This workshop was pretty intense. It's inspiring and scary at the same time, the things which are becoming possible through 3D printing. I personally am interested in the ethical questions raised.
What value will we place in "stuff" if we can print whatever we want, whenever?
Promotes throw-away culture
How will it affect the economy? Will retailers lose business?Will workers lose jobs? Will plastic suppliers increase?
Playing "God"? Is it right to tamper with nature? Or is it adapting, just as we have for millions of years? It can only be a good thing if it extends and improves someones quality of life?
Is it green? Less waste. More plastic pollution (micro-organisms have already evolved to live off plastic in the sea!)
Will it affect food production with 3D printed food? It's not natural? But what is natural? We have manipulated nature for thousands of years.
Many of the examples I have seen of 3D printing have been groundbreaking such as Studio Brads 3D printed woven structures or this 3D printed valve using real human cells. However, I have also seen a lot of 3D printed examples that did not need to be 3D printed. I think people are using the 3D printed because they can. A bit like when someone gets a new label maker and then go on to label everything they own even though most of them don't need a label.
The focus need to be more on what we could do with this new technology that cannot be done otherwise.
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| StudioBrad 3D printed weave |
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| 3D printed heart valve |
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