In our scientifically and technologically advanced age, new technologies move from proof of concept to commercial product at lightening speeds. Momentous advances in nanotechnology, cybernetics, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence raise significant ethical issues concerning the nature of such technologies, as well as their safety, appropriateness, and impact on what it means to be human in a technological society. The articles in these sections explore the technologies themselves, as well as address the ethical issues and societal impact of these emerging technologies.