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Grad Student Invents Cheap Laser Cutter
An anonymous reader writes "Peter Jansen, a PhD student and member of the RepRap community, has constructed a working prototype of an inexpensive table-top laser cutter built out of old CD/DVD drives as an offshoot of his efforts to design an under $200 open-source Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printer. Where traditional laser cutters use powerful, fixed-focus beams, this new technique dynamically adjusts the focal point of the laser using a reciprocating motion similar to a reciprocating saw, allowing a far less powerful and inexpensive laser diode to be used. The technique is currently limited to cutting black materials to a depth of only a few millimeters, but should still be useful and enabling for Makers and other crafters. The end-goal is to create a hybrid inexpensive 3D printer that can be easily reconfigured for 2D laser cutting, providing powerful making tools to the desktop."
By necessity the school has got to gear to the slowest.
And that's where everything starts to go wrong. Instead of encouraging the stragglers to catch up, everyone is forced to slow down. In this environment not one slow-poke will make an extra effort - why should he? Whereas more than one above average intelligence student will get frustrated and/or bored and stop paying attention. Only the truly gifted come through such a process unscathed - but because they don't need "school" anyway. Put them next to a pile of books and provide a mentor to answer the occasional question, and they're fine in ANY environment. They live for learning and you can't take it from them.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.