General Discussion

Flabbergasted

(7,826 posts) Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:18 AM Dec 2012

What will the 3d printer do to the global economy...

So we've lost all of our manufacturing jobs....?

Well, so did China now that YOU can manufacture many things from your living room.

All those service related jobs selling stuff. Not so many now.

Such a scenario is not far off. What does it mean for us? How will economy change? Will people work less? Will a new socialism or communism take over. Will capitalism fail or adjust? In what way must we adjust our ideas about work and living to compensate? Will it be a period of an unbridled all-powerfu elitel or a new utopia? Will people feel more satisfied or less? How will people use free time? How and what will be regulated in terms of printing? Will you be able to torrent that new invention that IBM came up with and print it out?

It's mind boggling!!!

Flabbergasted.

11 replies

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Highlight:

What will the 3d printer do to the global economy... (Original Post) Flabbergasted Dec 2012 OP

I wondered about some of those questions. Also the enemy can print weapons. Auntie Bush Dec 2012 #1

No secrets, no weapons advantages, low profits from arms sales unc70 Dec 2012 #3

Bigger changes than that unc70 Dec 2012 #2

I just printed sneakers for all my kids using my 3D printer. Nye Bevan Dec 2012 #4

ur full of teh win!! Systematic Chaos Dec 2012 #5

My buddy says that the the 3d printer is capable of printing many of it's own components.... Flabbergasted Dec 2012 #7

For all your snark over this Occulus Dec 2012 #8

My ham sandwich was half-printed when the darn thing jammed up! bhikkhu Dec 2012 #6

Yuck. A ham and jam sandwich sounds nasty! nt tblue37 Dec 2012 #9

It depends on how much energy it needs and what materials it works with. wickerwoman Dec 2012 #10

Get trained up mick063 Dec 2012 #11

Auntie Bush

(17,528 posts)

1. I wondered about some of those questions. Also the enemy can print weapons.

Reply to Flabbergasted (Original post)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:31 AM

Dec 2012

I will revolutionize the world just like the car did and everything that changed in the world because cars were invented.

unc70

(6,115 posts)

3. No secrets, no weapons advantages, low profits from arms sales

Reply to Auntie Bush (Reply #1)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:33 AM

Dec 2012

Takes the profit out of weapons and the drug trade. What else is left?

unc70

(6,115 posts)

2. Bigger changes than that

Reply to Flabbergasted (Original post)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:32 AM

Dec 2012

The 3-D printer (Rep/Rep) technologies are just one of several getting ready to remake our futures. I predict more societal changes the next 10 years than in the past 40.

Forty years ago we saw direct dial long distance with touch tone, the first electronic calculators (four functions for roughly $100 real dollars - redeemable in gold).

Other seriously disruptive technologies include robotic sewing systems (bespoke suit untouched by human hands), personal robots everywhere, immersive realities, dramatic economic changes, and so much more.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)

4. I just printed sneakers for all my kids using my 3D printer.

Reply to Flabbergasted (Original post)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:34 AM

Dec 2012

I love my 3D printer so much that I have used it to print 3D printers for all of my friends!

Systematic Chaos

(8,601 posts)

5. ur full of teh win!!

Reply to Nye Bevan (Reply #4)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 12:48 AM

Dec 2012

Flabbergasted

(7,826 posts)

7. My buddy says that the the 3d printer is capable of printing many of it's own components....

Reply to Nye Bevan (Reply #4)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:19 AM

Dec 2012

and says their are designs that can print all of them.

We have also printed a working human bladder, implanted it, and changed someone's life.

that was ten years ago.

Occulus

(20,599 posts)

8. For all your snark over this

Reply to Nye Bevan (Reply #4)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:27 AM

Dec 2012

a printer that can print in gold and silver- not to mention, frosted glass- is nothing to poke fun at.

bhikkhu

(10,718 posts)

6. My ham sandwich was half-printed when the darn thing jammed up!

Reply to Flabbergasted (Original post)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:14 AM

Dec 2012

New Utopia my ass!

tblue37

(65,409 posts)

9. Yuck. A ham and jam sandwich sounds nasty! nt

Reply to bhikkhu (Reply #6)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:41 AM

Dec 2012

wickerwoman

(5,662 posts)

10. It depends on how much energy it needs and what materials it works with.

Reply to Flabbergasted (Original post)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:45 AM

Dec 2012

If it only prints with specialised rare plastic particles that depend on petroleum and uses a massive amount of energy for each copy then things might not be that different until we have renewable energy systems to complement the 3D printers and find a sustainable cheap source of the materials it uses.

On edit: But when we do get it together... Star Trek here we come. The matter replicator was the key invention in Rodenberry's vision of the future.

mick063

(2,424 posts)

11. Get trained up

Reply to Flabbergasted (Original post)

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:51 AM

Dec 2012

in repairing 3d printers.

Look at how many car mechanics there are. Thanks to Henry Ford.

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