Nano
By Claire Change Nov. 13, 2024
Under heavy security measures, the scientists at the nanotechnology company work tirelessly to push the horizons of nanoscience in “Nano,” a fictional piece by Robin Cook. When the central character Pia Grazdani fools security, she unlocks the company’s best well-kept secret: the testing of blue nanorobots called respirocytes on human subjects in restricted-access labs.
The company tests respirocytes’ efficiency to enhance professional cyclists’ athletic performance. They are designed to mimic human blood cells, and the company scrambled to see its significance in the future of medical treatment. When Pia came across a collapsed cyclist, she demanded for a proper medical examination, but instead her company’s security guards suspiciously swooped the cyclist away. The suspense drew me in, and my desire to unearth the company’s underlying motives kept me hooked.
Pia exemplifies the epitome of how curiosity killed the cat, as her heightened suspicion and investigations of the company’s motives, only led her into a more entangled relationship with Berman, her CEO. Although Berman is frustrated at Pia for putting four years of his work in danger, he still flirts with the idea of keeping her around for his own gain. I was immediately disappointed when the plot opened with unrequited love, but I was pleased to see how Cook explores the ethical gray zones of corporate power where loyalty may easily become fragile and compromised. While Nano is a scientific thriller, Cook fuses recent advancements with fiction to critique the lengths corporations will go to profit off of new technology, especially at the expense of human lives.
As I followed Pia through her persistent investigation, I was sometimes overwhelmed by the plot’s intensity because of the company’s rush to hide their unethical practices, and I was quite concerned for Pia’s safety. Nonetheless, the thrill of it all kept me on my toes. Nano is impressively thought-provoking, as it highlights societal anxieties about rapid technological advancement. It truly urges us to face uncomfortable truths of the limits of ambition and to reflect on the consequences of valuing profit over human welfare.
I was originally recommended to this author by my AP Biology teacher, and now I am excited to tell her all about the moral conundrum posed by Nano.
My rating: 4 / 5
Raises important ethical questions and its implications for society
Some scenes include graphic descriptions that may be unsuitable for young audiences
Ending feels rushed and incomplete
About the Contributors
Claire Chang
page editor
Claire Chang is a junior at Leland High School, and she is the Investigative Report page editor and on the media team for her second year in journalism. When she is not chatting with her friends, she can be found crafting photo collages, working out or listening to music.
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