Wired
By Clive Thompson
November 23, 2015
Regarded today as one
of the most prominent technology writers, Clive Thompson often contributes
magazine stories to the New York Times Magazine and Wired. In his most
recent article published in Wired, Thompson comments on the use of 3D printers
to the general public, which includes non-3D-users and tech-companies.
The author uses comparison and contrast in order to define just how much these
advanced printers offer in shaping our future.
To explain the
unfamiliar 3D printer to non-users, Thompson refers back to the more familiar
inkjet printer. Both are similar in that they are bought with the
function to mass-print 2D written documents (like newspapers and books) vs. 3D
tangible shapes and objects. However, Thompson points out the reality of
how 2D printers are used: “We do not regard printers as replacements for
industrial presses… We print documents so we can array them on our desks,
ponder them, and show them to other people” (para. 4). Instead of
functioning as a means of production, inkjet printers serve as “cognitive
aids”, and the same can be said about 3D printers.
Thompson applies his
argument to the field of medicine and quotes expert testimony to objectively
support his reasoning. As a pediatric neurosurgeon at Boston Children’s
Hospital, Dr. Edward Robert Smith must remove tangled tumors and blood
vessels. MRIs and CT scans are the current “printers” doctors use to
visualize tumors. However, Smith also preps for surgery using a 3D
printer to print a physical copy of the child’s brain, including the tumor to
be removed. He states, “You see these spatial relations and depth of
field that aren’t possible onscreen” (para. 6). According to the
hospital, the length of Smith’s surgeries have been reduced by an average of
12%, attesting to the visualization (not production) power of 3D printers.
Before Thompson sums
up his article, he specifically targets printer-companies. He offers
suggestions for improvement, stating, “We’ll need printing material to be
recyclable, even biodegradable. Imagine the 3D printing equivalent of a Post-It
note!” (para. 8). For both the general public and businesses, Thompson
offers a new perspective of 3D printers and how printers themselves offer not
just new products, but new perspectives to further our ideas. In
Thompson’s words, “3D printers aren’t just factories for products—they’re
factories for thought.”
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