self replicating.. 3D printers?

[encephalon]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7165

I'm always interested in applying biological principles to machinery.. self-replicating robots, Turing Machines, etc. I must admit this isn't something I thought about though. Other than assembling something at home, it effectively takes out the need for human labor on these, and also decentralizes the means of using material technology to the hands of the working class (provided it does cheapen, as the inventor suggests it would).

because 3D printers can theoretically build anything with enough time (provided it doesn't involve material with a high melting point, like steel.. which is being slowly replaced with hard plastics), it effectively would provide a perfect opportunity for a siezure of a large portion of production, as these same printers have already been used to build small machinery and parts, as well as taking the entire parts-replacement industry out of the hands of capitalists.. need a part? print it. Need another printer? print it.

Of course, they'd still control the printing materials, which is a problem. On the other hand, though, this would wreak havoc on patents and property rights. It would be to material production as the internet is to "intellectual property.", or widespread evolutionary algorithms applied to technology (computer devised inventions, basically) to patents.. even better, mix evolutionary applications with the self-replicating printer.. the implications are boundless.

The only other problem I see is the guy holding a patent on the process.. which wouldn't make much sense in the context of his "cheapening" argument.. he's effectively nullifying his own patent if his invention recreates itself.

Any thoughts about this?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

The economic implications of this machine are immense. This is a small step toward fully-automated production, which would be the cornerstone of any communist society.

Hopefully manufacturing costs will become so low that capitalism cannot cope.

[Sabocat]

I got a chance to see a 3D printer in action a couple of years ago. It was used in conjunction with a CAD program to "print" traceable molds for metal machining.

It was pretty impressive, the part came out of the printer (sort of a wax like material) and went directly to the machine shop area where an automated machine "traced" it and duplicated it in steel. It eliminated the need of the machinist working off of a blueprint, and was much more accurate, thus reducing material waste in the machining process.

The uses for this technology seem pretty exciting.

[Zingu]

I read about it before; unluckly at the moment the printers can only replicate things into starch or plastic I think it was; so it would be kind of hard to make useable counterfeits if that is what you mean.

[NovelGentry]

Economic implications: Strictly speaking that of infinite use value without the need for human labor (I had brought this idea up awhile ago with self replicating machines and the topic was effectively ignored).

Revolutionary implications: New technology is destroyed by the ruling class as it outgrows it's society. This was the case with much of the technological advancments in textile production which were occuring in feudal times. They would actually burn machines in the streets. There is a specific example of a loom I'm trying to think of but I can't remember the name. I want to say it starts with a J.

Modern examples of destroying such technology is the attempts by the capitalist to stop most of what the internet has advanced us to. It is a new means of "shipping" and distribution -- with 3D printers, it only represent that even more, on TOP of representing that somewhat infinite non-human contributed use value.

Download a file to print whatever you need/want on the computer and do so.

Filesharing? Download "illegal" copies of files to print things you have "no right to have" because it is the companies "intellectual property."

What I see happening is property continually becoming more and more abstract, until it is all within the realm of copyright infringement, wich the exception of land and the actual resources that is. Massive spreading of this technology outside the hands of the capitalists will cause them to oppose it.

This is precisely what Marx talks about here:


We see then: the means of production and of exchange, on whose foundation the bourgeoisie built itself up, were generated in feudal society. At a certain stage in the development of these means of production and of exchange, the conditions under which feudal society produced and exchanged, the feudal organization of agriculture and manufacturing industry, in one word, the feudal relations of property became no longer compatible with the already developed productive forces; they became so many fetters. They had to be burst asunder; they were burst asunder.

And precisely why materially, advanced social change is INEVITABLE.

[NovelGentry]

I'd like to add the quote:


A similar movement is going on before our own eyes. Modern bourgeois society, with its relations of production, of exchange and of property, a society that has conjured up such gigantic means of production and of exchange, is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells.

Cause I find the analogy he uses hilarious, but also because I think Marx would have been amazed at even how long society has pushed this down -- and my continue to push it down. Marx was obviously able to realize it in his day -- which compared to the "information age" is quite ancient in terms of production and exchange.