Monday, March 10, 2014

The Future of 3D printing

It was once thought that 3D printing was very distant in the future and that we would never be able to have access to something like it. However this technology has been out since the mid 80's but only available to factories for their products and prototyping. Now these machines are becoming more accessible to the public and are available to print almost anything a person can design in a 3D graphics program such as Maya. It is predicted that foods may even be printed in the future, things like chocolates, cakes, and peanut butter have already been printed.

The 3D printer has the ability to change the world. In labs scientists have been experimenting with the possibility that the 3D printer could help advance medicine. By using cells of patients rather than the plastic used in regular 3D printers the scientists have been able to print organs, proving to be a great discovery for those who need organ replacements  this even able to save many lives that might of been lost while waiting for the organ they needed to get to them.

Despite all the seemingly great uses for 3D printers there is still the issue of what can't be printed and what should or should not be allowed. Some copyrighted things like iPods an other electronics could be printed like anything else, causing the company to lose money. More dangerous things could be printed as well that can not be mandated by the government, falling into a "grey area". Some people are designing a gun that can be printed and the design shared to all people. This gives access to guns to people who might not otherwise not been allowed it.

3D printing has a bright future but it is up to us to decide how to use the advanced technology and improve (or possibly dismantle) our world.

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