I think 3-D printing is really neat and I'm glad it may soon be economic for the masses, because I have half a dozen little gadgets that I might like to make. None of them are weapons. But lately all I've been reading in the news with regards to 3-D printing is how it can be used to make firearms parts, and both the pro- and anti-gun crowds seem overly excited about how this will mean the end of meaningful gun control laws. It's not going to render gun control laws worthless. If anything, I think it would mean tighter restrictions on the use of 3D printing, maybe some behemoth bureaucratic process put in place to vet all proposed creations. Which would mean my dream gadgets are that much further away. Does firearms manufacturing have the biggest clout behind the development of 3D printing - is that why they're getting so much attention in the news?
There's not really any way the government can put restrictions on 3D printing, however. Too many people know how to build their own machine, and paradoxically, as the machines get more sophisticated, it'll become even easier to make them. DRM doesn't stop piracy of music, movies, or software, so it won't stop people from making their own howitzer, Ferrari, or bombs.
Who would've thought that we're going to have what amounts to Star Trek type replicators before other pieces of Trek technology.
I was hoping for Holographic Suites but then I guess you need replicator and transporter tech first. Damn this Civilization game!
If you can "print" a gun you can certainly "print" bullets which are going to be far easier to make in a 3D printer.....
Even with a holodeck you still couldn't get laid. Myself, I preferred warp technology most. Who would care about a transporter? If you could get me to a planet around another star I would be quite happy using a shuttle to go rest of the way.
don't such printers need a program? I would suggest that - while it won't at all solve the problem - the government reaction would be to legislate the program necessary to print a firearm.
So the government should restrict AutoCAD and every other piece of 3D modeling software because someone might make a piece of a gun?
It won't end gun legislation, but it might well turn around some minds. I know I consider some controls on buying a gun comparatively benign, but my skin crawls at the idea of controlling all makers' programming, i. e. essentially all internet communication, in order to watch out for firearms.
Would it be necessary to "restrict" it? Couldn't someone just plant a virus that's only activated when someone tries to replicate a real shoot-people-with weapon that would cause it to jam or self-destruct?
Photoshop currently controls for scanned money. I've never wanted to Photoshop bills, but the restriction of a tool that I bought and own irks me. Remember, anyone who can control our makers for guns can control them for anything he dislikes.
I could be wrong, but I don't believe that the open source Photoshop-like programs have such restrictions on them. They're not as easy to use as Photoshop, of course, but they're getting better all the time.
Let them clamp down even tighter on freedom. Let them. The more of them do it, the more of them will die. Government is a cruel mistress, but freedom is a pitiless slayer. The people will be free, and all government can do it bleed in shreds when it tries to put its hand into the mouth of freedom.
Some wild days are ahead. Forget guns. We're on the way to being able to mod the human body with 3d printed parts. That's some Dues Ex level shit just waiting to happen. Not anytime soon but it's crazy to think about.
That's how Chechen dorpuses do their shit, kid. Me? If and when I put the government to heel, it will be at my heel. Can you dig that? Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Fein-franken-stein, every one of those mother fuckers will be reduced to a squealing dog. Dig. You won't be asking. You won't wonder. You won't doubt. You'll see that shit, you'll see how your freedom has expanded back out to where it should be, and you'll say. "Oh. Castle did this." You won't ask me any stupid fucking questions, son. You'll know.
What about 3D printing needed parts for cars & other vehicles? And items needed to repair &/or replace things in the home?
I think I heard somewhere Leno uses one to make parts for his custom cars that he can't get anywhere else.
That's really cool. Leno has the money. 3D printing in general is very interesting. So many applications.
Cool! I want to print myself some bigger ears, along with usable muscles so I can move them around and hear better.
He makes plastic parts, so they can be certain that they've figured out how the replacement part should work, then they make the part out of metal using standard machine tools. Pretty handy, since some of the cars he has are missing parts that nobody has any idea of what the original one looked like and they have to guess at what went in the spot. And 3D guns aren't just for speculation anymore. (bolding mine) He buys one of these, and he doesn't even need to bother with the nail. 20 years, tops, and you'll be able to buy machines as powerful as those (if not more powerful) at your local Wallyworld.
Yeah, I'm having a bitch of a time trying to replace some of the interior vynl/plastic trim on my '74 grand prix that's gone brittle, so I've been modeling the parts in autoCAD and saving up for a good 3D printer.
