From the Jetsons to Cory Doctorow, science fiction writers of all stripes have imagined a world where any object could be instantly created. Modern economics on the other hand, is built on the principle of competition for scarce resources. And while it may not seem like a video game and printer could alter this economic reality, we beg to differ. Minecraft’s creative mode is the perfect vehicle for understanding a Post-Scarcity world; a place where resources are permanently available and constantly regenerated. It shows that with unlimited resources, people end up creating amazing digital structures! Of course, a world of infinitely available resources seems pretty fantastical until you consider the Makerbot and the future of 3D printing. The Makerbot is an at home device that allow you to print real three dimensional objects, meaning a Minecraftian future where you can print anything you want at anytime might not be that far away.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
I think there’s a big difference between a world of limitless resources and that of home manufacturing.
Considering the terrible amount of e-waste the western world dumps and the scarcity of water, I don’t think we should be talking about anything post-scarcity yet.
I agree with Renee. There’s nothing about the Makerbot that speaks post-scarcity. It’s all about manufacturing your own goods instead of purchasing them from a store. I think the guy in the video should’ve chose Cory Doctorow’s “Makers” instead of “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom”. It fits the concept much better than the post-scarcity concept that he attempts to shoehorn into the conversation.
I think there’s a big difference between a world of limitless resources and that of home manufacturing.
Considering the terrible amount of e-waste the western world dumps and the scarcity of water, I don’t think we should be talking about anything post-scarcity yet.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1870162,00.html
I agree with Renee. There’s nothing about the Makerbot that speaks post-scarcity. It’s all about manufacturing your own goods instead of purchasing them from a store. I think the guy in the video should’ve chose Cory Doctorow’s “Makers” instead of “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom”. It fits the concept much better than the post-scarcity concept that he attempts to shoehorn into the conversation.