Back when the movie industry had fewer legitimate existential threats, studios and theaters were utterly apoplectic about the scourge of film pirates supposedly robbing them blind. At the peak of this panic, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) released a controversialstudy claiming cam-wielding criminals had cost the industry a whopping $18.2 billion in lost revenue for 2005 alone.
The year before, industry-wide anxiety also compelled Warner Bros. and the MPAA to produce one of the most memorable PSAs of the new millennium. Titled “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car,”—and recently revealed to possibly have been made with pirated fonts—the commercials made the case that procuring a burnt DVD or torrent file of a grainy Meet the Fockers was, in fact, tantamount to a B&E robbery or grand theft auto. The two 45-second morality plays contained interstitial title cards insinuating that the presumably honest and law-abiding individual watching would never commit such real-world transgressions. So how come they’re OK with anonymously making or watching digital copies of media from the comfort of their own home?
Immediately, the public reacted to the ads with ridicule, not just at their pearl-clutching corniness, but the central premise itself. As many would point out in the years to come—sure, they’d pass on hotwiring a car in their neighbor’s driveway, but they’d be perfectly fine with downloading one. Once merely a meme, this fantasy is now one huge step closer to reality thanks to a recently reported breakthrough in the field of 3D printing.
A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has recently developed a printer with four different extruders that outputs five different materials to produce a fully functioning linear motor in about three hours. Publishing their work in the industry journal Virtual and Physical Prototyping, the team explained how by retrofitting a printer with enough extruders to handle the various materials needed to make a working motor, they decimated the usual production time for such a device and brought the material costs down to around $0.50.
In a world where the usual cost of building such a prototype would be comparatively huge and turnaround time could take anything from weeks to months, the team’s proof-of-concept has the potential to change the manufacturing world. The linear motor they fabricated, which operates in a straight line rather than spinning like a car engine’s, is primarily used in automation and manufacturing. It’s hard to fathom the scope of impact if factories floors were someday able to print out complex replacement parts rather than be at the whim of a sluggish global supply chain.
While the linear motor is a far cry from the complexity of a V12 engine, the MIT team’s development is unquestionably a significant baby step in that direction. We’re clearly still a ways off from being able to download and slice 2026RangeRover.stl files, but you might be surprised to learn that there are already hobbyists successfully 3D-printing parts and even entire cars, one piece at a time.
Big Auto may want to get a head start on brainstorming their own PSAs while there’s still time.
While waiting in a Des Moines, Iowa, exam room, Mya Buie nervously applies her lip gloss. Three months ago, the 17-year-old had multiple surgeries to reconstruct her jaw. In this moment, she is waiting to be seen for a postoperative checkup. She hasn’t liked medical settings since a shooting landed her in a Des Moines hospital’s intensive care unit for several days.”It was kind of scary. It was traumatic,” she said of the night her mother’s ex-boyfriend shot her in the face during a fight just days before her birthday.On the other hand, her surgeon, Dr. Simon Wright, has been looking forward to this appointment all week. He calls Buie one of his most memorable and brave patients.”I’m gonna take a look under your chin,” he says to Buie while carefully touching her face. The teenager was shot in the face with a .40-caliber bullet at close range. The impact of the bullet fractured and shattered her jaw into tiny fragments and permanently damaged four teeth.For years, Wright, a facial reconstruction trauma surgeon, has reconstructed facial bones by bending and molding titanium plates by hand to the injured area. It’s a time-consuming and often erroneous process.”There is always a level of dissatisfaction, and it doesn’t feel good to do something just good enough,” Wright said.The manual work has now been replaced with modern technology. Doctors used artificial intelligence to read a CT scan of Buie’s jaw, then a 3D printer turned that image into a custom jawbone plate.”It’s so much easier than trying to bend a plate to get it perfect,” Wright said. “It’s no question a game-changer.”Doctors say a customized jawbone plate allows for a more accurate fit, better aligns the jaw with a patient’s teeth, and cuts surgery time in half. What makes this process so unique: Buie’s customized plate was made in record time, a first for Des Moines trauma surgeons. “The ability to make a custom plate has been around for 10 years or more, but the ability to do it very quickly has not been,” Wright said.What would normally take several weeks took only a few days. The plate was created in a lab in Jacksonville, Florida, put on a plane to the Des Moines International Airport, then hand-delivered to the hospital on a Friday night before the teenager’s surgery first thing Saturday morning. “There is a lot of things that have to go right to do any kind of surgery at all, and to do something complicated like this, it’s really an inspiring thing to be part of,” Wright said, smiling. He also said this advancement serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting medical research because of its impact on people. “This came from the efforts of all kinds of people in different fields that have cross-pollinated. For example, 3D printing as a medical application, and at one point, it may not have begun with a medical endpoint in mind,” he said.For trauma patients, time is of the essence. For Buie, time does heal. The high school junior is back to school with plans to graduate early. Doctors expect her to make a full recovery. Her new jawbone plate will eventually fuse to bone and be as strong as ever. “I just thank God every day for giving me a second chance at life. I’m very grateful. I can tell my story and spread the word of God with this story, like a testament.” Buie will likely undergo additional surgeries. Next month, she will receive dental implants for her missing teeth.
While waiting in a Des Moines, Iowa, exam room, Mya Buie nervously applies her lip gloss. Three months ago, the 17-year-old had multiple surgeries to reconstruct her jaw. In this moment, she is waiting to be seen for a postoperative checkup. She hasn’t liked medical settings since a shooting landed her in a Des Moines hospital’s intensive care unit for several days.
On the other hand, her surgeon, Dr. Simon Wright, has been looking forward to this appointment all week. He calls Buie one of his most memorable and brave patients.
“I’m gonna take a look under your chin,” he says to Buie while carefully touching her face. The teenager was shot in the face with a .40-caliber bullet at close range. The impact of the bullet fractured and shattered her jaw into tiny fragments and permanently damaged four teeth.
For years, Wright, a facial reconstruction trauma surgeon, has reconstructed facial bones by bending and molding titanium plates by hand to the injured area. It’s a time-consuming and often erroneous process.
“There is always a level of dissatisfaction, and it doesn’t feel good to do something just good enough,” Wright said.
The manual work has now been replaced with modern technology. Doctors used artificial intelligence to read a CT scan of Buie’s jaw, then a 3D printer turned that image into a custom jawbone plate.
“It’s so much easier than trying to bend a plate to get it perfect,” Wright said. “It’s no question a game-changer.”
Doctors say a customized jawbone plate allows for a more accurate fit, better aligns the jaw with a patient’s teeth, and cuts surgery time in half. What makes this process so unique: Buie’s customized plate was made in record time, a first for Des Moines trauma surgeons.
“The ability to make a custom plate has been around for 10 years or more, but the ability to do it very quickly has not been,” Wright said.
What would normally take several weeks took only a few days. The plate was created in a lab in Jacksonville, Florida, put on a plane to the Des Moines International Airport, then hand-delivered to the hospital on a Friday night before the teenager’s surgery first thing Saturday morning.
“There is a lot of things that have to go right to do any kind of surgery at all, and to do something complicated like this, it’s really an inspiring thing to be part of,” Wright said, smiling. He also said this advancement serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting medical research because of its impact on people.
“This came from the efforts of all kinds of people in different fields that have cross-pollinated. For example, 3D printing as a medical application, and at one point, it may not have begun with a medical endpoint in mind,” he said.
For trauma patients, time is of the essence. For Buie, time does heal. The high school junior is back to school with plans to graduate early. Doctors expect her to make a full recovery. Her new jawbone plate will eventually fuse to bone and be as strong as ever.
“I just thank God every day for giving me a second chance at life. I’m very grateful. I can tell my story and spread the word of God with this story, like a testament.”
Buie will likely undergo additional surgeries. Next month, she will receive dental implants for her missing teeth.
It’s truly incredible how much new technology has made its way into the classroom. Where once teaching consisted primarily of whiteboards and textbooks, you can now find tablets, smart screens, AI assistants, and a trove of learning apps designed to foster inquiry and maximize student growth.
While these new tools are certainly helpful, the flood of options means that educators can struggle to discern truly useful resources from one-time gimmicks. As a result, some of the best tools for sparking curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking often go overlooked.
