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New 3D printing technology readies for work in space
The 3D printing revolution is upon us — with people printing everything from new jaw implants to entire museum collections. Surely NASA's cranking stuff out left and right? Well, sort of. NASA has been experimenting with special 3D printers for years now, but has only recently tested the equipment in parabolic flight. That means space could be the next step
Producing items on demand will be critical to space exploration efforts. Sure, the ISS can just get a delivery of tools and equipment, but that's not going to happen on a mission to Mars. So, for the past ten years NASA engineers have been working on a special kind of 3D printing called Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication (EFB3).
It's similar to how 3D printing works — but think heavy duty. EFB3 uses an electron beam gun, dual wire feed and computers to create metal items from "feedstock." That's raw materials to you and me.
Raw materials are lighter and easier to store than finished parts. Plus, you never know what parts you might need…but with EFB3 you could conceivably punch up the plans on the computer and create whatever is needed.
NASA's had the basics in place for ten years or so, but has recently been working with the private sector to send the next generation of these printers into testing. Working with California based Made in Space, Inc., they've been making the systems space ready and astronaut friendly — which includes making the fabrications units smaller and more durable for the demands of zero gravity.
The team has been working on testing the units in parabolic flights where weightlessness occurs for short periods. After further such tests, the units could be ready for testing on the International Space Station.
It's easy to see how critical on-demand tool and machine manufacturing systems will be for long term exploration where you can't just ring up ground control for new parts.
Plus, just as those experimenting with early generation 3D printers probably never thought their machines would be printing body parts, likely there are uses for this specialized equipment NASA hasn't even thought of yet.
With this type of equipment perhaps we'll start seeing cars produced by NASA machines in the future. You just never know…
Source: http://dvice.com/archives/2012/07/new-3d-printing.php
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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