3D Printing Revisit-Part 1

In October, I did an article on possibly the most promising new invention since the personal computer. Now, since the technology has been explored in more depth, there are new things that are being created with a 3D printer, and thus new debate. The first is shoes. Shoes are a big part of society for many people and make up a colossal part of the clothing industry. But consider if it could be made at home. Brand new sneakers just like the most expensive one on the shelves. Or custom ones, and start a line out of the basement. Not only that, but it can produce lighter, racing shoes for events like the Olympics  That changes a lot. But the flip side, as is often the general discussion about the fact that a home factory will basically put many companies out of business. This has its ups and downs, because it dramatically lowers the cost of living for everyone, and that is immensely beneficial. On the flip side though, it kills some manufacturers, for example, shoe manufacturers. However, with the amount of 3D printers people would buy, the jobs could just show up in selling the printers!

The 3D printed handgun is a big issue. Considering recent events, it's already been proven that gun control is an issue, but being able to produce one's own guns is a bit scary, and it has managed to be made in the past. But there could be some kind of mandatory parental controls that the manufacturer could install to protect against gun creation. And regardless, it would require gunpowder and bullets to become deadly, so people in theory could not get access to a deadly gun unless they were supposed to. To be continued... 

3D Television-The Next Step in Home Entertainment

I've mentioned before in articles that 3D televisions are a giant step in entertainment. When movies began to be viewed on TV, it was hugely successful to say the least. Since entertainment is all about communication, movies on the TV hit the spot. But now the latest trickle down from movie theaters is coming into the home. Three-dimensional visual information, otherwise known as 3D, is the use of special glasses to make imagery look 3-Dimensional. The actual idea of just 3D in TVs is in itself possibly a colossal change for all humans. Picture this, originally, before television, people could not process all the information we do now as easily as we do, thus advancing our brain's screen processing capabilities. For some people, 3D is difficult to watch because it hurts their eyes, but in a few decades, people might not have that issue at all. That is pretty awesome.  

The awesomeness doesn't stop there though, the next advancement after is even cooler. Holograms are supposedly the next stage after 3D. Holograms just change everything  Ads, TV, movies, etc. But that's an article for another day... Anyways, 3D could also become like flat-screen, which is now a rather common sight in an average home. So, regardless, 3D television could change the way we entertain ourselves forever.

Can Anyone Still Hear Me?-The Future of Radio

(Hover over image to reveal more)

The Radio. It's a machine that has changed the entertainment business. It was a like a personal reporter for those in the Second World War. And helps thousands of companies everyday inter-communicate. It has created major turmoil like the "War of the Worlds" report. It's no doubt that radio has left an unmistakable mark on society, but where does it go from here?

Television all but trumps radio in home entertainment now, and the internet has also somewhat pushed out radio for company communication. Since television has more variety of channels as well as having the visuals advantage. So, radio has lost the home entertainment market, and possibly soon the company communication one soon as well, so where does it go? The one place radio seems to have completely locked up is the in-car market. Since using TV in cars is illegal, radio is going to be almost impossible to kick out of this spot, because for the daily commuter who travels to work in solidarity, radio is a real savior, so there is a niche for radio in people's daily lives. Hopefully for radio, car makers do not develop a new entertainment method, as has happened will all of radio's other former niches. (Although iPod integration is a possible alternative).

Other than the car market, radio is all but gone. There are still radio icons that are reasonably well know such as Howard Stern and Elvis Duran, however, there is a decreasing amount of them. Radio really headed the movement of electronic entertainment/news, but it is becoming older. Music radio channels are also under attack from personal internet-based radio stations such as Pandora and Grooveshark. Even the talk shows are going away, because the last major host was Oprah Winfrey, but now, when's the last time a radio show host made the news headlines? While it isn't gone, it's on it's way out, unless a new option arrives for car riders.

5 Coolest Inventions of 2012

 #5 The Deepsea Challenger Submarine

Designed by director James Cameroon for filming, this rugged submarine can reach the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at 7 miles deep. It was made to withstand the pressure of 3 SUV's put on your toe. It is fully equipped with  3-D cameras. Pretty darn cool.  


#4 Tesla Model S

The next step in green motoring, the American car manufacturer Tesla is really blazing the trail in performance electric automobiles. This means that the dream of racing and exotic cars doesn't have to become depleted with gasoline. It goes 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, but also has the electric charge equivalent of 89 MPG, and so far, electricity is the favorite form of alternative energy.

#3 Women's Body Armor

Finally, women can fulfill their dreams of serving their country on the front lines. Not that women dying is a good thing, but many women would love to help their country by protecting its freedom. For 85% of women in the U.S military, a men's X-small is too big for them, so the armor has been specially developed to fit women's bodies. It is going to be tested by 101st airborne's first brigade in the Middle East very soon.

#2 Wingsuit Racing

This year, the first ever Wingsuit Racing World Championship was held in China. Descending from a 5,000 foot cliff, they glided and then parachuted to the finish. The winner was South African Julian Boulle with a world record time of 23.41 seconds. That's pretty awesome, and man's dreams of self-dependent flight takes a huge leap and it most be a blast to watch.


#1 The Civilization Starter Kit

Marcin Jakubowski has created a blueprint for a DIY civilization. He identified the 50 most important machines for creating a brand new country today. That's pretty cool, and it is actually applicable in real life, like if in Antarctica, scientists want to create a quick civilization to observe the continent, or even if people actually want to settle there. Or even, for the sci-fi dreamers, in the far future, humans that go to settle other planets, can use it to do it more quickly.

