Monday, April 29, 2013

3D Printing Post 2 of 4



Here is my final blog post number 2. In my last post I talked about some of the dangerous implications of 3D printers and a company that was taking responsibility for those possibilities. This time I would like to show some some of the cool things that 3D printers can do and some of the developments in this field.

http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/graphene-3d-printing/4229

The above link shows some really cool developments in the materials used in 3D printing. Many of the complaints about the things created by 3D printers are the strength of those devices. After all, what use is creating your own wrench or car part if it is going to break bend or melt when you really need it.
This is where graphene comes in. According to this source graphene is "tougher to crack than diamonds and 300 times harder to tear than steel." Apparently even with the layering technique used in 3D printing graphene can be layered as thin as an individual atom.

What I have taken from this is that, where before the idea of making a whole car or a gun with a 3D printer was something of a novelty, it is now a very real possibility. However, this is an idea that causes me to worry. If guns can be easily manufactured by anyone with one of these devices crime will be much harder to track and prevent. The average criminal may not be able to afford a 3D printer or graphene, but a criminal organization could acquire one and provide untraceable guns to others.

As I have shown in the past, I am always in favor of progress. This means that even though I can see the threat presented by this development, I believe we simply need to adapt and evolve with it, rather than attempt to stall it.

I am not sure how we should go about doing this, but I am sure that creative intelligent people in law enforcement will come up with a way to fight against people who would abuse this technology. 
Works Cited
"Graphene 3D Printing." Graphene 3D Printing. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.

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