Printing GOLD!!!!

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shk292

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#141019 27-Feb-2014 10:47

Seriously, what has our media come to when some idiot at Customs Service allegdly says you will soon be able to create gold with a 3D printer by operating at the "molecular level", and this is presented as fact by a news website. Yes, Alex Fensome of Stuff, I'm looking at you.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/30017857/printers-capable-of-making-guns

If people really are this stupid and poorly educated, they should not be writing for a living, least of all in the technology section of a website

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#995353 27-Feb-2014 10:56

replicators they're finally here. "Tea, Earl grey, hot"

nakedmolerat

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#995355 27-Feb-2014 10:57

quote from stuff

The Customs report, Border Implications from Emerging Technologies, says 3D printers have passed a "tipping point" and will radically change how borders are policed. The ultimate end of the technology could allow molecular-level printing of "gold, gems, food or drugs".

Huh, there is nothing wrong with that statement.

ubergeeknz

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#995358 27-Feb-2014 11:02

What bollocks, you can't print gold at a "molecular" level, gold is an ELEMENT and consists only of Gold Atoms. So you'd need to be printing at a sub-atomic level. Pretty sci-fi stuff there.

wongtop

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#995365 27-Feb-2014 11:10

Its alchemy!

gzt

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#995374 27-Feb-2014 11:14

The whole thing overstates the case by a million miles. It's not that hard to get the same end result with existing technology.

Maurice Williamson: "You could be out of the back of a farm somewhere and break an 18-inch crescent wrench and just go over to the printer and print another one off. That's phenomenal. But not if your neighbour prints off a gun and pops over the fence and shoots you."

Ha ha. Like the neighbour does not have a farm related firearm already.

Maurice Williamson, who requested the report after publicly voicing concern last year, said he could "almost guarantee" the review would include provisions to deal with 3D printing.

Great. It looks for all the world like a minister trying to make a job for himself and retard the development of society at the same time.

ubergeeknz

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#995376 27-Feb-2014 11:18

This printing firearms thing is a load of crap. I can build a firearm out of a length of pipe too, should we ban pipe? How stupid.

langers1972

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#995383 27-Feb-2014 11:20

I'm going to print money with mine, easier to carry than gold

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SaltyNZ

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#995390 27-Feb-2014 11:34

What Maurice Williamson is *really* worried about is that people might print politicians with their 3D printers, and these would quickly and totally supplant the older model organic politicians. As a solid blob of plastic, they would exhibit greatly enhanced intelligence and utility as well as substantially reduced resource utilisation, compared to organic politicians.

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kiwitrc

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#995392 27-Feb-2014 11:36

wongtop: Its alchemy!

Thats what customs and Maurice said , Alchemy stop this.

UbergeeknzThis printing firearms thing is a load of crap. I can build a firearm out of a length of pipe too, should we ban pipe? How stupid.

As a kid I made a weapon out of a .22 round, a vice and a hammer (not recommended by the way) so better add them to the list.

robjg63

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#995394 27-Feb-2014 11:39

SaltyNZ: What Maurice Williamson is *really* worried about is that people might print politicians with their 3D printers, and these would quickly and totally supplant the older model organic politicians. As a solid blob of plastic, they would exhibit greatly enhanced intelligence and utility as well as substantially reduced resource utilisation, compared to organic politicians.

I think they have already printed one - That video of Colin Craig is my proof:
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=48&topicid=140687&page_no=1#989750

As requested elsewhere - please dont sue me...

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

SaltyNZ

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#995397 27-Feb-2014 11:43

I can't find this report from Customs. This one is the closest I can get, but it doesn't mention 3D printers at all as far as I can see.

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SaltyNZ

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#995399 27-Feb-2014 11:45

robjg63:
I think they have already printed one - That video of Colin Craig is my proof:

ROFL... It will be a toss-up to see whether he or MW get the nod for Parliamentary Jester.

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shk292

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#995401 27-Feb-2014 11:46

nakedmolerat: quote from stuff

The Customs report, Border Implications from Emerging Technologies, says 3D printers have passed a "tipping point" and will radically change how borders are policed. The ultimate end of the technology could allow molecular-level printing of "gold, gems, food or drugs".

Huh, there is nothing wrong with that statement.

So, presumably you had the same science teacher as the article's author?

kiwitrc

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#995407 27-Feb-2014 11:52

If you use steel wool instead of line trimmer string you can print a VW Beetle.

nakedmolerat

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#995409 27-Feb-2014 11:55

shk292:
nakedmolerat: quote from stuff

The Customs report, Border Implications from Emerging Technologies, says 3D printers have passed a "tipping point" and will radically change how borders are policed. The ultimate end of the technology could allow molecular-level printing of "gold, gems, food or drugs".

Huh, there is nothing wrong with that statement.

So, presumably you had the same science teacher as the article's author?

My teacher might be smarter than your teacher. This is what he taught me:

If I want to know about medical problem, I go to a doctor.

If I want to get legal advise, I go to a lawyer.

If I want to read about chemistry, I pick chemistry books.

This is a news site - for general audience. He is implying that in the future, we 'may' be able to print gold etc. If you are so pedantic about this, you should not read Stuff at all. Their articles will never have 100% scientific accuracy.

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