Personally, I believe 3D printing is one such tool that doesn’t get nearly enough consideration for the way it transforms a classroom.
3D printing is the process of making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying down many thin layers of material using a specialized printer. Using 3D printing, a teacher could make a model of a fossil to share with students, trophies for inter-class competitions, or even supplies for construction activities.
At first glance, this might not seem all that revolutionary. However, 3D printing offers three distinct educational advantages that have the potential to transform K–12 learning:
It develops success skills: 3D printing encourages students to build a variety of success skills that prepare them for challenges outside the classroom. For starters, its inclusion creates opportunities for students to practice communication, collaboration, and other social-emotional skills. The process of moving from an idea to a physical, printed prototype fosters perseverance and creativity. Meanwhile, every print–regardless of its success–builds perseverance and problem-solving confidence. This is the type of hands-on, inquiry-based learning that students remember.
It creates cross-curricular connections: 3D printing is intrinsically cross-curricular. Professional scientists, engineers, and technicians often use 3D printing to create product models or build prototypes for testing their hypotheses. This process involves documentation, symbolism, color theory, understanding of narrative, and countless other disciplines. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how these could also be beneficial to classroom learning. Students can observe for themselves how subjects connect, while teachers transform abstract concepts into tangible points of understanding.
It’s aligned with engineering and NGSS: 3D printing aligns perfectly with Next Gen Science Standards. By focusing on the engineering design process (define, imagine, plan, create, improve) students learn to think and act like real scientists to overcome obstacles. This approach also emphasizes iteration and evidence-based conclusions. What better way to facilitate student engagement, hands-on inquiry, and creative expression?
3D printing might not be the flashiest educational tool, but its potential is undeniable. This flexible resource can give students something tangible to work with while sparking wonder and pushing them to explore new horizons.
So, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the technology. Maybe try running a few experiments of your own. When used with purpose, 3D printing transforms from a common classroom tool into a launchpad for student discovery.
Jon Oosterman, Van Andel Institute for Education
Jon Oosterman is a Learning Specialist at Van Andel Institute for Education, a Michigan-based education nonprofit dedicated to creating classrooms where curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking thrive.
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Researchers at Drexel University and the McGill University in Montreal have demonstrated that the needle-like proboscis that mosquitoes use to suck blood can function as a dispenser tip in 3D printing machines.
Researchers at the New York Institute of Technology and the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) have developed what’s described as a highly realistic artificial human colon, a scientific advancement that may improve preclinical testing for cancer treatments and expand research capabilities in gastrointestinal diseases.
A new study in “Advanced Science” details the development of what may be the first functional, drug-testable, 3D-printed human colon model. Designed to provide an alternative to animal testing, the model closely replicates the structural and biological complexity of human colon tissue. Conceived by Steven Zanganeh, a bioengineer at New York Institute of Technology, with a campus in Old Westbury, the project aims to advance colorectal cancer research and support the development of precision therapies, while also laying the groundwork for realistic models of other human organs.
“This is, to our knowledge, the first model of its kind and represents a true leap forward in biomedical innovation,” Zanganeh, who aims to commercialize the prototype, said in a news release about the model.
“While this project successfully replicated a human colon, it also opens doors to create functional tissue for virtually any human organ,” Zanganeh said.
“This breakthrough points to a future in which therapeutic testing can be performed without dependence on traditional cell cultures or animal models, streamlining the path to clinical trials,” he added. “What once sounded like science fiction is now reality.”
Using human CT scan data, the team created a detailed anatomical map of the colon and employed bioprinting with hydrogels to fabricate a model that mimics key structural layers and functions. Printed at a UC Irvine facility, the model also supported the introduction and treatment of a tumor, offering a new platform for cancer drug discovery and disease research.
“Our 3-D, human-relevant colon model overcomes key limitations of 2-D cell cultures and animal studies,” Rahim Esfandyar-Pour, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at UC Irvine, said in the news release. “It lets us study disease and drug responses in a way that is far closer to the patient, opening a faster, more reliable path to new therapies.”
Zanganeh and his team – including doctoral, graduate and medical students from New York Tech – plan to develop additional 3D tissue models. These prototypes aim to withstand electrical stimulation – recreating conditions that transport substances and molecules across cell membranes – and those replicating immune function.
“By combining cutting-edge bioprinting with interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Zanganeh and his colleagues have opened a new frontier in cancer research,” Babak Beheshti, dean of New York Tech’s College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, said in the news release.
“We are proud to see our faculty leading discoveries with the potential to transform medicine and improve lives worldwide,” Beheshti said.
Do you do a lot of 3D printing? Buying filament all the time can add up – never mind that it can be wasteful. The Loop is an upcoming desktop gizmo that can take bits of PLA, ABS, or PET-G printer waste and shred, heat, and extrude them into fresh filament. Its maker is accepting early reservations for the device with $100 down and a sub-$1500 launch price.
SAN JOSE — California has plenty of problems including a lack of housing and an excess of plastic waste material.
Now a Southern California company has combined those two challenges into an innovative way to create more homes that was on display in San Jose Sunday.
Each time the “TinyFest” small home expo returns to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds it seems to take on more relevance. Event CEO Renee Seevers said the show got rolling by introducing people to what micro dwellings have to offer.
“One of the big goals that TinyFest had was to normalize and expose people to these because they were just such an unknown — ‘What is that little thing I see on TV?’” Seevers recalled. “Now we’re really focusing on teaching them how accessible they can be financially and how you can place them in more places now.”
As accessory dwelling units (ADU) have grown in popularity, there have been lots of innovations but one of the most revolutionary is what’s coming from a company called Azure Printed Homes.
“This is a 180 sq. ft. home that we were able to print in 24 hours,” said Azure’s sales manager Jeremy Peyton.
At its Southern California factory, a giant 3D printer arm suspended over a rotating carousel extrudes a constant bead of molten plastic to create a solid shell for the structure. With no seams, it’s leak-proof and insect-proof and, to make it bigger, you simply connect more sections together.
“The material we’re using is recycled plastic,” Payton said. “Think food containers, plastic water bottles mixed with a polymer resin with fiberglass to give it that structural integrity.”
The company estimates a studio apartment on display was created using the equivalent of 150,000 recycled plastic bottles. Inside it contains a living space including a small kitchen area and a bathroom with full-size commode and shower. By eliminating the high cost of lumber and on-site construction, the price for the single unit is only $35,000.
At the show, Susan Dold was looking for ideas for an ADU she wants to build on her Lake County property.
“I was going to buy one of those steel cargo containers and build my own,” she said. “I priced out all the materials and labor and these prices are much less than what I could build it for. So, I think I’m going to buy one.”
It’s a compelling proposition: Construction costs decreased while also addressing the shortage of housing and a glut of plastic waste.
“We’re truly in a homeless crisis right now and we also have this incredible source of plastic,” Peyton said. “Unfortunately, there’s 54 million tons of plastic that’s wasted each year in the U.S. and we’re only recycling four percent of it.”
Customers can design a ADU at the company’s online order site and the completed structure will be delivered anywhere in the country within four weeks time.
If necessity is the mother of invention, the need to construct more housing and produce less waste may be giving birth to a whole new world of innovation.
“We’re growing quickly. The scalability is there,” Peyton said. “We’re keeping up with demand. I believe it is the future.”
John Ramos accidentally launched a lifelong career in journalism when he began drawing editorial cartoons and writing smart-alecky satire pieces for the Bakersfield High School newspaper.
A Texas company — driven by a mission to create faster, better and more affordable housing — is 3D printing homes. It’s also working with NASA to 3D print on the Moon. Lesley Stahl reports.
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If you want to make a costume for a movie, theater, or any other event, keep in mind that this is not an easy task.
The first step is to make a plan. And how to make a good one? Well, just focus on the main theme or a specific role of the actor that will wear your costume.
Also, we’ve found some expert tips, and you can check them in the following sections.
Papier-Mâché
This one represents a great way to boost your creativity. It is a technique where you can make all sorts of objects out of paper. A perfect example is when your kid has a school play. You can use it to make a mask or some accessories.
In fact, it is all what you need to get started if you just started practicing making costumes, masks, and other items common in movies and similar settings. Just get some glue and old newspapers, and you are good to go.
