Will Science or Politics Ultimately Define Nanotechnology?

Ultimately? Neither. Generally speaking the market will define nanotechnology. Politics can stifle a concept (temporarily), stimulate a concept (temporarily), or leave it alone. Too much involvement of politics can result in chaos in the market for a concept and cause a gray or black market. Ultimately the utility of a thing will overcome the artificially inflated support or barrier caused by politics. If a technology has use, ultimately the market will fund the science needed to develop it.

_{/Yes, there may be anecdotal exceptions to this (specialized drugs comes to mind, though that is a highly regulated market so not a good example), but in general, in the long run, the market has the final say on what will or will not be developed.}