The New Industrial Revolution: Are we actually ready for this?

ruggedgardener2 said:What’s everyone’s take on this?

It’s just another copyright dispute. 😍

briskskipper27 said:Unfortunately for you and the rest of the crowd pushing for internet surveillance, tools to bypass that monitoring have evolved even faster. Even the NSA is pulling their hair out over it. And think about how helpless those massive copyright enforcement companies are. They don't even have access to the tech the NSA uses; their biggest move is basically joining a torrent swarm just to track down individual peers and seeders to sue them.

Which ones? ☕

Jack Cook7 said:Which ones? ☕

Look, take Tor for example. In the case of that Silk Road drug site, it wasn't some genius move by the NSA or the FBI cracking their tech. It was just pure stupidity on the owner's part. He used his actual IP address and a damn gmail account when he was out there hyping up the site on regular internet forums.

There are at least five or six drug markets active on TOR today. You just place the order, send the payment, and it shows up right at your doorstep.

Good grief, this futurist... hahaha...

I honestly don't get why everyone is latching onto these future predictions like Vojky, acting all starstruck as if he just hit the jackpot on a scratch-off ticket in Vegas. :-)

In some perfect, theoretical vacuum—assuming 3D printers actually become the miracle tools people claim they will be, which remains to be seen—we might see a shift where massive unemployment isn't even an issue because so many
independent small businesses could pop up. Our current economic model, which relies on mass production to make anything profitable, kills off individual agency, but in this utopian scenario, being self-sufficient would be easy since even tiny batches would be cost-effective. People could essentially live like folks did back in the 19th century, just owning whatever we choose to print. :-) :-)

Hahahaha... but unfortunately, reality doesn't work that way...

Because those precious printers of yours still require raw materials and electricity to function...

But let's set aside the whole resource acquisition problem for a moment...

What is the actual difference between a printer that supposedly "prints" food and the various kitchen appliances we already have sitting on our counters?
If something needs to be baked, the printer is basically just baking it too...

A 3D printer is just additive technology where you build something layer by layer, sequentially...
And if the end result requires heat, I assume it’s doing the baking inside the machine itself... I'm probably oversimplifying, but I highly doubt there's any fundamental difference. :-)

Why don't we just start calling a standard bread maker a 3D printer then?

Hell, I could probably call my oven a manual printer; I add the ingredients layer by layer and then bake them. :-)

Is a printer going to grow pork from scratch and then cure it naturally to create a genuine, high-quality prosciutto, the way nature intended? Is it going to print wine that tastes exactly like a vintage aged for years in temperature-controlled cellars inside specific oak barrels? :-)

Will a printer produce fruits and vegetables packed with all the complex minerals and nutrients found in nature?

I don't know what kind of lifestyle you people are leading, but processed food is absolute garbage, and it's a primary driver behind so many modern health issues...
The prices for unprocessed, natural foods are skyrocketing everywhere...
Take that zagorac living out near Bista, for instance; he grows and sells his own fruit and can charge a premium specifically because nothing has been touched by industrial processing.

These 3D printers might be impressive pieces of tech, but the final product is fundamentally flawed, especially when you look at these food printers.

Rockefellers over here is actually just some 3D printer enthusiast from a random hobbyist forum. 😬

briskskipper27 said:Look, take Tor for example. In the case of that Silk Road drug site, it wasn't some genius move by the NSA or the FBI cracking their tech. It was just pure stupidity on the owner's part. He used his actual IP address and a damn gmail account when he was out there hyping up the site on regular internet forums.

So, what you're suggesting is that the NSA or FBI just joins the Tor network, adds their own node, and starts sniffing data?

You people always seem to view employment through the lens of finance rather than actual technology, which is quite a narrow way to look at it; even Paul Krugman wrote an entire book on similar themes

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying autonomous cars or semi-trucks don't exist, but would you honestly trust a rig hauling millions of dollars in high-value cargo on a cross-country haul without any supervision? Hahahaha
It wouldn't make it to its destination either...
The whole concept still needs to be proven in the real world because there are massive hurdles to clear, such as operational speeds and various vulnerabilities we haven't fully accounted for yet....
Sure, pilotless drones might be effective against some rural farmers, but if you ask me, a serious military force could dismantle them with ease...
It seems relatively simple to me that they could just jam the communications and render them useless....

Jack Cook7 said:Rockefellers over here is actually just some 3D printer enthusiast from a random hobbyist forum. 😬

Hahaha... honestly, I think Vicky might have been 3D printed herself. :-)

Though, if we're being honest, I have some serious doubts about the design...

mellownomad said:So, what you're suggesting is that the NSA or FBI just joins the Tor network, adds their own node, and starts sniffing data?

Look, an exit node is the only thing that can sniff data if you aren't using HTTPS. Since the entry node gets everything wrapped in three layers of encryption, they're blind. The only thing they could theoretically try is correlating traffic volume between the entry and exit points, but even that's a massive stretch and totally unreliable since dozens of people share one exit node. Plus, you'd have to get lucky enough that both the entry and exit nodes are owned by the NSA—and remember, onion sites don't even go through exit nodes.