Try to be Authentic
If you are a beginner, it’s unlikely that you will manage to create a costume that is fully realistic for a certain historical period, or specific details related to the character. It would require a lot of time and proper resources.
On the other side, you could make it more authentic by learning some details.
For instance, if the character is from the Victorian era, you can add some details like tight corsets, common fabrics used during that period, and more.
Visualize Your Ideas
A simple explanation for this one is to just be creative. Experiment and play around with different techniques and styles until you figure out the one that will be appropriate for the character.
You can make a sketch, and then create a list of things you will need for such a costume. This will also help you be realistic. For instance, you might have planned on making a costume that would require something that simply isn’t available, or it is too expensive.
Play around with drawing. In most cases, you won’t be able to make a perfect one with the first attempt. It is a process where you will alter the initial sketch multiple times before you achieve the right model.
Choose the Right Fabric
We already mentioned the Victorian Era. Well, you can use the same approach for any character. Just check out what makes them unique. If you want to create a Japanese Kimono, that doesn’t mean that you will have to order one from Japan.
There are techniques you can apply to fabric to make them look old. The most popular is to stain it with tea.
Another important detail related to fabric is to always select the one that is strong enough to withstand various changes like attachments and sewing.
Sewing and Construction
These skills require experience. If you never used a needle before, you should play around with old cloth and other materials until you learn the basics.
And then you can try making your first costume.
The best solution is to have a doll of the same size as the actor so that you can ensure the right dimensions. Also, the doll will serve as a base where you can easily attach many other elements.
Accessories
This is one of the most important parts when making a costume. Additional details will make the character more realistic and unique.
So, before the start, focus on the role of the person that will wear it. That will make it easier to consider the additional materials. For example, a medieval knight will need a suit of armor, or at least something close to that.
Also, it’s all about those small details you can apply, such as a specific amount of buttons, their size, jewelry, and more.
Besides that, don’t forget to maintain the flexibility of the costume. The point is to make it comfortable enough to not represent an issue for the actor to go through his role while wearing it.
Prosthetics
The real transformation into the character can be achieved with the right prosthetics. But this is also an advanced process that requires skills and experience.
So, you will have to create the proper size that fits perfectly to the wearer.
The common techniques combined are adhesives and makeup that can make the costume blend in in just the right way.
Don’t forget about durability. You don’t want the costume to fall off or break during the show.
Be sure to make it on time so that the actor can wear it while preparing for the main event.
The goal is to collect all the tools required to make a costume.
The proper layout also depends on the type of costume you are making.
For example, you might have to start with the prosthetics, or to plan the accessories first.
Just don’t rush. Follow a clear plan, and focus on creating a suit that perfectly resembles the character and is strong enough to maintain in one piece during the whole time.
Use Advanced Technology
First of all, we will mention the design programs you can use on PC to draw, plan the materials, or even test which combination would be the best.
3D modeling is now easily accessible, and there are even AI-powered solutions where reaching a perfect design was never easier.
Another, even more useful option is the 3D printing. It can help you get even more creative and don’t worry so much when you cannot find certain materials or accessories. You can simply make an authentic copy of it on a 3D printer. And don’t worry if you are just a beginner, there are many businesses that are offering printing on demand.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many skills and tools required to make a costume. But still, creativity remains a core for this.
Besides that, practice is the only way to improve your skills. There are numerous techniques you can use to make accessories, fabrics, and other parts of the costume.
So, just start with a clear plan, and you will figure it out by using all these techniques.
A Texas company — driven by a mission to create faster, better and more affordable housing — is 3D printing homes. It’s also working with NASA to 3D print on the Moon. Lesley Stahl reports.
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First, Geoffrey Hinton on promise, risks of AI. Then, Gen. Mark Milley: The 60 Minutes
Interview. Next, Rich Paul: The 60 Minutes Interview. And, 3D printing homes on Earth, someday the moon.
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There was a time when futurists were predicting that the advent of 3D printing was going to change our lives.. that each of our houses would have a 3D printer to make whatever items we need. What virtually no one predicted, though, was that there might soon be 3D printers that could construct almost the entire house.
But that’s just what a 6-year-old Austin, Texas company called Icon is doing.. 3D printing buildings. And if you believe Icon’s mission-driven young founder, 3D printing could revolutionize how we build, help create affordable housing, even allow us, to.. wait for it.. colonize the moon. Sound out of this world? Take a look..
What you’re watching is the building.. actually, the printing, of a 4-bedroom home. On this construction site, there’s no hammering or sawing, just a nozzle squirting out concrete — kind of like an oversized soft serve ice cream dispenser — laying down the walls of a house one layer at a time. It’s the brainchild of a 41-year-old Texan who’s rarely without a cowboy hat, Jason Ballard.
A 3D printer squeezes out the concrete mixture for the houses.
60 Minutes
Lesley Stahl: 3D printing a house.
Jason Ballard: Yes, ma’am.
Lesley Stahl: People are gonna hear that and say, “No.”
Jason Ballard: We’re sitting inside one right now.
Lesley Stahl: This house was printed?
Jason Ballard: Yes, ma’am.
Lesley Stahl: Oh.
Jason Ballard: There you are.
Lesley Stahl: Look at this.
Jason Ballard: Welcome.
And so was this one. Does a concrete home printed by a robot have to look cold and industrial? Maybe not.
Lesley Stahl: I like the curved wall.
Ballard gave us a peek at the first completed model home in what will soon be the world’s first large community of 3D-printed houses – a hundred of them.. part of a huge new development north of Austin. They’ll start in the high $400 thousand range. How exactly does 3D printing a house work? Well, it starts with this one-and-a-half-ton sack of dry concrete powder, which gets mixed with water, sand, and additives, and is then pumped to the robotic printer.
Conner Jenkins: Now, you are looking at how we control the bead size.
Conner Jenkins, Icon’s manager of construction here, explained that the printer completes one layer called a “bead” every 30 minutes, by which time it’s hardened enough to be ready for the next bead. Steel is added every 10th layer for strength.
Lesley Stahl: The amount of change you’re making is–
Conner Jenkins: Tiny.
It takes about two weeks to print the full 160-bead house. Jenkins gave me the controls.. an iPad.
Houses are being built using 3D-printing technology in Texas.
60 Minutes
Conner Jenkins: So look, Lesley, that’s a little skinny. Will you press the plus 1% real quick?
Lesley Stahl: Aren’t you worried?
Conner Jenkins: Done. You just increased the bead size incrementally.
Lesley Stahl: I’d be worried if I were you.
But turns out the path is entirely pre-programmed. I couldn’t mess it up if i tried.
Lesley Stahl: Don’t tell the people–
Conner Jenkins: I think that’s the most gorgeous bead I’ve ever seen. I think this’ll be the highest selling house. (laughs)
For now, as Jason Ballard showed us, Icon is only 3D printing walls, with cutouts for plumbing and electricity. Roofs, windows and insulation are added the old-fashioned way, by construction workers. He calls it a paradigm shift in how we construct our housing.
Lesley Stahl: But why do we need a big shift like that?
Jason Ballard: ‘Cause right now, it is too expensive, it falls over in a hurricane, it burns up in a fire, it gets eaten by termites. The way you try to make it affordable is you trim quality on materials. You trim quality on labor. The result is these cookie cutter developments. And, like, this is not the wor– like, we are not succeeding at something we have to get right. And on top of that, it’s an ecological disaster. And I would certainly say, it is existentially urgent that we shelter ourselves without ruining the planet we have to live on.
Jason Ballard: Fire resistant, flood resistant..
Ballard showed us a sample of a 3D-printed wall beside a conventionally built one.
Lesley Stahl: You say it’s faster, more efficient.
Jason Ballard: Yes.
Lesley Stahl: Why do you say that?
Jason Ballard: What you’ve got, let’s count the materials. Siding, one. Moisture barrier, two. Sheathing, three. Stud, four. Drywall, five. And then float tape and texture, you can count that either as one or three, but you’ve got at least half a dozen novel steps that have to take place to deliver an American stick frame wall system. By comparison, we need a single material supply chain, delivered by a robot.
Jason Ballard demonstrated the difference between a conventionally built wall and a 3D-printed wall.
60 Minutes
Lesley Stahl: Let’s talk about waste.
Jason Ballard: Yes, ma’am.
Lesley Stahl: Over here.
