3-D Printing

I'll have to find links later but current and potential applications are mind boggling. A researcher at Wake Forest (?) has used a 3D printer and stem cells to print replacement organs and I read an article last week suggesting that 4D printers may be on the horizon.

NASA and JPL are looking at creating robots that will land on the moon and use a 3D printer to create a domed moon-base with the dust from the moon. There's a kid who built a robotic arm using parts made with a 3D printer because he thought it would interesting to make. These printers costs about $1500 for the cheap models. I remember when my first color printer cost almost that much as a kid.

I cannot wait until I can afford to buy one...

Here's the link to a TED Talk about 3D printing a kidney.

http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_kidney.html

Here's the link to an article and video about 4D printing.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/the-next-big-thing-4d-printing/13898

Absolutely. In fact, I was thinking the exact same thing when I posted the first time in this thread. If, and I realize that's a big if, the speed and resolution take the same leaps that printers have taken, we'll see something like the replicators on Star Trek TNG. Just as an example, over the weekend I was preparing for a trial and had to print so many documents that they filled 2 two inch binders. With an old dot matrix printer that would have been a day long (if not longer) project. With the ink jet I used when I opened my practice, it would have taken several hours (and a few cartridges to boot). With the middle of the pack laser printer I now use, it took about 30 minutes.

Is that Dita Von Teese?

Probably NSFW cause Dita likes to be mostly naked.

http://www.dita.net/