The Terrors of 3-D Printing
December 14, 2012 - David Hall
Category: Technology
There has been a lot of excitement lately in the media about 3-D printing. Apparently, it is now possible to print everyday objects, like a vase or a wrench, using a computer model. What’s interesting about this is that you can you put almost any kind of material in the printer to make your object; glass, sand, plastic, mustard; anything.
Technology for 3D printing was developed in the mid-1980s by Chuck Hull, although the term “3D printing” was first used about a decade later. Scientists have very high hopes for the technology, hoping to one day be able to use it to produce custom hearing aids and other body parts including organs, eliminating the need for organ donors. Architects are looking to utilize it in printing whole buildings room by room and as a quick and cheap way to provide housing for the poor in underdeveloped countries. A possible use for astronauts is being investigated by Made In Space, a company experimenting with zero-gravity 3D printing, which would potentially allow astronauts to print objects as required in space, saving valuable weight at launch. Retailers are looking into making 3D printed bras and running shoes, which would fit your needs and be customized to fit your body. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, has predicted that the future of online retail will be shaped by 3D printing meaning that someday in the near future, everyone will have a 3D printer in their home and will be able to buy the model online and print out their product on the spot with no wait. Makerbot, the leading manufacturer of consumer 3D printers has already opened a retail store right off Bleeker Street in Manhattan. It almost sounds like science fiction.
Of course, there is a downside to being able to print anything out of anything. Already, there is a wiki group trying to print plastic guns, blatantly opposing the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988. That’s just what we need; crazies carrying with undetectable weapons onto airplanes. With guns, there will be bombs printed too. Scientists are already looking into printing DNA and whole body parts; I wonder when they’ll start printing babies? Not that I’m against 3D printing. It sounds like a fascinating process that can really make a different in the world. I think when it goes mainstream, it really will cause a revolution in the way we consume and do business. I also know that every silver lining comes with a cloud, and there are enough crazy people in the world to make this a potentially terrifying technology.