Jason Ballard: At the end of constructing a home with these materials, there are truckloads, and truckloads of waste left over. These studs are gonna have off-cuts that go into a waste pile. Same with siding, same with drywall.
Whereas with 3D printing, he says, you only print what you need.
Jason Ballard: So in short, like if an alien came down to Planet Earth and saw these two ways of building and said, “From first principles, which is better?” The alien would go, “Stronger, faster, termite resistant, fire resistant, like by a mile this is the best way to build.
Though old-school construction workers may disagree. If Ballard sounds a little like a revved-up salesman, or a preacher, there’s a reason for that. He grew up in east Texas, a studious, outdoorsy, spiritual kid, first in his family to graduate from college.
Lesley Stahl: You were thinking about becoming an Episcopal priest.
Jason Ballard: Yeah, I was almost an Episcopal priest. But along the way, I started just, like, getting this, like, itch about housing not being right. So I studied conservation biology. I got involved in sustainable building, and I worked at the local homeless shelter. And so now I’m thinking about homelessness and I’m working in sustainable building. Along the way, my hometown gets destroyed by a hurricane. And I have to go help my family pull drywall outta their house. I– I feel like–
Lesley Stahl: Oh, wow.
Jason Ballard: –life is just putting housing in front of me, right as I’ve been, like, approved to go to seminary. And so I go to my bishop, the Bishop of Texas, Andy Doyle. He’s still the Bishop of Texas. And– I said, “What do I do?” (laughs) And at the end, he said, “Jason, I want you to pursue this housing thing like this is your priesthood. This is your vocation. And if it doesn’t work out, the church has been here for a long time. We’ll still be here.”
Lesley Stahl: But that must’ve turned the switch for you.
Jason Ballard: It did. It made it more than a hobby or a business, right, that it sorta became a mission.
He began pursuing that mission with Evan Loomis, a buddy from Texas A&M who had gone into finance.
Evan Loomis: As we looked at it, like, nobody had incorporated kinda the holy trinity of innovation to housing which was robotics, advanced materials, and software.
So in a borrowed warehouse on nights and weekends, and having read everything they could find about the mechanics of 3D printing, they tried to design a 3D printer that could make a building.
Lesley Stahl: How big was it?
Jason Ballard: It was ten feet, by 10 feet, by 10 feet. So it would’ve– it would’ve printed– if we had ever gotten it to work, which we did not– (laughs) it would have printed, like, a 100 square foot, like, demonstration building.
They didn’t get it to work, but enter Alex Le Roux, a recent Baylor engineering graduate, who was tinkering with a similar idea.
Lesley Stahl: Did you ever actually build anything?
Alex Le Roux: Yeah I did.
Lesley Stahl: What was it?
Alex Le Roux: A printed shed. A shed doesn’t sound too cool, but it was a big milestone.
Jason Ballard: It’s a real structure.
Alex Le Roux: Yeah.
Alex Le Roux, Jason Ballard and Evan Loomis founded Icon together.
60 Minutes
The three co-founded Icon in 2017, and soon got funding to print a small house to unveil at Austin’s SXSW festival the following spring. They built a new, larger printer, that worked.
Alex Le Roux: And we got really excited.
But the kinks hadn’t quite been worked out.
Alex Le Roux: So at one point, we ran the printer into the print.
Lesley Stahl: Explain that.
Jason Ballard: It was supposed to go up, and it went down, and then drove into the house (laughs) and, like, pushed a buncha–
Alex Le Roux: Exactly.
Jason Ballard: –layers off.
Funny now, but not so much at the time.
Jason Ballard: Some engineers folks who were, like, helping us, sat us down and said, “Guys, it’s been a great effort. But you’re not gonna get there. So, like, why don’t you guys get some rest?” And we were basically like, “Get out of here.” (laughter) We’re like–
Evan Loomis: It’s true.
Jason Ballard: –“A–anyone who wants to sh– to finish this home may stay; everyone else needs to leave.”
Lesley Stahl: And the three of you all agreed on that?
Alex Le Roux: Yeah.
Jason Ballard: We knew that we were on to something. And, like, we– this was, like, our shot. And we weren’t gonna miss it.
They worked round the clock, and made the festival deadline by just hours.
Evan Loomis: Hey Ballard, any words for the victory lap?
Jason Ballard: Never, never never never give up.
Jason Ballard: I stand by those words. Yeah, sure. (laughs) Never give up.
He showed us the 350-square-foot finished house.
Lesley Stahl: It’s a small little house, but it’s kind of elegant.
Jason Ballard: “Well, I’ll be. That’s not so bad.” I mean I think (laughs) that’s kinda how people felt about it–
Lesley Stahl: Yeah.
Jason Ballard: It was, like, better than they expected. And it was easy to believe, “Well, they’ll get better.”
That small little house won Icon a lot of attention.. an innovation award.. investors.. meetings with the military.. and with another Austin innovator — Alan Graham, who created a village called Community First! that provides small homes to several hundred of the formerly homeless.
Alan Graham: Our goal was really the most despised, outcast, lost and forgotten of our community.
Lesley Stahl: Oh, wow.
Alan Graham: Average time on the streets is nine years. Average age of death is 59.
Jason Ballard: It’s an absolute miracle out there. And so when we were ready to start building homes, one of the first organizations we reached out to was Alan Graham.
So Icon 3D printed a welcome center, and then six small houses for village residents. That’s how 73-year-old Tim Shea, who battled heroin addiction for decades, in 2020 became the first person in this country to live in a 3D-printed home.
Tim Shea and Lesley Stahl
60 Minutes
Lesley Stahl: Before I saw these houses in my mind, I thought it must be cold. You’re shaking ’cause you don’t think that.
Tim Shea: No. Just the opposite. You feel embraced– you know, enveloped.
Alan Graham: People that live, that are in the economic strata, the men and women that we serve are gonna be the last people on the planet that are gonna benefit out of new technology. And he wanted to make sure that they were the first.
Lesley Stahl: The first person in North America to live in a 3D-printed house was homeless.
Tim Shea: Yeah, I– isn’t that somethin’?
The years since have seen tremendous growth for Icon: a new factory to build more printers, and improve the quality of its concrete and a facility called ‘Printland’ to experiment with new designs. Icon has printed small homes in rural Mexico, vehicle hide structures for the Marine Corps, huge barracks for the Army and Air Force and a deluxe showcase home featuring wavy walls and curves that would be prohibitively expensive if built traditionally, but not when programmed into a 3D printer.
Lesley Stahl: So in your minds, is your customer a homeless person? Or is your customer me?
Jason Ballard: There’s a trick here because what our heart wants to do is to serve the very poor. And it’s often been, like, confusing for people to understand. It’s like, “I thought you guys were helping homelessness. Why are you building that fancy house?”
Lesley Stahl: Yeah.
Jason Ballard: I would resign if I was only allowed to build luxury homes. And we would go bankrupt right now if all we built was 3% margin homes for homeless people. But once this technology arrives in its full force– I think it fundamentally transforms the way we build.
It has been a staple of science fiction forever — humans living and working on the moon. But for NASA, that dream is almost within reach. Their new Artemis program plans to return American astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years — this time, not just to visit, but eventually to stay and even use the moon as a base for exploring Mars and beyond. But staying on the moon requires infrastructure — landing pads, roads, housing — and you can’t exactly bring two-by-fours and sheetrock on a spacecraft. That’s where 3D printing comes in. NASA is partnering with Jason Ballard’s company Icon to pioneer 3D printing on the moon.
Last fall, NASA launched the first in a series of Artemis missions. The next, with crew on board, is scheduled for next fall. And by the end of the decade, an Icon printer is supposed to fly to the moon to test print part of a landing pad. Jason Ballard, who once applied to be an astronaut but was rejected, can’t wait.
Jason Ballard: If the schedule holds, or even approximately holds, the first object ever built on another world will be built with Icon hardware.
Lesley Stahl: He wants Icon to be the first company to make something on another world.
Corky Clinton: So do we.
At Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, NASA scientists Jennifer Edmunson and Corky Clinton run a program called Impact.. spelled M-M-P-A-C-T.
NASA scientists Jennifer Edmunson and Corky Clinton
60 Minutes
Corky Clinton: Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technologies.
