Nano revolution: more than human? - ARTE's night

Directed by

Olivier Julien

Written by

Olivier Julien

Produced by

ARTE France, Docside Production, CBC, NHK

Docudrama, France, 2011, 52 min

By mastering the construction of devices on the scale of atoms and molecules, nanotechnologies promise to revolutionize many areas of our lives.

In medicine, after only fifteen years of research, the first “nano” products are making their appearance. Some are already commercialized, while others are being tested in clinical trials. Far from nightmarish visions of surgical nano-robots patrolling our arteries, they include new diagnostic systems whose accuracy and simplicity have led to the development of more preventative and more personalized medical practices. They have likewise led to spectacular improvements in the efficiency of many cancer and cardiovascular treatments by enabling the precise targeting of diseased cells. But these significant, encouraging advances are, without a doubt, also going to confront us with a number of new situations and questions.

Some say the power of nanotechnologies could even go so far as enabling a new man to emerge, one with “enhanced performance”, a cyborg covered with electronic implants directly connected to his nervous system.

Debate with :

• Olivier Julien, director
• Didier Letourneur, director of the Laboratory of cardiovascular bioengineering at Inserm and director of research at CNRS
• Hélène Coldefy, Director of Knowledge and Discovery Unit ARTE France