Abundance Report: Solar 3D Printer Builds from Sand
Markus Kayser – Solar Sinter Project from Markus Kayser on Vimeo.
Markus Kayser has built a 3D printer that uses sun light to turn sand into 3D glass objects. Free energy making things from the free materials.
He calls the device a Solar Sinter. The process works by spreading thin layers of sand then focusing a beam of light with a magnifying lens on a point to melt the sand turning it into glass. The object is built up a layer at a time. The movement and focusing of the beam is powered with photovoltaic but the high energy melting is done with a magnifying lens. This allows the device to be very low cost and potentially long lasting
A rover equipped with a solar sinter could be placed in deserts on earth or another planet and let run making useful objects. Even though this device makes crude items similar 3D printing technology has been used to make high precision objects of many materials.
In addition to a 3D printer, which is an additive technique, he has made a solar cutter which is a subtractive technique.
Markus Kayser – Sun Cutter Project from Markus Kayser on Vimeo.
Solar Cutter
Rising Income Inequality & Shifting Identities – The Specialist & The Omnivore
Rising Income Inequality & Shifting Identities – The Specialist & The Omnivore
An excellent explanation of the effects of the transitions from economy to abundance. As technology increases, ownership of things that make things (physical capital) will be more important and relationships will eventually become the only scarce good.
Peer-to-Peer Learning Disrupting Poverty
I’ve been promoting peer-to-peer technology and education for 15 years. USA is ignoring the advice, India is doing it and succeeding.
http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/04/features/disrupting-poverty?page=all
Michigan is complaining that it can’t cut spending below $7316 per student per year for 12 years but India is able to train engineers in 6 months for nearly free and teenager Babar Ali is providing elementary education for free using the peer-to-peer model. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8299780.stm
More importantly the people actually getting it done are avoiding the top-down hierarchies of established charities and government. They are doing it themselves and helping others to also do it themselves.
Predictive Innovation Training
Predictive Innovation: Core Skills Book
RoundSquareTriangle.com