  Scenario planning may assist us in harnessing the benefits of nanotechnology
and managing the associated risks for the good of the society. Scenario
planning is a way to describe the present state of the world and develop
several hypotheses about the future of the world, thereby enabling discussions
about how the world ought to be. Scenario planning thus is not only a tool for
learning and foresight, but also for leadership. Informed decision-making by
experts and political leaders becomes possible, while simultaneously allaying
public's perception of the risks of new and emerging technologies such as
nanotechnology. Two scenarios of the societal impact of nanotechnology are the
mixed-signals scenario and the confluence scenario. Technoscientists have major
roles to play in both scenarios.