There are actually ways to block those kinds of sniffing exit nodes automatically.
For example, Iranians and Chinese actors tried sniffing, and they got blocked.
http://torstatus.blutmagie.de/

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one of those Chinese 3D printers—they go for about $300—so I can print out a couple of peacocks right away... just to have something fun to mess around with tonight.

placidranger said:It’s just another copyright dispute. 😍

Haha, honestly, I’m way more interested in that "robotic doctor" they supposedly built in San Diego—you know, despite everyone claiming nothing tech-related ever happens in America—which has apparently been sitting there gathering dust and doing absolutely nothing for four years now.
And hey, while we're at it, how about finally opening a robotics department at the University of San Diego?

hiddenfalcon5 said:I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one of those Chinese 3D printers—they go for about $300—so I can print out a couple of peacocks right away... just to have something fun to mess around with tonight.

Does kosook actually carry anything decent, or is their selection just a total joke? 😁

ruggedgardener2 said:Haha, honestly, I’m way more interested in that "robotic doctor" they supposedly built in San Diego—you know, despite everyone claiming nothing tech-related ever happens in America—which has apparently been sitting there gathering dust and doing absolutely nothing for four years now.
And hey, while we're at it, how about finally opening a robotics department at the University of San Diego?

Yeah, I was curious about the whole situation too, but I couldn't dig up much substance on it.

We just don't have any private hospitals with the guts to actually invest in surgical robotics.

placidranger said:Yeah, I was curious about the whole situation too, but I couldn't dig up much substance on it.

We just don't have any private hospitals with the guts to actually invest in surgical robotics.

Sell it overseas? Please. If I recall correctly, back then, Americans were already busy dreaming up their own version of Rocky—the kind of tech that doesn't just assist you, but basically performs the entire surgery itself. We used to joke that some genius would eventually build a robot capable of handling every single job in space except for being the boss... because let's face it, that role is strictly reserved for the humans. 😂 😂 😂 😂

These 3D printers are some of the biggest loads of nonsense I’ve ever seen.

They're just toys for lazy, elitist Americans who want everything standardized and under their thumb.

Anyone with half a brain can see that a 3D printer isn't actually what people claim it is.

First off, basic logic: if you want to print something, you have to constantly feed the machine the right material...

Who in their right mind is going to sit there refilling flour for food, or iron for metal parts, making sure the ratio is perfect every single time? Who has that kind of time?

And even if they could, no matter what some tech guru tells you, it’s impossible to manufacture everything this way. Most real products require actual finishing processes—things like pressing, galvanizing, zinc coating... or case hardening...

I mean, can you imagine some genius waiting around for his printer to churn out a batch of "sliders" just so he can eat? When there are a hundred other ways to get a burger, which is the whole point of having choices—for food or anything else.

So, all this dreaming about a "universal solution" for specialized needs? It honestly makes my blood boil.

The real issue isn't printing plastic trinkets; it's figuring out how to break free from the monopolistic elites. These guys rake it in by guarding their proprietary tech, holding onto monopolies, and blocking intuitive new technologies that could actually make life easier or provide cheaper energy. If we had those, people could integrate them into affordable goods—which is the entire goal of any modern economy: driving down prices to stay competitive, boosting sales, creating jobs, and raising the standard of living.

Right now, the gatekeepers of legacy brands are hogging everything. They won't let new standards or interconnected energy networks disrupt their stranglehold on consumer society.

Does anyone here actually grasp the sheer scale of the auto industry? All its components, the massive supply chains, and the entire web of industries tied to it?

Just switching over to electric power would wipe out more than half the resources currently used for parts, lubricants, and fuels across the planet.

That’s why we’re all just standing here, sinking together. We’re paying for expensive, outdated technology packed with unnecessary details that mostly just line the pockets of Western corporations. This setup generates insanely expensive energy and transport costs, which trickles down into everything we produce, making our goods overpriced and uncompetitive because of this constant extortion.

If we actually made a move... we’d already have networks of sustainable, cheap energy potential—biogas, solar arrays, small hydro plants all linked up to consumers, transit, and EVs, backed by a massive network of charging stations and places for quick battery swaps... or even hot water heating available across the entire US mainland.

northernsailor8 said:Specialization.

Maybe learn everything about them. Learn how to build, how to code, and how to develop ideas and products faster and better than anyone else.

Americans didn't invent windshield glass, nor do they produce most of it, yet Ferrari buys theirs from American suppliers. Americans didn't invent polymer semi-automatic pistols, yet the top-selling model in the US comes from an American manufacturer. Americans didn't invent fuel regulators, but a huge chunk of global production would vanish overnight if a major American component maker disappeared.

A 3D printer is just a tool. Success depends on whatever you decide to make with it.

:fejspalm ko kuća:

Here's an example. Glass was invented ages ago... then cars were invented... after that, cars started using better and better glass... long after Enzo Ferrari founded his factory and went looking for glass suppliers... long after Enzo's first car, someone in Lipstick starts producing high-end glass, and now modern Ferrari buys from them.

