Tuesday, October 28, 2008

3 Technologies To Watch




Good Evening SuperForest!

There are three technologies in the world today that you must keep an eye on. Not because they are dangerous, but because the three, used in tandem, will completely up-end the current life equation here on Earth. Not to oversell it, or anything...

The first machine is one we've mentioned recently, Dean Kamen's water purifying device:



The second device is also a Dean Kamen project, a machine that turns heat energy into electricity, enough to power the first machine:



The third (and by far the cutest,) technology is the RepRap self-replicating rapid prototyper:



The RepRap project is extraordinary. An open-source (free) design, cheap to produce and capable of replicating itself like a Mogwai. Download the plans for one, make ten thousand.

(Check out an earlier SF post about what the RepRap will allow us to do...)

These three technologies will allow pockets of humans to live free of all tethers. When everyone has access to free clean water and power, there will be no grids. When everyone has access to a mini-manufacturer, there will be no need to manufacture off site and ship goods.

Freedom and justice for all.

Obviously this will shake things up a bit. That's why as always, we're going to have to put our heads together, use our manners, and do what we humans do best: cause and solve problems.

As long as we work together, there's no technology that can divide us.

Here's Dan Kamen's site.
And the RepRap Project site.

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