Lesley Stahl: Whoa. You people at NASA, you come up with these very, very (laughs) long names.
Corky Clinton: That’s why we call it MMPACT. (laughs)
The key word there is autonomous.
Corky Clinton: We want to be able to make structures that we need without having to be tended by astronauts.
Jennifer Edmunson: If you’re gonna have a truly sustainable presence on the lunar surface, you have to be as Earth-independent as possible.
NASA was interested in 3D printing, having looked at an early version almost 20 years ago. So when they heard about the progress Icon had made with their first houses in Austin, Corky Clinton traveled there to take a look.
Corky Clinton: Being an engineer, I spent a lot of my time going around and looking at the size of the beads and how they went around the corners, and I’ll tell ya, I was really impressed with what they had accomplished.
Impressed enough that NASA gave Icon development money in 2020, and then, last fall, a $57 million contract.
Jason Ballard: Welcome to Spacelab, Lesley. This is where we figure out how to build on other worlds.
Ballard and Evan Jensen, who leads the project, explained the fundamental challenge.
Jason Ballard: To bring an object roughly this size from Earth to the moon’s surface would be $1 million. And think of how many sort of brick-sized things we would need to do — launch pad, landing pads, roads, habitats, so we have to learn to live off the land.
Lesley Stahl: You have to learn to build it there and use the material–
Jason Ballard: Correct. Yeah.
Lesley Stahl: –from there.
Jason Ballard: That’s right.
But that’s no easy feat. It means using what’s called lunar regolith, which covers the moon’s surface, rather than concrete and water, as a building material.
Jennifer Edmunson: Regolith is made up of rock that has been pummeled over billions of years from asteroids, comets and things.
Lesley Stahl: Is it like sand?
Jennifer Edmunson: It’s actually finer than sand.
Icon has a big tub full of simulated moon regolith, and they have invented and built a robotic system to 3D print with it.
Lesley Stahl: You’re gonna build all those roads and buildings out of this?
Evan Jensen: That’s correct. The robots will.
Jason Ballard: This is actually the mission that we are scheduled to fly.
As he pointed out in this rendering…
Jason Ballard: Our robotic arm with our laser system..
They’ve created a whole new way to 3D print — with lasers. Instead of a nozzle squirting out soft concrete, a high-intensity laser beam will melt the powdery regolith, to transform it into a hard, strong, building material. they’re running experiments now, using the laser to create a small sample.
Jason Ballard: Once that red light is on, we’re hot.
Lesley Stahl: Oh.
Jason Ballard: Lots of power.
Martyn Staalsen: Here we go.
Jason Ballard: Here we go.
We watched on monitors as the arm got into position.
Martyn Staalsen: There’s the laser.
Lesley Stahl: Oh. That white thing is the laser.
Evan Jensen: So it’s melting right now– It’s going up to, say, 1,500 degrees Celsius.
Jason Ballard: It’s gonna complete its second pass. You can see it emerging there.See the dark object on the screen? That’s the object we just made with the laser.
They can add more regolith and laser again and again to build in layers to go as high as they want, which will be done remotely from earth. It takes hours to cool, so they showed me a sample they’d made days earlier.
Lesley Stahl: This is pretty darn hard.
Evan Jensen: That’s our landing pad. You’re holding it.
Lesley Stahl: I’m holding the landing pad?
Jason Ballard: That’s exactly right.
Lesley Stahl: It’s pretty cool. That’s a scientific term.
NASA uses a plasma torch to test the printed material provided by Icon.
Icon sends them to NASA, where they’re blasted with this special plasma torch..
Corky Clinton: The torch will be about 4,000 degrees
To see if they can take the heat a landing pad would have to withstand.
Corky Clinton: See there.
Lesley Stahl: Oh, there it is.
The torch is so bright, you have to watch on a monitor.
Corky Clinton: That was it.
A few minutes later, out it came.
Lesley Stahl: Oh. It’s just a little bit warm.
Corky Clinton: It looks good to me. I don’t see any loss of material. I don’t see any cratering.
Lesley Stahl: It survived the test?
Corky Clinton: Passed the test with flying colors.
The next test will be operating the entire robotic arm and laser..
Corky Clinton: We’ll put in a large-scale simulant bed.
Inside NASA’s giant thermal vacuum chamber, which mimics the moon’s extreme cold, heat, and vacuum conditions.
Jason Ballard: This is sort of like–
Ballard’s idea is to eventually send mobile 3D printers to the moon..
Jason Ballard: So this moves the printer around..
With a longer robotic arm sticking out of the top to print whatever is needed.
Jason Ballard: And then they would build the road and then they would build those habitats. Right?
This Icon rendering shows what 3D printing on the moon might look like.
Provided to 60 Minutes by Icon
And it wouldn’t stop there.
Jason Ballard: If we can do it on the moon, we can do it on Mars. The moon is actually harder.
Lesley Stahl: It’s harder?
Jason Ballard: Mars is almost in every way easier, except for it’s so far away.
Easier, they agree, because for one thing, Mars doesn’t have extreme temperature swings.
Lesley Stahl: Still, in my mind, it’s science fiction. But in your minds, it’s absolutely in the palm of your hand. It’s going to happen.
Jennifer Edmunson: We can see the steps and the technology to get us there.
Lesley Stahl: Now, that’s thrilling.
Corky Clinton: It’s exciting.
Jason Ballard: Quality can’t go backwards in Block 4.
Icon says trying to 3D print on the moon and Mars is helping with their work here on Earth. They are formulating new mixes to reduce the carbon footprint of their concrete.
Alex Le Roux: We think we will be there by end of year.
And they’re trying out more radical architecture..
Jason Ballard: Quite complex shapes and geometries. Almost looks like ripples on the surface of water.
Patterned walls..
Jason Ballard: It’s very subtle.
Lesley Stahl: Oh, look at this.
Jason Ballard: Yeah, it almost looks impossible.
And next year, as in these renderings, they’ll be printing round hotel rooms in Marfa, Texas.. and futuristic-looking designer homes.
Jason Ballard: You see a bedroom on that end with a shower and a bedroom here. And here’s some renderings of the interior.
Lesley Stahl: Wow.
Jason Ballard: Right? It gets you goin’, doesn’t it?
Lesley Stahl: We’re living at time, right now, where a lot of CEOs have been caught over-promising, hyping.
Jason Ballard: Mm-hm.
Lesley Stahl: I’m thinking of Theranos.
Jason Ballard: You’re absolutely right. And it– and it– it’s– it’s– it’s a tougher thing than you know. Because part of the job is to get your investors, get your team, and in our case the world– to believe the things you are saying. Except the things you are saying don’t exist yet.
Lesley Stahl: Yeah. Oh, boy–
Jason Ballard: You– you need to get them to believe..So it’s hard to know– like, even in this interview, I actually haven’t yet told you all the things I believe we’re going to do, ’cause I’m, like, measuring myself.
Lesley Stahl: Give us one example. (laughs) Something wild.
Jason Ballard: I mean, in the future, I think most buildings will be designed by AI, most projects will be run by software, and almost everything will be built by robots. And I don’t think that’s that far away.
Lesley Stahl: I at my age find that very depressing–
Jason Ballard: Haa–
Lesley Stahl: –but I’m sure young people don’t–
Jason Ballard: –well, lemme– yeah, no, no. That world, housing will be more abundant, more affordable, more beautiful. It will make this version of housing look depressing by example.
Lesley Stahl: You know that expression, “If it seems too good to be true, it is?”
Jason Ballard: Or– I do know that expression. But cars, and airplanes, and moon landings seemed too good to be true for a moment as well. And so, like maybe the only proof I can give you is, like, I’m betting my life on it. Like, I have this one precious life to live, and I’m using it to do this. And if I could think of a better way, I’d be doing that instead, or I’d go fishing. Like, this is so hard. (laughs)
NEW YORK — There was a shocking discovery at an East Harlem day care.
Authorities said Wednesday they recovered ghost guns and 3D printers in an unlocked room inside Alay’s Day Care on East 117th Street between Park and Madison avenues. Three people were arrested, including an 18-year-old and two minors.
Police made the terrifying discovery after executing a search warrant.
Illegally manufactured ghost guns and the 3D printers used to make them were found. The NYPD said it executed three search warrants Tuesday. The third led to the seizure.
