[MUSIC] Let's begin our exploration of 3D printing
by getting out of the classroom and going to the street. We're going to go to two public libraries,
the New York Public Library in New York City and the Champaign Public
Library here in Champaign, Illinois to find out what real people think and
feel, About 3D printing technology. I think you'll find their
answers to be quite interesting. Come on, let's go. It's a bit cold out there,
so I better bundle up. All right, we're off. Have you ever heard of a 3D printing. >> Yes, I have. >> No, no, not exactly. >> Never.
>> Never. >> I've heard of it, yes. >> I've seen some stuff on the news. >> From Internet I guess and
actually seen in the retail stores they have the units on display,
so, my kids have it in school. >> I'm actually an industrial
designer major. So we have MakerBot in my studios. >> I mean I've seen it on Facebook and
stuff. >> Can you tell us what you know? >> I know it's pretty cool. I don't know much about it though. >> It uses plastic in
order to make 3D objects. >> It's been programmed to follow
instructions that will print out actual physical material. >> It codes it to print going
up in three dimensions. >> Have you ever seen a 3D
printer make something? >> I have, and it's interesting. It's a little bit slow. >> No, only on the Internet
unfortunately [LAUGH]. >> No, not operating, just the end result. >> I've only seen one thing in person made
out of that and somebody had a little miniature little Tardis,
the little flying thing from Doctor Who. >> Yeah,
I've seen them like make weapons, toys. I've heard like they tried to
make like houses or whatever. That's what I've heard, but
I don't know if it's true or not. >> It's true.
>> Do you have any idea how a 3D printer works? >> I don't and I've always been
amazed by the whole concept since printing always seemed to me
like a 2 dimensional venture. >> No. >> sort of. >> The cartridges are sort of like
a little plastic sort of thread, it looks like thread. >> Do you own a 3D printer? No. >> No. >> Can say I do actually. >> I do not own a 3D printer. >> It's too expensive right now. So I'm waiting for the right price. >> They seem kind of a little out there,
you know, in terms of price. >> We actually have an item that
was printed on a 3D printer. >> Can you guess what it s? >> A phone case. >> This is pretty neat. >> Yeah.
>> Pretty neat. How do you do it? I mean, I don't, this is what I don't get. How do you take a computer and
make something solid? >> This came out of a printer? >> That came out of a printer. >> I can't believe it. >> How much do you think that
would cost to make that case? >> Five bucks? >> 25 cents. >> It's gotta be $5 a unit. >> 5 cents.
>> 5 cents. >> A quarter. >> $20? 20? >> Close. Actually, 50 cents. >> 50 cents, really? That's [LAUGH] okay. >> $300 for this? >> Close, actually. It's about 50 cents. >> 50 cents for this? [LAUGH]
>> 75 cents. >> Close.
50 cents. How does that sound? >> That sounds pretty amazing actually. >> 10 bucks? >> 50 cents. >> Okay.
>> You think it's more than 5 dollars? >> Yeah, I would think so for it. >> Actually, it's 50 cents. >> Really! Well I'm impressed by that. >> If you had a 3D printer and
you could make anything. What would you make? >> Could I make it give me a tummy tuck. [LAUGH]
>> Probably something decorative for the wall maybe. >> The first thing that pops to mind
is an old 1950s refrigerator just for the heck of it. >> A house. >> I don't know maybe some holders for
my sport memorabilia and coin collection. >> A replicator like in Star Trek where
you could tell whatever food you wanted would be pretty awesome. >> I would make a printer that
would destroy all 3D printers. >> How do you think 3D printing will
impact our lives in the future? >> 3D printing you can 3D print
a lot of different thing. It would definitely make more things,
more affordable for people. >> I think it's one of those
things that my children will say, well my mother lived through the computer
and a 3D printing and it's just awesome. >> I think I read last week they were
talking about printing organs and human tissue. And so
it has a lot more wide-ranging impacts. >> If we can go from 2D to 3D, that's
going to mean we're going to be able to do things at home that we otherwise would
have to fabricate in factories and other places. So it's going to have
economic implications. It's going to affect the job market. People who used to do things in
factories might be out of work, frankly. Have you ever heard of
the Illinois Makerlab. >> The Illinois what? >> No.
>> No. >> No. >> No.
>> I have not. >> No I have not. >> No. >> Never. >> I have not. >> I've heard about it, I've never
actually been there but I've seen kids and people interested in those
things can go over there and use that material which is a pretty
cool resource for the area. [MUSIC]