Thinking in a brand new way: Exploring the epistemology of nanotechnology researchers

This paper investigates the modes of thinking that may be required to understand the concepts central to nanotechnology. Six senior scientists at a large Midwestern university were interviewed to uncover their way of thinking about nanotechnology. The semi-structured interviewers were coded and analyzed to identify the researchers´ underlying concepts, ideas, and ways of thinking about nanoscale phenomena. In addition to confirming that previously identified concepts such as self-assembly are important for understanding nanoscience, interviews also pointed out that the concept of “defect” has a whole new meaning in nanomaterials. System thinking was also identified as central to understanding the nanoscale world.