“Inside this day care facility, investigators recovered a 3D printer, 3D printing cools and plastic filament, two completed 3D-printed firearms, one 3D-printed assault pistol, and one additional 3D-printed receiver,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner Of Intelligence and Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner said.
“Charges will include illegal firearms possession, manufacturing of an assault weapon, and reckless endangerment,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
“This is a heartbreaking scenario: Thinking that you’re dropping your child off to a place of safe haven just to find out that it was a dangerous environment where someone was making a gun inside,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “Who would’ve thought that we must add to our list of inspections — Do we have 3D printers that can print guns? Do we see the presence of various items like fentanyl and other items?”
Of those arrested, one was 18-year-old Karon Coley. Police said Coley lives in the home with his mother, who owns and operates the day care center. Police wouldn’t comment on whether Coley’s mother will face charges as the investigation is ongoing.
“You’ve got an 18-year-old in his room, 3D printer. He’s not making little robotic toys — he’s making guns. That should be scary to everyone,” Adams said.
“Unfortunately, a child had to die for us to really have to pay attention to what is happening in day care centers,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.
In her first interview since 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici’s death, Clark told CBS New York attending his funeral has made the case personal.
“I turned around and there was a tiny coffin there with such an incredibly adorable young man, little boy dead, I can’t take that. It was unacceptable. I was so emotional, and I’m the DA. I’m supposed to show strength, but I’m also human and to see a little 1-year-old baby in a coffin, to see that makes it even more of a priority to make sure we get justice for him.”
When asked what justice will look like for the baby’s family, Clark said, “Justice means the people responsible for this spend the rest of their lives in jail. That’s what the family wants. That’s what I’m gonna be seeking.”
Mayor Adams said he believes changes need to be made to the day care inspection process, and did not rule out the possibility that the NYPD may step in going forward.
“There’s an extensive process already in place. But we are dealing with a new enemy. And we have to stay ahead of those who are finding creative ways to create dangerous environments,” Adams said.
Department of Health officials said the East Harlem day care has been open since 2021. The last inspection it did was in February of this year. It said the owners were cited for health and hygiene issues, but took corrective action.
Adams is leading a formal analysis and assessment of what inspectors can look for at day care centers going forward, and what warning signs parents can look for, themselves.
Dubai has announced the construction of a 3D-printed concrete mosque to accommodate 600 worshippers and cover 2,000 square meters over two floors, with construction planned to begin by the end of year and completed in the first quarter of 2025. What do you think?
“How many slaves will that technology put out of jobs?”
Kathy Ursache, Deputy Secretary
High School Student, Teacher Applying For Same Summer Waitressing Job
“I always thought Dubai leaned more Presbyterian.”
Andy Harmon, Funeral Singer
“Finally, a viable technology for constructing buildings.”
Washington – On its own, a Glock 17 is legal. But, a simple device can suddenly make it exponentially more dangerous and illegal.
“So these are actually referred to as machine gun conversion devices,” technician Nick Campbell with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives explained to CBS News at an ATF lab in Washington, D.C. “You can see some of these are mass-produced, metallic made. And then some of these are additive materials, 3D printed. And this is what you’ll hear referred to as a switch.”
The conversion devices are small and inexpensive. They cost as little as $20 but can change a handgun to fire 15 rounds in under two seconds. And these modified weapons are becoming more common, officials said.
“We’re seeing them with a degree of regularity, about 50% more than we saw last year,” said Metropolitan Police Department Cmdr. LaShay Makal, who previously ran the department’s gun recovery unit, but now oversees the Seventh District.
Makal said modified guns “increases the likelihood that we’re going to encounter multiple victims when these are used. And also, in those singular victim incidents, it increases the likelihood that those incidents will be fatal.”
The ATF has seen a 570% increase nationwide of seized modified weapons over the past five years. Last month, Metropolitan police recovered a 3D printer making illegal weapon parts.
“I think we understand, as a police department that, you know, this is a nationwide issue,” Makal said. “We understand that we can’t arrest our way out of this. We need assistance.”
Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee, who announced Wednesday that he is leaving the department to join the FBI, believes the justice ecosystem needs an overhaul in order to keep illegal guns from causing more harm.
“It’s something that’s on my mind every day, while we’re sitting here,” Contee said of the nation’s mass shooting crisis. “You take one person with one firearm that’s capable of shooting 100 rounds of ammunition very rapidly in a short period of time. That can happen anywhere at any time. And we see these … converter switches that are able to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic firearms, those are the things that keep me up at night.”
Jan. 20, 2023 – Scientists have made big strides in the fight against cancer. A person’s risk of dying of cancer in the U.S. fell by 27% in the past 2 decades, thanks in large part to researchers who continue to uncover the complex details of how cancer works and to make advances in treatment.
Now the emerging technology of 3D bioprinting – like 3D printing for the human body, using actual human cells – promises to speed up that research, by enabling scientists to develop 3D tumor models that better represent samples from patients.
The impact could be “huge,” says Y. Shrike Zhang, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate bioengineer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who studies 3D bioprinting. “It is not the only technology that may allow modeling of tumors in vitro, but it certainly is one of the most capable.”
Why does that matter? Because the 2D cell cultures that scientists often use now may not capture all the complexities of how cancer grows, spreads, and responds to treatment. It’s one reason why so few potential new cancer drugs – 3.4%, according to one estimate – can pass all clinical trials. Results may not carry over from the culture dish to the patient.
A 3D-bioprinted model, on the other hand, may be better at copying a tumor’s “microenvironment” – all the parts (cells, molecules, blood vessels) that surround a tumor.
“The tumor microenvironment plays an integral role in defining how cancer progresses,” says Madhuri Dey, a PhD candidate and researcher at Penn State University. “In-vitro 3D models are an attempt at reconstituting a [cancer] microenvironment, which sheds light on how tumors respond to chemo or immunotherapeutic treatments when they are present in a native-like microenvironment.”
Dey is the lead author of a study (funded by the National Science Foundation) in which breast cancer tumors were 3D-bioprinted and successfully treated. Unlike some previous 3D models of cancer cells, this model did a better job of imitating that microenvironment, explains Dey.
So far, “3D bioprinting of cancer models has been limited to bioprinting of individual cancer cells laden in hydrogels,” she says. But she and her colleagues developed a technique (called aspiration-assisted bioprinting) that lets them control where blood vessels are located relative to the tumor. “This model lays the foundation for studying these nuances of cancer,” Dey says.
“This is a quite cool work,” Zhang says of the Penn State study (which he was not involved in). “Vascularization is always a key component in [a] majority of the tumor types.” A model that incorporates blood vessels provides a “critical niche” to help tumor models reach their full potential in cancer research.
A 3D Printer for Your Body
Chances are you’ve heard of 3D printing and may even own (or know someone who owns) a 3D printer. The concept is like regular printing, but instead of spewing ink onto paper, a 3D printer releases layers of plastic or other materials, hundreds or thousands of times, to build an object from the ground up.
Three-dimensional bioprinting works much the same way, except those layers are made of living cells to create biological structures like skin, vessels, organs, or bone.
Bioprinting has been around since 1988. So far, it’s mainly used in research settings, such as in the field of regenerative medicine. Research is underway for ear reconstruction, nerve regeneration, and skin regeneration. The technology was also recently used to create eye tissue to help researchers study eye diseases.
The technology’s potential for use in cancer research has yet to be fully realized, Dey says. But that may be changing.
“The use of 3D-bioprinted tumor models is getting close to translations in cancer research,” says Zhang. “They are being increasingly adopted by the research field, and [the technology] has started to be explored by the pharma industry for use towards cancer drug development.”
Because bioprinting can be automated, it could allow researchers to create high-quality, complex tumor models at scale, Zhang says.
Such 3D models also have the potential to replace or reduce the use of animals in tumor drug testing, Dey notes. They “are expected to provide a more accurate drug response compared to animal models, as animal physiology does not match humans’.”
The FDA Modernization Act 2.0, a new U.S. law eliminating the requirement that drugs be tested in animals before humans, has “further paved the way for such technologies in the drug development pipeline,” Zhang says.
What if We Could Build a Custom Tumor Model for Each Patient?
