Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/396235
The 3-D printer were invented in 1983 by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems. Chris Anderson, former edi- tor-in-chief of Wired, wrote in his book, Makers, that a new industrial revolution is under way because of them. Accompanying this latest technology are debates about ethics: Scientists at Cornell University printed a human ear recently, and sci- entists in Scotland are developing a way to print embryonic stem cells. There are also concerns about weapons: In 2012, a man 3-D-printed a gun and shared the blueprints on his website before the U.S. State Department shut it down. There are three types of 3-D printing: F U S E D D E P O S I T I O N M O D E L I N G : These printers melt a plastic filament and deposit the plastic in layers. There are two types of plastic, both of which MakerBot uses: ABS, which is sturdy and made from oil-based resources, and PLA, which is biodegradable and made from plant-based resources. S T E R E O L I T H O G R A P H Y : These machines use a laser to cure a resin and build the prototype one layer at a time. S E L E C T I V E L A S E R S I N T E R I N G : Lasers are used to sinter powdered metal, binding the powder together to create a solid structure. After each layer is sintered together, the structure drops and the next layer is built on top of it. To see what items can be created, visit www.thingiverse.com, a community where "mak- ers" share digital designs and photos of objects they have made with 3-D printers ranging from household planters to customizable necklaces. A FEW MORE FACTS ABOUT 3-D PRINTING Learning out her "arty" side, and shows off her virtual artwork that will be printed in a cheetah-print pattern. "To me, it's like combining geometry and art. I'm learning about different shapes and rectangles. I never would have expected that machines could do anything like this." In Casey Shea's "Maker" class at Analy High School in Sebastopol, students use 3-D printers on a regular basis, with Web-based apps like Autodesk's free "The 3-D printer has proven to have magnetic powers as an attention grabber and is a powerful hook for students," says Casey Shea, with Grant Eastham. learning how to decode and think critically, rather than having things spoon-fed to them." Willie Rhodes, 16, thinks the new technology and STEM class has given him a leg up on a career path. "This is giving me a better understanding of life. It has inspired me." Student Genesis Johnson says the print creations bring 41 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 3