Actually several of the plastics in use are produced from plant materials, others are silicone based. Even if the plastics used are petroleum based the thermoplastic nature of the device makes recycling both obvious and decentralized. So yes, maybe a world changer.
Currently the machine can produce %60 (by mass) of it's non-electronic components with the remainder being largely commonly available (metric) hardware like rods and bolts. Work is underway on a printhead capable of printing circuit traces via solder type alloys. Actual printing of semiconductor devices is still in the early research and implementation phase at various corporations and universities. Printable motors are the remaining practical hurdle. So granted this is a 0.1 version. It still however represents an order of magnitude drop in the price of 3d printing devices, and thus seems worth some attention. Also as to the applicability of the GPL to a device, It is the plans, designs, and instructions which are GPL'ed and, Yes copyright has been used in attempts to control physical device distribution(Epson printer cartridges I believe).
Actually the "War on Terror/ists/ism/whatever we don't like" DOES spend a lot of energy on folks like PETA, Greenpeace, ALF, and the American Friends Service Commitee. Read here http://www.aclu.org/safefree/spying/23124prs200512 20.html amoung other places.
The home grown terrorists who don't get much FBI attention are covered here http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.js.
The interesting thing is that ALF, etc have never actually hurt anybody (at least there are no police records indicating they have) or called for the overthrow of the US government, while various Christian Identity and Nazi organizations definately have. We will leave the "Pro-life" Murderers out of this as we are trying to have a rational discussion.
My point is not to defend what was done here. It sucks, is immoral and constitutes a criminal enterprise which should be smashed with all due speed. But to say these folks are "terrorists" who are getting a "free ride" from "the authorities" or "the media" because they are "liberal" or "leftist" is to use all the words in quotes WAY outside thier proper definition.
P.S. I would have more sympathy for the moral high ground these folks tend to claim if they were doing civil disobedience; that is, when the Police arrive at a vandalized lab there are a bunch of people sitting there saying "We did this, please take us to jail and trial."
Slashdot Mirror
Duh!...Can you say Thermoplastic?
Actually several of the plastics in use are produced from plant materials, others are silicone based. Even if the plastics used are petroleum based the thermoplastic nature of the device makes recycling both obvious and decentralized. So yes, maybe a world changer.
Currently the machine can produce %60 (by mass) of it's non-electronic components with the remainder being largely commonly available (metric) hardware like rods and bolts. Work is underway on a printhead capable of printing circuit traces via solder type alloys. Actual printing of semiconductor devices is still in the early research and implementation phase at various corporations and universities. Printable motors are the remaining practical hurdle. So granted this is a 0.1 version. It still however represents an order of magnitude drop in the price of 3d printing devices, and thus seems worth some attention.
Also as to the applicability of the GPL to a device, It is the plans, designs, and instructions which are GPL'ed and, Yes copyright has been used in attempts to control physical device distribution(Epson printer cartridges I believe).
Actually the "War on Terror/ists/ism/whatever we don't like" DOES spend a lot of energy on folks like PETA, Greenpeace, ALF, and the American Friends Service Commitee. Read here http://www.aclu.org/safefree/spying/23124prs200512 20.html amoung other places.
The home grown terrorists who don't get much FBI attention are covered here http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.js.
The interesting thing is that ALF, etc have never actually hurt anybody (at least there are no police records indicating they have) or called for the overthrow of the US government, while various Christian Identity and Nazi organizations definately have. We will leave the "Pro-life" Murderers out of this as we are trying to have a rational discussion.
My point is not to defend what was done here. It sucks, is immoral and constitutes a criminal enterprise which should be smashed with all due speed. But to say these folks are "terrorists" who are getting a "free ride" from "the authorities" or "the media" because they are "liberal" or "leftist" is to use all the words in quotes WAY outside thier proper definition.
P.S. I would have more sympathy for the moral high ground these folks tend to claim if they were doing civil disobedience; that is, when the Police arrive at a vandalized lab there are a bunch of people sitting there saying "We did this, please take us to jail and trial."