We’ve seen some of the amazing things that 3D printers can do, but most of them are more for folly and enjoyment rather than practical use. The future of 3D printers is bright, but today they’re good for launching Stephen Colbert’s head into space and not a lot more. Or are they? There have been other examples of how 3D printing technology can be used for practical purposes, but the video below is the most touching and truly amazing use that we’ve seen so far. In it, young Emma was born with arthrogryposis, a disability that would have made it impossible for her to move her arms. Thanks to a combination…

We’re not quite to the point where we can push a button and say, “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” Then again, we may not be as far off as most would believe. The amazing technology behind the 3D printer is mind-blowing. From scanning and understanding every aspect of a tool, even moving parts, all the way to the actual “printing” process are things that are clearly out of a science fiction book and not reality, and yet there it is. Watch the video. Be amazed. Dream about the future. …

For you youngsters out there, Weird Science was a movie from the 1980s in which 2 young boys used a computer to literally create the woman of their dreams.Well, we aren’t there yet, but with a development out of the University of Missouri, we’re one step closer. Researchers at the school have developed a working 3D printer that uses something called ‘bio-ink’ – a mushy, gooey substance made from human cells – that binds to a bio-paper template, which then dissolves to leave something that looks like a human body part….