The Future Is Printed

For as long as there have been markets, there have been centralized entities to control them and to put rules around money and how goods flow through the economy, until now. The long-term economic impact of COVID19 is still unfolding, but we are already witnessing disruptions in our financial systems and supply chains. People are becoming more concerned with how they will provide for their families when the institutions and logistical chains they've grown to rely on are being strained to potential collapse.

Self-reliance is taking center-stage as people are realizing they need to find ways to cut out the middleman. The Corona virus has been the catalyst, but technology will be the vehicle for sustained change, specifically, 3D printing.

Over the last 10+ years, 3D printing, an exponential technology, has slowly and stealthily been growing in adoption. Peter Diamandis, cofounder and chairman of Singularity University and founder and executive chairman of XPRIZE, has famously dubbed this initial period of growth as the "deceptive" phase in his 6 D's of exponential organizations. Starting from .01 and doubling to .02 and .04 etc...it's easy to write off the impact an exponential technology will make, however, this quickly changes when you get into whole numbers. This is where we have found ourselves, in exponential times.

Self-reliance has been a cornerstone of humanity and as we've evolved, so have our systems for survival. We created ways to store food and supplies and then figured out how to transport and share these goods with other tribes.

What does 3D printing have to do with all of this? Digital plans can be sent anywhere within seconds. These same digital plans can print anything from guns, replacement parts, complete houses and depending upon the cartridge or filament of material used, this can even extend to food! Our future is decentralized especially as technology empowers humanity to create, share and explore the options available to us.

Please link, comment and share any insights you have into this emerging industry!

References:

3D Printed food: https://www.3dsourced.com/guides/3d-printed-food/

3D Printed house in Austin: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/08/31/east-17th-street-residences-3d-printed-homes-icon-austin/

3D Printed car parts: https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-car-parts-best-sources/

3D Printed guns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=C4dBuPJ9p7A