How Fablabs Revolutionize Personal Manufacturing

Based on “How to make (almost) everything” by Neil Gershenfeld (MIT).

I came across the article “How to make (almost) everything” via waag.org, written by MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld. Gershenfeld is the originator of the Fablab concept.

From Personal Computing to Personal Manufacturing
Gershenfeld draws a parallel with the computer industry. First, there were large, expensive mainframes for organizations. The rise of the personal computer brought computing power to individuals. A similar shift is now occurring with manufacturing.

New technologies enable additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing. Here, material is added layer by layer, rather than subtracted as in milling. These machines have become more affordable. Fablabs, global networks of makerspaces, make them accessible as a shared platform.

From Mass Production to Production for One
This changes a fundamental principle. Previously, mass production was necessary to keep costs low. Now, production for a market of one is possible. Individuals can make products they would otherwise buy, customize them to their own needs, or have them produced locally. This shift from consumer to maker is something I’ve also explored in my hands-on project to repair a classic Sony Walkman.”

Community, Open Source, and Challenges
Gershenfeld also discusses the next phase: digital assemblers at the nano-scale. Furthermore, he points to potential dangers, such as the fabrication of weapons and issues with intellectual property.

His approach to the latter is open source. In Fablabs, as in software, open source has become the norm. Communities, supported by digital communication, can thus respond to local demand. Gershenfeld emphasizes the innovation potential: communities that question existing assumptions drive innovation.

Conclusion
The development of Fablabs turns an existing logic on its head. It makes advanced manufacturing accessible and enables communities to innovate locally. The question of how to deal with the risks of the technology remains complex, as with much technological progress.

Inside a Fablab at Waag in Amsterdam showing various 3D printers and tools for personal manufacturing
Fablab at Waag, Amsterdam

The article (paywalled).

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2012-09-27/how-make-almost-anything

The article (non-paywalled)

http://www.cba.mit.edu/docs/papers/12.09.FA.pdf

Melkmuil mixtape

mixtape

Creating this first mixtape after getting a (cheap second-hand) Pioneer cassette deck was tremendous fun.

I reused an old cassette I found in my mother’s cassette deck. I tried to fix the cassette deck but had to part with it in the end—replacing the electromotors became too much of a hassle. I found another place that sold old cassettes for 50 cents. I bought a handful and will use these for other mixtapes.

The first mixtape theme I hit upon was Dutch bands, probably most 90s bands, although De Kift and The Ex have been around much longer and are actually still active. I called it Melkmuil. You can find the Melkmuil playlist on Spotify.

Creating the cover – collating – was another part of the fun. Cassette cover templates were easy to find, for example, at de Bandjesfabriek.

Side A

  • De Kift – Nauwe Mijter
  • Skik – Betonpaolties
  • The Ex – Soon All Cities
  • Tröckener Kecks – Andere Plaats, Andere Tijd
  • Bettie Serveert – Healthy Sick
  • JOHAN – Day Is Done
  • Spinvis – Paradijs
  • Daryll-Ann – A note about time
  • Eton Crop – It’s My Dog Maestro

Side B

  • Claw Boys Claw – On The Run
  • Hallo Venray – Slow Change
  • Bertje Doperwtje – Alleen Maar Jou
  • Roosbeef – Vergis ik mij
  • Urban Dance Squad – Demagogue
  • Ivy Green – Another Sub-Culture Going Bad
  • Blue Murder – Get Lost
  • The Vernon Walters – Present History

State of Shock my noise got wrapped (2024)

Spotify wrapped my 2024 behaviour. I guess I am stuck in punk rock noise space.

There could be worse places to get stuck in.

Surprising Facts from ‘Uncommon Knowledge’ by The Economist

Uncommon Knowledge published by The Economist, edited by Tom Standage

I wrote earlier that I love rare facts. Uncommon Knowledge is published by The Economist, edited by Tom Standage, editor by The Economist.

The book consists of short essays of no more than two pages, each zooming in on an unexpected fact. The essays are well written and mostly indeed surprising. For example:

Swaziland is actually called Eswatini; it was renamed in 2018 (the name is eSwatini according to the book, but it is generally spelled Eswatini today).

Carrots are white. Orange carrots originate from the Dutch town of Hoorn and may have been grown out of a gesture of support for William of Orange.

Why most refugees do not live in camps: because camps are miserable places. Even when aid is more accessible in camps, refugees prefer an uncertain life in cities because they have more opportunities to do things. Conclusion by The Economist: let refugees out of camps; let them work.

China loans pandas to other countries as a political tool.

Why do people eat more chicken nowadays? It is cheaper, and breading them is so efficient. Chickens are so big nowadays that they can’t get on top of each other anymore to mate. I also talked about this after reading Jonathan Foer’s book Eating Animals (Dieren eten). (Yes, I eat vegetarian.)

Expensive weddings yield higher chances of divorce.

Import tariffs do more harm to the economy than good. (The book was written during Trump’s first presidency).
In 2018, the WHO published a list of deadly viruses, including the placeholder’ Disease X’, an undetermined disease that could cause an international epidemic.

The US has, next to Brazil, one of the highest deaths caused by firearms per capita in the world. Two-thirds of these deaths in the US are suicides. So, I would say you could very well conclude that the NRA in the US is a lobby organization promoting suicides. You never hear a pro-life organization about these approximately 26000 deaths per year.

Islamic zina laws inhibit illicit sexual relationships. This often applies to the victim of rape as well. That is a horror even worsened by the primitive punishments of whipping and stoning. A complete nightmare for women.

Turkey puts most journalists in prison of all countries in the world. (And is still contemplating the introduction of zina laws).

An interesting book that gives a different view on many topics.

Grave of the Fireflies on Netflix

We can now watch Studio Ghibli’s arguably most sad and moving story, Grave of the Fireflies, on Netflix. So far, the film by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata is only available on Hulu, which is not available in Europe.

The film, released in 1988, is set in Japan, in the last months of World War II. The film is based on a short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, telling his own experiences during the war. Brother and sister Seia and Setsuko lost their mother during the US firebombing of Kobe in 1945. They are taken care of by their aunt, but she doesn’t treat the children well. The kids decide to go and live in a cave they have discovered.

Like other Ghibli animation movies, this film is not a children’s movie. It is a lovely story that was beautifully made, yet it is a moving film about human survival and the devastating effects of war.

Grave of the Fireflies