5 Most Important Discoveries of 2012

5. Paedophryne amauensis

On January 12th Scientists discovered the smallest vertebrate in the world. while not useful for human use, it is important to know about.

4.  Spidersilk

On January 4th, scientists create genetically engineered silkworms that create super-strong spidersilk. The created substance is stronger than steel, but is also as light as regular silk. The uses for this are immense, because it could help build stronger buildings, lighter, more fuel efficient cars, and many more possibilities  Also, it marks a big step in genetic engineering possibilities, it could be used on other small animals to create more efficient materials like spidersilk in the future.

3. Honey Bee Parasite

While it doesn't have a name, its discovery could save a possibly future endangered species. Since Honey Bees have been dying out and the cause has been a mystery, but the answer could lie in this unnamed parasite. If it is the cause of the dying of the honey bees, it could potentially save a species, even if it does mean killing another....

2. CCTV 

China launched the World's first commercial 3DTV channel (CCTV). 3D is the future of the television, so this is a big step, possibly the next big step in home entertainment. Eventually, this could lead to hologram television movies, which has huge potential for every part of everyday life.

1. Longevity gene

Discovered on November 13th, scientists discovered a longevity gene that made a small water-born organism virtually immortal and that could eventually trickle down to humans. It doesn't require much explanation to show how that is an interesting discovery, but because of the mega possibilities of this, it gets the honor of 2012's most important discovery. (Longevity gene pictured above).

5 Most Influential Political People of 2012

#5 Mohamed Morsi (Egyptian President)

By far this is probably the most different of the people on this list but his actions are no less influential. Coming off a recent violent revolution, he is put in an important situation. He has the influential position of trying to rebuild a whole nation. As well as controlling the biggest shipping canal in the world.


#4 Kim Jong Un (North Korean Leader)

This award would have gone to his father had his father been... well alive.  Anyways, the inheritance to the leader of North Korea almost automatically gets a mention here being that it is such a controversial country. So, why is he here? Well, being that he governs one of the possibly most hostile nations in the world, he is pretty influential.

#3 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iranian President)

Again, more infamous than famous, because of the Iranian missile crisis, his every move is extremely important. Also very watched, he basically defines foreign policy for many major nations. Meaning the dealing with the Iran situation is a huge part of foreign policy for many major countries. Also, if he is producing nukes, that will certainly change the world because he has already made the threat of nuking Israel. That would certainly be influential. Even if it's not for the better.

#2 Hu Jintao (Chinese President)

Being that China is possibly the biggest influence on the global economy, his actions couldn't have more influence. China has pretty much blackmailing material for every country, like when Japan detained a Chinese captain. China just put in an embargo, and Japan returned the captain immediately. That is the power of China, and the leader heads this power.

#1 Barack Obama (American President)

Recently elected, he has the duty of guiding America which is certainly no small task. America, like China has huge effect on the global economy. The other huge effect is on the global energy state. If you look back at almost all of the alternative energy sources, they have a major footing in America, and most are almost only available in the United States, so his actions could decide the future of alternative energy for a long time to come.

5 Most Influential Non-Political People of 2012

#5: Terry Mcdermott (The Voice)

While it might not seem to big, Terry Mcdermott was the first contestant on American Television to sing the Beatles on the show. (Him Singing) While this isn't insanely influential, it means the rights to sing their song on television are fair game, and considering they're some of the most influential people of all time I felt this guy deserved a mention. Also, he has created quite a buzz and has sold huge amounts of singles and might bring back classic rock according to many.

#4: Psy (Gangnam style)

While it may seem quite silly, there is an importance to his achievements  It has really showcased the power of the internet. The first Youtube video with 1,000,000,000 views, it is also the most watched video on Youtube. Still not convinced? Well consider this. He has sent a message that has been viewed 1 billion times. Take any important document or idea and give it 1 billion views. That can change the world. Consider giving  documents like The Communist Manifesto or Conspicuous Consumption one billion views. That can truly change everything.

#3: LGBTQ Rights leaders

While there isn't just one that I can pick out, anyone pretty much fits the reason for these people getting #3. LGBTQ is a huge issue, it is like the civil rights movement of this generation. It has been part of civilization since the beginning of civilization (most likely). It also gains influentiality because it goes against religion. While not necessarily a good thing, it does shake the roots of society. It also has become a huge part of television and is a big part of many big shows currently running. The last part is that it further creates debate in religion, does homosexuality agree with the ideals of the bible, or do the two clash? Needless to say, the leaders of this movement are very influential.

#2: Chuck Hall

Never heard of him? You're not alone, but very soon his name could become known across the world as possibly the biggest inventor of all time. He invented the 3-d printer. (More on 3-D Printing) The possibilities of that are immense and will probably be fully explored within the next 20 years, so not only will it be huge, but it will be huge very soon.

#1 Larry Page/Sergey Brin

The co-founders of Google, they already own the most viewed website in history, and the biggest website sharing website of all time as well. However this year, they made a huge leap in futher becoming part of everyday life. Android sales are up seriously, and they are gaining a big following. They also now own Motorola, and even though it isn't a very popular cell provider, it has potential. And if that wasn't enough, they introduced Google Wallet, which means Google can know your buying info, and possibly sell it to companies. That is pretty scary, but it is also revolutionary, because that changes everything for retailers, because they know alot more about what you want and like, so they can strategically purchase and place items by trends in communities near stores. Because of these contributions these two are my most influential people of 2012.