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Machine Prints 3D Copies Of Itself
TaeKwonDood writes "Automated machines have been around for decades. They have basically been dumb devices that do simple assembly tasks. But RepRap takes that a step further because, instead of assembling pre-fabricated parts, it creates 3-D objects by printing them — squirting molten plastic in layers — and then building them up as the plastic solidifies. It works on coat hooks, door handles and now it can even make working copies ... of itself. The miracle of additive fabrication, coming soon to a robotic overlord near you."
Born in Detroit, Michigan, McMahon was raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, and attended Boston College and The Catholic University of America, majoring in speech and drama. At The Catholic University of America, he joined the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949.
McMahon began his career as a bingo caller in Maine when he was 15. Prior to working as the announcer, he worked as a carnival barker for three years as a teenager in Mexico, Maine, and put himself through college as a pitchman for vegetable slicers on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
His first broadcasting job was at WLLH-AM in Lowell, Massachusetts, and he began his television career in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In the 1960s, he emceed the game shows Missing Links (when the show moved to ABC, Dick Clark replaced him), Snap Judgment, Concentration and Who Dunnit?,
During World War II, McMahon was trained as a United States Marines fighter pilot and also served as a flight instructor and test pilot. He was discharged in 1946, remaining in the reserves.
After college, McMahon was re-activated into active Marine duty. He was sent to Korea in February 1953. He flew unarmed O-1E Bird Dogs on 85 tactical air control and artillery spotting missions. He remained in the Marine reserves, retiring with the rank of Colonel in 1966 and was then commissioned as a Brigadier General in the California Air National Guard.
Several of his ancestors, including the Marquis d'Equilly, also had long and distinguished military careers. Patrice MacMahon, duc de Magenta was a Marshall of armies in France, serving under Napoleon III, and later President. McMahon once asserted to Johnny Carson that mayonnaise was originally named Macmahonnaise in honor of this ancestor, referring to him as the Comte de MacMahon. In his autobiography, McMahon said that it was his father who told him of this relationship and he went on to suggest that he was not certain of the truth of the story.
Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson first worked together as announcer and host on the daytime gameshow Who Do You Trust? (1957-1962). McMahon and Carson left that to do The Tonight Show in 1962.
For more than 30 years, McMahon introduced the Tonight Show with a drawn-out "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" His booming voice and constant laughter earned him the nickname the Human Laugh Track.
As part of the introductory patter to The Tonight Show, McMahon would state his name out loud, pronouncing it as Ed "Mc MAH yon", such as the first two syllables of "Mayonnaise" (see above "MacMahonaise" story), but neither his long-time cohort Johnny Carson nor seemingly anyone else who interviewed him ever seemed to pick up on that subtlety, usually referring to him as Ed "Mc MAN".
The extroverted McMahon served as a counter to the notoriously shy Carson. Nonetheless, McMahon once told an interviewer that after his many decades as an emcee, he would still get "butterflies" in his stomach every time he would walk onto a stage, and would use that nervousness as a source of energy.
Comedian Garry Shandling has stated in interviews that the relationship between fictional talk show host Larry Sanders and his side-kick Hank Kingsley in the hit sitcom The Larry Sanders Show is largely based on that between McMahon and Carson.
Musical comedy icon "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody of El Debarge's hit "Who's Johnny" entitled "Here's Johnny" about Ed McMahon and his signature catchphrase. It appeared on his 1987 album Polka Party!
In the 1990s, McMahon was reputed to be worth in excess of US$200 million in real estate holdings (particularly in Malibu) and real estate partnerships, although his net worth declined somewhat, due to several divorce settlements and a nationwide drop in real estate.
From 1997 to 1998, he appeared in the situation comedy, The Tom Show, starring Tom Arnold.
In April 2002, McMahon sued his insurance company, insurance adjusters, and several environmental cleanup contractors over bre