And you want me to start training people right this second to make glass for Ferrari? We don't even know when Ferrari will actually need that specific glass—is it in 5, 10, or 30 years? We don't know if the specs will match what we imagine today, because we have no idea what kind of Ferrari they'll be building then, or what the market will even demand.

I hope you caught the analogy...

At this rate, we might as well start training tour guides for Mars...

The Industrial Revolution - A future we aren't ready for

What a title for a thread. 🤣

"The Industrial Revolution - A future we aren't ready for."
Basically suggesting that adhesive bonding techniques will eventually overtake welding as the dominant manufacturing standard.

Quickly now,
let's just build 1,000 adhesive plants across the Midwest.
This would be the hottest topic on politics Quote.

Pizvo said:
The world is moving forward, faster than ever. Those who fail to see it simply don't understand progress and are actually afraid of it.

I mean, really...

Scientists at CERN are simulating the very dawn of existence—the Big Bang—while you people spend all your energy obsessing over layer-by-layer assembly tech and calling it the "Industrial Revolution."
It’s obvious how tech-focused magazines like Bug serve as nothing more than catalysts for this kind of hype. They probably have their minds stuck on some old-school printing press churning out hamburgers.
PS. As a long-time subscriber to that publication, I should mention that the quality has been plummeting lately.

placidranger said:You aren't getting it. Of course scientists and innovators need to profit from their breakthroughs. The issue is that the traditional copyright model is fundamentally broken in an era of anonymous internet publishing. I could upload a copy of your book under your name on my site or via torrents. You're stuck. You have no one to sue because you don't even know it was me. There's no way to scrub it, and the government isn't going to shut down the entire internet over a few books. It’s smarter to stop fighting the tide and start using the tech to your advantage—which is exactly what some authors are already doing. They put the book online for free and make their money through physical copies, speaking tours, film rights, or crowdfunding platforms... Copyright is becoming unenforceable. But again, let's stay on track.

The new industrial revolution definitely includes 3D printers. It's a massive leap forward (many of them are open source).

Then you have the DIY electronics scene—Arduino and all its various clones and derivatives (also open source). Innovation is migrating from massive factories into living rooms and basements. It's a dramatic surge in innovative potential.

And then there's the infrastructure and fuel that will turn those innovations into products for the masses—cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin.

Robotics will likely plateau for another 5 to 10 years until we hit some major breakthrough, but we'll see automated drones everywhere.

The concept of copyright is perfectly applicable to the digital landscape; you are simply attempting to convince me otherwise because you harbor a distaste for the idea of paying someone for their labor. 🙂

It is precisely mindsets like yours—where treating someone else's intellectual property as common loot is considered "normal"—that necessitate the ever-increasing expenditures on internet oversight. Those funds could be utilized far more intelligently, yet we cannot simply permit people to mock the fruits of another's toil. Through legislative updates, unconditional prison sentences, and more robust monitoring systems, order will largely be restored within a few years. After all, the internet today is subject to significantly more legal scrutiny than it was fifteen years ago; anyone who was online back then remembers when regulation was virtually nonexistent.

This is, of course, assuming we don't restrict authors from choosing to distribute their own work freely (though you haven't specified how many months of your own labor you've actually given away for free, or perhaps you simply don't value your own principles.

placidranger said:You aren't getting it. Of course scientists and innovators need to profit from their breakthroughs. The issue is that the traditional copyright model is fundamentally broken in an era of anonymous internet publishing. I could upload a copy of your book under your name on my site or via torrents. You're stuck. You have no one to sue because you don't even know it was me. There's no way to scrub it, and the government isn't going to shut down the entire internet over a few books. It’s smarter to stop fighting the tide and start using the tech to your advantage—which is exactly what some authors are already doing. They put the book online for free and make their money through physical copies, speaking tours, film rights, or crowdfunding platforms... Copyright is becoming unenforceable. But again, let's stay on track.

The new industrial revolution definitely includes 3D printers. It's a massive leap forward (many of them are open source).

Then you have the DIY electronics scene—Arduino and all its various clones and derivatives (also open source). Innovation is migrating from massive factories into living rooms and basements. It's a dramatic surge in innovative potential.

And then there's the infrastructure and fuel that will turn those innovations into products for the masses—cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin.

Robotics will likely plateau for another 5 to 10 years until we hit some major breakthrough, but we'll see automated drones everywhere.

Just as many other amateur projects are open source, this doesn't change the fundamental reality. Much will remain protected behind industrial proprietary walls. In fact, the Chinese will likely become the primary global advocates for such protections within a year. 🙂

I honestly don't see how 3D printers could ever be a threat to the US economy.

How many people in America actually work in industries that 3D printing would even touch? I can't think of a single one right now.

On the flip side, my buddy Starks makes a solid point. These printers might actually give us a leg up by making small-scale manufacturing easier than it's ever been.

Besides, if we're talking about what really matters for the future of the US, it’s food prices. Prices are climbing now, and they're going to keep climbing until farming becomes a massive money-maker again.

For instance, imagine a scenario where corn hits $0.67 per pound. With just five acres, you'd be pulling in a salary equivalent to what I make now—and I'm a computer engineer at a top-tier tech firm using all those cutting-edge technologies that goldengull3 gets so hyped about.