Possible uses for bioprinting go beyond the lab, Dey says. Imagine if we could customize 3D tumor models based on biopsies from individual patients. Doctors could test many treatments on these patient-specific models, letting them more accurately predict how each patient would respond to different therapies. This would help doctors decide which course of treatment is best.
In Dey’s study, the 3D model was treated with chemotherapy and with immunotherapy, and it responded to both. This highlights the potential for such 3D models to reveal the body’s immune response and be used to screen therapies, Dey says.
“We hope is that in the future, this technique can be adapted in the hospital, which would speed up the course of cancer treatment,” says Dey.
To that end, she and her colleagues are now working with real breast cancer tumors removed from patients, re-creating them in the lab in 3D to use for chemo and immunotherapy screening.
The machines, heralded as “3D printers for the garden”, automatically plant seeds, water, detect and remove weeds, and measure soil properties.
Press Release –
Dec 30, 2022 04:00 EST
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., December 30, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– California startup FarmBothas shipped a record number of automated farming robots in 2022 to homeowners looking for help in the garden as well as schools and universities bolstering their precision agriculture programs.
2022 marked the release of FarmBot’s newest models with the following key features:
An upgraded camera for high definition plant photography and weed detection
An improved vacuum pump for precision seed injection
More robust electronics including the latest Raspberry Pi computers
The FarmBot web app allows users to drag-and-drop their garden design like the popular video game Farmville. Then the FarmBot does the rest: it plants seeds, waters each plant according to its type, age, and the local weather, takes photos to find and remove weeds, and notifies users when the tomatoes are ripe.
FarmBots can grow many common garden veggies at the same time such as Lettuces, Onions, Radishes, Beets, Chard, Garlic, Bok Choy, Arugula, Carrots, Broccoli, and much more. By placing vining and other indeterminate crops near the ends of the bed and training them outwards, the plants can utilize double or triple the area while still being maintained by the FarmBot.
Both FarmBot Express and Genesis can grow all of the veggies needed by one person, continuously, for less cost after 2 years than shopping at the average US grocery store, while the XL bots can serve a family of four with a return on investment period as short as 1 year.
All hardware is made of stainless steel, aluminum, and weatherproof plastics, allowing FarmBot to be installed outdoors or on rooftops in all weather conditions as well as in greenhouses or indoors. FarmBot is also 100% open-source, meaning all of the CAD models, electronic schematics, software, and data are freely available online for everyone from tinkerers to teachers to learn more and customize their machine.
All models are in stock and available for immediate worldwide shipping from FarmBot’s California warehouse, with free shipping offered to US customers. With Spring fast approaching, now is the best time to order a kit at farm.bot.
ABOUT FARMBOT:
FarmBot aims to bring open-source precision ag tools to every backyard and classroom. Our top of the line model, FarmBot Genesis XL, can continuously grow a family of four all of their daily vegetable needs and offers the most features and customizability. Our most affordable model, FarmBot Express, comes 95% pre-assembled in the box and can be installed in under an hour. Join us in taking back control of the food system! See media.farm.bot for our full press kit.
When we think of bees in decline, we often think about pesticides and a lack of food (itself linked to human environmental destruction). However, another big factor is parasites (like varroa mites). When a then-16-year-old teen from Connecticut, Raina Singhvi Jain, learned about these parasites and the declining bee population, she made it her mission to help save the bees. Even since learning she was allergic (a sting that had her out of commission for two weeks), Jain understands their importance and, now at 20, has helped develop a technology to aid in the fight against the parasites.
Jain 3D printed a device called HiveGuard, and it acts as an entryway for bees. She told CNN, “As bees pass through the entranceway, the thymol rubs off onto the body of the bee, where ultimately the concentration kills the varroa mites, but the honeybee is left unharmed.” 70% of the bees that go through the entrance (dozens of times a day) have these parasitic mites killed. Killing varroa mites also helps fight against the human-caused decline since mite-less bees have better health and immunity. While we just learned about her efforts, Jain has been talking about these entranceways for a few years and even secured funding to help expand this project.
Since working on the project, she also started The Queen Bee, a business that sells what bees make in their hives. The website states, “I used to take raw honey and royal jelly straight from the hive and mix it with ginger and turmeric to create an elixir immunity shot, a recipe passed down from my grandmother.” According to the website, for each bottle sold, they plant one pollinator tree so that it acts as a self-sustainable business.
“Save the bees” may seem like just a catchy slogan to those that don’t want to pay attention to human-caused issues in nature, such as climate change, but bees (and their role as roaming pollinators) are very important to our lives too. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 75% of crops that produce fruits or seeds that we use for food depend on pollinators. Pollinators affect 35% of global agricultural land.
Another week goes by, and tens of thousands of books are ‘under review’ because people are straight-up bigots that want to control other people’s kids. (via BookRiot)
Marvel’s Avengers will make our favorite ex-Hydra agent available for free in-game at the end of the month. (via IGN)
Media Matter for America reporter documents all the extremely right-wing nationalists and populists that Elon Musk welcomed back to the platform. (via Twitter)
Iranian artists dropped banners of Mahsa Amini at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to bring attention back to the death and disappearances of Iranian women. (via Hyperallergic)
And finally, Tee Noir is back with part two of her series focusing on hypersexuality and pussy perfectionism.
300 small and medium-sized Michigan manufacturers received a 3D printer like this one from … [+] Markforged through Project DIAMOnD.
Project DIAMOnD
Ultimation Industries, a manufacturer of conveyor systems, is one of 300 companies in the metro Detroit area t0 receive a free 3D printer as part of a local government program. The idea, akin to the federal Defense Production Act, is that, in exchange for the $20,000 professional-grade 3D printer from Markforged, small and medium-sized manufacturers promise to make things, such as PPE or whatever else is needed, in an emergency.
Although the program began in 2020 with PPE in mind, this army of agile manufacturers armed with 3D printers has been strengthening their supply chain resilience and lessening reliance on foreign products ever since.
Called Project DIAMOnD for Distributed, Independent, Agile, Manufacturing On-Demand, it is poised to become the world’s largest emergency-response network for 3D printing physical objects on demand. Locally, over the past two years, the program has helped small manufacturers realize cost savings and flexibility they didn’t know was possible with 3D printing. They’ve printed parts to keep their lines operational and versatile in the face of disruption and uncovered new business opportunities.
“There is boundless potential for 3D printing, and it’s starting to unfold in Michigan,” says Tom Kelly, executive director and CEO of Automation Alley, which manages Project DIAMOnD and is a World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub. The project is poised to become the world’s largest emergency-response network for 3D printing physical objects on demand.
The open-source 3D-printing project 3DPrintingforUkraine.com is collecting 3D-printing tourniquets … [+] for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.
3DPrintingforUkraine.com
3D Printing For Ukraine
Although program participants did print PPE, more recently, the network was activated to 3D print components for tourniquets needed in Ukraine. According to Automation Alley, 3D printing is the ideal technology to produce needed parts in times of crisis, like wartime and pandemics, because of its flexibility and speed. The tourniquet clip could not be easily produced using conventional manufacturing, such as injection molding, because of the time-consuming step of mold making and costs. But distributed, with each participant 3D printing just a dozen or so components, the cost and time was not disruptive to their core businesses. The part designs were shared digitally and production ramped up quickly. Ultimation Industries was one of the first to start churning out parts.
“As a manufacturer, Project DIAMOnD has allowed us to aid in humanitarian efforts when called upon while experimenting with 3D printing and innovating for our own business,” says Richard Canny, president of Ultimation Industries.
When the printers are not being used to fulfill emergency orders, participating manufacturers put them to use in various ways. Many of these manufacturers had never considered employing 3D printing in their businesses, while others thought they couldn’t afford it or didn’t have the skills to make the most of it.
“By reducing the financial risk, providing interactive training, and creating a connected network of users, Project DIAMOnD has filled a much-needed gap in Michigan’s manufacturing ecosystem,” says Pavan Muzumdar, Automation Alley COO.
To date, the project has attracted an impressive list of contributors and supporters, with Markforged leading the way with its Mark Two and X7 carbon-fiber desktop 3D printers and its Eiger 3D printing software. Also participating are Microsoft, Autodesk, and on-demand manufacturing software maker 3YourMind.
