

Besides ‘innovation’, ‘interdisciplinarity’ is one of the most popular buzzwords frequently used in present-day science policy. At the same time, however, ‘interdisciplinarity’ is vague and misty; the term is not well defined. In order to clarify its meaning, I classify different types of interdisciplinarity. By making use of analytical classification I show that a specific type of interdisciplinarity is involved in the nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science (NBIC) scenario on converging technologies (Roco–Bainbridge report of the US National Science Foundation). I argue that the NBIC scenario is based on a ‘technoobject-oriented interdisciplinarity’. This type of interdisciplinarity will be contrasted with the research program of the European Union on converging technologies (CTEKS) that widens the circles of convergence and aims to promote a different (‘problem-oriented’) type of interdisciplinarity.