1- Nanotechnology. Discuss the ethical and social implications of nanotechnology, given the current state of this emerging science. A good place to start is Ralph Merkle's home page. The possible development of nanobots by the military, and whether this falls under international treaties that prohibit weapons of mass destruction, is one possible direction for the paper. K. Eric Drexler has released a revised version of his seminal work, Engines of Creation 2.0, available for free download. Note that there is a branch of material science that is often referred to as nanotechnology, but that's not what we're talking about here. We're interested in molecular engineering.
2- Cyber Liberties & Public Policy. Discuss one or more of the important rights in question: privacy, free speech, intellectual property rights.
Present the ethical issues surrounding any one of the Bills in the 113th Congress (current Congress) dealing with cyber-liberties.