I just read an interesting article

It was told from the perspective of a musician, but really relates on a global economic scale. It's called The Pop Star and the Prophet. It talks about author/mathematician/philosopher Jacques Attali predicting the fall of the music business post-internet back in the 70's, and his present view of how 3D printing will have a similar effect on manufacturing.

Two comments that stood out to me are "n every period of history, Attali said, musicians have been at the cutting edge of economic developments. Because music is very important to us but also highly adaptable it's one of the first places we can see new trends appearing." and "Attali says manufacturing will be hit by an identical crisis to the music industry, and this time it will be caused by 3D printing." "With 3D printing, people will print their own cups, furniture," he says. "Everyone will make their own objects, in the same way they are making their own music."

Anyway, I thought some of you might find the concept intriguing.

I could see it turning industries into digital designers rather than fabrication and manufacture, which costs a lot less capital, space, and time. Meaning the effects on manufacturing employment will be large, especially when combined with robotics.

Weed makes a lot of people optimistic about the power of music. The trick is never write that stuff down anywhere so you don't look so silly years later.

petegossett wrote: "Attali says manufacturing will be hit by an identical crisis to the music industry, and this time it will be caused by 3D printing." "With 3D printing, people will print their own cups, furniture," he says. "Everyone will make their own objects, in the same way they are making their own music." Anyway, I thought some of you might find the concept intriguing.

I dont see anytime soon where everyone will have a 3d printer in there home to make themselves a cup... let alone a couch. The manufacturer my start 3d printing there products but i dont think there will be as nearly many people with the skills/time/money to buy a 3d printer and be able to successfully make there own stuff as there are kids in there parents basement making rave music on a laptop.

Half our population can't use email correctly, albeit the older half. Until someone revolutionizes hoe 3d design software is approached, the 3d printing business will still be in the hands of larg(er) companies, not individuals. That will happen soon though - younger generations are more software-savvy users, and good people are working simplifying the software itself.

I still think that you won't reach the point where every home has a printer and just makes the stuff they need. It's simple enough to make a wood bookshelf in your garage, but Ikea isn't going out of business anytime soon. How many people CAN fix their cars or mow their lawn but CHOOSE to pay someone else to do it?

In reply to edizzle89:

I agree that from my own perspective I have no desire to spend the time/money to acquire the hardware, software, and talent to to do 3D printing - irregardless of whether it would ever become cost-effective to print my own common daily objects.

Then again, I look at the commitment that thousands(probably hundreds of thousands) of teens and even pre-teens have put into learning A/V/Photo software, and I fully expect something similar will start happening with 3D printing.

So while my generation will never fully embrace the technology - just like many people a few years older than me who fall into the "non-native computer user" category

What happens when you can print your own 3 d printer? Pooof. Mind blown man!

Part of what I don't understand about 3D printing is that people seem to 3D print stuff that isn't terribly hard to make the old fashioned way. I fail to see the advantage of using an expensive, somewhat weak medium to make something that could be made stronger and more cheaply using traditional methods.

itsarebuild wrote: What happens when you can print your own 3 d printer? Pooof. Mind blown man!

The lathe has long been the one tool that could replicate itself. No vortices have swallowed us up.

It's when a robot can use a 3d printer to replicate himself that the E36 M3 really hits the fan.

G. P. Snorklewacker wrote: Weed makes a lot of people optimistic about the power of music.

3D print your own bong, dood.