NASA investing in 3D ‘pizza printer’ for astronauts long space missions

Friday, June 14th 2013 - 00:05 UTC

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With concerns about our ability to feed 12 billion people by the end of the century, one engineer is looking to replace conventional food with something produced by a 3D printer, and he’s getting a grant from NASA to create a prototype. Read full article

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Anglotino
12 billion by 2100?

Current estimates see at maybe dropping back to 7 billion by 2100. However there will still be a need for more food as relative poverty levels will have dropped.

It's a great idea. In developed countries it would probably be more used and useful by poorer people. However in countries with high poverty levels, such as India, Argentina and African countries it will have a greater impact dealing with malnutrition and hunger for the lower classes.
Jun 14th, 2013 - 01:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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yankeeboy
So much cool stuff coming.
I seriously wonder what will happen to failed countries in the next generation.
If some of them are ever able to visit the 1st world it will be like they went to OZ from Kansas. Black and White to Color.

My bet is someplace like Argentina the common people will not even have the ability to communicate with the outside world. They'll be working with teh equivalent of the rotary phone when the rest of us have some sort of telecommunications device implanted at birth.
Jun 14th, 2013 - 12:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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GFace
“Contractor ultimately expects to see a 3D printer in every kitchen, replacing food with powder and oil cartridges loaded into a printer to create custom meals for an individual’s diet and nutritional needs.”

Add 3 parts of the blue flavor, with 2 parts of the red flavor... and it will taste like the purple flavor!

Yes, I know it's a really neat and fascinating idea and will benefit astronauts on space travel who will only be able to take so much Tang as they go to Mars, but it DOES just beg for retro-Jetsons parodies and rest assured, it will wind up as fodder for our great grandchildren 90th edition of James Lileks' “The Gallery of Regrettable Food” once the art is perfected :-)
Jun 14th, 2013 - 03:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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