It’s an old adage in the media, if you are stuck for an idea do a top ten of something. It might be sexiest country music videos, or worst dictators, but at least it is cheap and fills up a bit of airtime.
The same applies to nanotechnologies, with the recent publication of two different sets of nanorankings of US states. We are never sure what these are supposed to achieve, or whether they result in nanotechnologists moving en masse from Oklahoma to California in search of the promised land, or indeed whether it causes the governors of lower ranking states to wake in a cold sweat and call underlings at 3 am demanding immediate action.
Perhaps the greatest puzzle is why, in a global market, these rankings only ever apply to US states? Minnesota vs Singapore might be more interesting.