Gutenberg for the 20 and change.

January 29, 2003 8:57 AM

Print life! Forget this photo-realism nonsense. Scientists have modified ink-jet printers to print living cells. Like many innovations in sci-tech, I find this scary and fascinating at the same time.
posted by pinto (9 comments total)

The team has done several experiments using easily available tissues such as hamster ovary cells.

Easily available to who? I've been looking for them everywhere around town. . . .
posted by LeLiLo at 8:59 AM on January 29, 2003

Fascinating stuff. Who needs sex or artificial insemination? Soon, Rosie and her lover will be able to design and print their own kid.
posted by rotifer at 9:14 AM on January 29, 2003

Tea, earl gey, hot.
posted by oflinkey at 9:28 AM on January 29, 2003

Grey, that is
posted by oflinkey at 9:28 AM on January 29, 2003

So does this mean our graphics studio has a new use for the old colour epson? We could make a killing on the side....with life!

This will mean so much to people who need transplants as well as other medical problems. And I see I wasn't the only one who made the link to Star Trek.
posted by Salmonberry at 10:27 AM on January 29, 2003

Hey hey hey - Can I print my own celebrity porn star?

Or at least a bit of ass? (!)
posted by troutfishing at 10:34 AM on January 29, 2003

imagine hearing tiny little shrieks of pain every time you shredded a sheet of paper.
posted by kev23f at 10:40 AM on January 29, 2003

What if you run low on toner? What if you install the wrong driver?

What about printer jams? "My new liver is in there...you can see the end of it sticking out..."
posted by gimonca at 11:21 AM on January 29, 2003

Odd, i was just watching The 5th Element this weekend and when it came to the scene where they rebuild Milla Jovovich's character from the bit of hand, i found myself wondering how long it would be before a technology approaching this really existed.

i guess i don't have to wonder any more.

Neat!
posted by quin at 11:27 PM on January 29, 2003