Wrapping Our Heads Around 3D Printing

In 1943, Thomas Watson, then-president of IBM, let slip from his lips an unfortunately shortsighted statement: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” 


And it’s true that most infant technologies of note are dismissed as fad or even cute hobbies for futurists—nothing substantially transformative. Only a few years ago, you might have thought that about 3D printing.

 

Where early computers filled a room, a starter 3D printer is already as small as the one you have at home, and hardly more expensive. The future of manufacture is coming to you soon in 3D, revolutionizing whole industries in its wake. And from printed pancreases to pistols, that future is really stupid, really smart, and really weird.

 

Larry sat down with four guys who have made names for themselves in the next big technological Wild West. From what 3D printing is to what it can be, here’s the crash course, featuring appearances by: 


  • Action figure Larry printed courtesy of the people at CoKreeate (big ups to Diego at Deezmaker for making this happen)
     
  • An in-the-works livable plastic canal house made with love in Amsterdam (if this interests you, also check out Berokh Khoshnevis' company, which can 3D print an entire house—with working plumbing and electricity—in a day)
     
  • An introduction to 3D-printed organs using living cells

 

 

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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