Convincing Small Manufacturers to Bet on 3D Printing
“3D printing has been something we were always interested in, but we were skeptical about how to incorporate it into our industry,” says Joshua Tucker, head of purchasing at Tucker Induction Systems in Shelby Township, Mich. “Since 95% of the material we use has to withstand high heat in a harsh environment, I am surprised as to what we have been able to print so far like tooling to help us build our induction coils to smaller support details that we were able to install on our coils that are running in the field.”
Tucker says that by 3D printing manufacturing tools, his company has reduced the time for some projects from roughly two weeks to a few days. “By designing and 3D printing one fixture that allowed us to hold multiple details at one time, we eliminated several machining steps and multiple machine setups, and drastically reduced man hours on a job, saving the company money and improving lead time.”
Steve Michon, president of Zero Tolerance in Clinton Township, Mich., received his first Markforged 3D printer in 2021 and has since bought two more. His company designs and manufactures plastic injection molds but expanded services since incorporating 3D printing.
“With our printers, we’ve made multiple fixtures for customers, loading tools, and end-of-arm tooling, in addition to the tooling we make for our own processes internally, says Michon. “With our design background and CAD skills, we really can now offer a whole other service that we didn’t before, which has opened us up to new customers.”
Zero Tolerance, in Clinton Township, Mich., 3D prints molds and tools for its own production and … [+] customers.
Zero Tolerance
Zero Tolerance now offers a range of 3D printing for product prototyping and final end-use parts as well as design services to other manufacturers. Michon gives back to the Project DIAMOnD network by helping fellow program participants, such as the time a call went out for anyone who could help one participant, an electrical supply manufacturer, overcome his supply chain problems. “We ended up drawing [digital designs for] a couple of pieces that he needed so he could 3D print them in-house very inexpensively, and he could make as many as he wanted,” says Michon. The electrical supply manufacturer eventually purchased two more 3D printers to ramp up production of the part.
Jim Miller, CEO of Rochester Hills-based Air & Liquid Systems, says his company is using its 3D printer to print a part that was previously made of stainless steel and cost about $100. Now it costs them only $1 to 3D print it out of carbon fiber. Their printer is placed in their engineering area to make the engineers more curious about what else they can create, shifting the way they think about production and their business.
There isn’t a success story behind every one of the 300 3D printers. At the regular meet-ups and lunch-and-learn sessions for program participants, Michon says he has gotten to know companies that have created new products and streamlined workflows, and others that are having a hard time finding an application for the technology.
One of the hurdles, Michon suggests, is the digital design skills required to create parts to be 3D printed in the first place. Recently, Project DIAMOnD received funding from the State of Michigan’s Going Pro Talent Fund to train 37 individuals from 20 companies in the network on advanced concepts in 3D printing and design.
“As businesses are forced to change and adapt, they are finding new ways to get the job done—and Industry 4.0 technologies such as 3D printing are leading the way,” says Muzumdar.
Eventually, Automation Alley hopes to expand beyond Michigan, establish a community-governed marketplace for 3D printed products and services, and explore opportunities for 3D printing nontraditional materials and working with collaborative robots and AI-as-a-service.
“When we first got involved, we had no experience in 3D printing, and we had a hard time visualizing how we could incorporate it into our company,” says Tucker, “but once you start to shift your mindset, the possibilities are truly endless.”
Blind People Share What Photography and Art They Want to Experience First. National Federation of the Blind Granting $500,000 to Museums and Institutions for Tactile Exhibition Displays.
NEW YORK, January 25, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– Getty Images, a world leader in visual communications, and the National Federation of the Blind, America’s civil rights and membership organization of the blind, have partnered with Tactile Images to deliver more than 45 million images to the world’s blind and disabled population at museums, science centers, libraries, schools, and government agencies. This partnership will significantly enhance educational opportunities and cultural inclusion for blind and disabled individuals.
As part of this initiative, more than 50,000 members of the blind community shared what photography and art they wanted to experience first. The National Federation of the Blind reinforced this by announcing that they will be granting $500,000 to museums and institutions for the development of tactile exhibition displays.
“Blind people have all the same interests, concerns, and aspirations as all who participate in our society and culture, and that culture is reflected in the millions of images that this partnership will help us access,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “We look forward to working with Tactile Images and Getty Images to curate a collection that will include, inform, and inspire the blind of America and the world.”
Getty Images, the National Federation of the Blind, and Tactile Images are committed to participating in initiatives that provide greater accessibility to visual resources, with an emphasis on photography and fine art, that represent the world’s people and cultures, including the blind and those with disabilities. This commitment involves helping people fully understand and experience the society within which they live, providing unique educational perspectives and increasing access to content that may have previously been inaccessible. This partnership reinforces a collective commitment to improving accessibility for and inclusion of people from all backgrounds, including those who are blind.
“In a world where communication is largely visual, Getty Images is thrilled to partner with the National Federation of the Blind and Tactile Images to allow the blind community to more fully engage with and experience our pictures,” said Peter Orlowsky, Head of Strategic Development at Getty Images.
Tactile Images has several product offerings, all of which allow a blind individual to experience and engage with traditionally visual and graphic material through touch and sensory stimulation. Each is a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art. To further assist in creating a more interactive experience, braille is utilized for text, and sensors are embedded so that when touched, a customized audio description and narrative is activated. Components that emit unique smells can also be used. These three senses – touch, hearing, and smell – work together in the brain to replace the sense of sight. The blind or low-vision user creates a mental picture from this confluence of sensory stimulation. Touching a tactile print while listening to a coordinated audio presentation creates an enhanced kinesthetic learning experience.
“At Tactile Images, we are very excited that Getty Images and the National Federation of the Blind have decided to partner with us. This partnership will help to bring tactile imagery to the blind and disabled on a global scale,” says John Olson, Co-Founder of 3DPhotoWorks, the parent company of Tactile Images. “I’ve always believed that truly ‘seeing’ an image involves much more than just the sense of sight. As the notable American neuroscientist, Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita, once stated, ‘We don’t see with our eyes or hear with our ears; these are just the receptors, seeing and hearing in fact, goes on in the brain.’ We look forward to partnering with museums, science centers, libraries, and government agencies to make their existing content more accessible while also creating new and innovative installations and exhibitions.”
Tactile Images will also develop several traveling exhibitions in collaboration with Getty Images and the National Federation of the Blind. These exhibitions travel to museums, educational centers, and institutions throughout the world. They include a diverse array of engaging topics and narratives, increase community-based partnerships, and maximize an institution’s space, attendance, and participation. Furthermore, they promote inclusion, critical skills acquisition, independence, and self-confidence.
Tactile Images is committed to providing tactile experiences for the blind and disabled. These transformative experiences allow for an intimate connection with a wide range of visual and graphic material, especially photography and fine art. Images designed for touch provide the opportunity to acquire visual information independently, without relying on recorded descriptions or the interpretation of a sighted companion. Users can explore the depth and complexity of their favorite artworks and images, often for the first time. Tactile printing is an innovative process patented by 3DPhotoWorks, the parent company of Tactile Images, which converts any image into a three-dimensional tactile print that blind and disabled individuals assemble in their mind’s eye through touch, sound, and smell. Customized audio narratives, as well as components that emit unique smells, enhance the experience. Tactile Images’ partnership with Getty Images and the National Federation of the Blind reinforces their mission to deliver tactile images to every museum, science center, library, and government agency worldwide. Visit Tactile Images at www.tactileimages.com and via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About the National Federation of the Blind:
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at www.nfb.org.
About Getty Images:
Getty Images is one of the most trusted and esteemed sources of visual content in the world, with over 415 million assets including photos, videos, and music, available through its industry-leading sites www.gettyimages.com and www.istock.com. The Getty Images website serves creative, business and media customers in nearly every country in the world and is the first-place people turn to discover, purchase and share powerful visual content from the world’s best photographers and videographers. Getty Images works with over 340,000 contributors and hundreds of image partners to provide comprehensive coverage of more than 160,000 news, sport and entertainment events each year, impactful creative imagery to communicate any commercial concept and the world’s deepest digital archive of historic photography.
Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of still and moving imagery in communication and business, enabling creative ideas to come to life. For company news and announcements, visit our Press Room, and for the stories and inspiration behind our content, visit gettyimages.creativeinsights.com. Find Getty Images on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or download the Getty Images app where you can explore, save and share the world’s best imagery.
