Soon, a plate of beans will be created by a 3D printer
March 21, 2023 10:25 AM Subscribe
The Guardian: 'Engineers show 3D printing’s potential by turning cartridges of paste and powder into cheesecake' - “The cheesecake is the best thing we can showcase right now, but the printer can do a whole lot more,” said Jonathan Blutinger, an engineer at Columbia’s Creative Machines Lab in New York. “We can print chicken, beef, vegetables and cheese. Anything that can be turned into a paste, liquid or powder.” Interesting Engineering: “...a 3D-printing device that printed a seven-ingredient dish cooked in situ using a laser. The system constructed cheesecake from edible food inks such as peanut butter, Nutella, and strawberry jam.”
What about tea, Earl Grey, hot?
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:32 AM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:32 AM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
What about tea, Earl Grey, hot?
In fairness, I'll take 3D printed tea over microwaved tea.
posted by Wordshore at 10:33 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
In fairness, I'll take 3D printed tea over microwaved tea.
posted by Wordshore at 10:33 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
What about tea, Earl Grey, hot?
Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:37 AM on March 21, 2023 [15 favorites]
Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:37 AM on March 21, 2023 [15 favorites]
This sounds drastically unhealthy for you. Bee Wilson’s article about processed food (also in The Guardian) is a must read on this subject, but in short: the more processed a food is the worse it is for you, and the more money it makes somebody else.
posted by The River Ivel at 10:41 AM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by The River Ivel at 10:41 AM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
This sounds like a microwave dinner with extra steps.
posted by AlSweigart at 10:49 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by AlSweigart at 10:49 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
I'm just going to start calling all food 3d printed if it comes out of a tube or looks like ground meat.
posted by rickw at 10:52 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rickw at 10:52 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I 3D printed some poop this morning, y'all.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:58 AM on March 21, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:58 AM on March 21, 2023 [11 favorites]
This just has a number of unnecessary steps. You might just as well squeeze the contents of the cartridges into your mouth directly at the same time, rather than wait for all the printing stuff to happen, as you would do with a can of Easy Cheese uh allegedly.
posted by Wordshore at 11:02 AM on March 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 11:02 AM on March 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
"The system constructed cheesecake from edible food inks such as peanut butter, Nutella, and strawberry jam."
Does this seem like an odd recipe for cheesecake to anybody else?
I mean, not that I'm against Nutella in or on anything, really.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:07 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Does this seem like an odd recipe for cheesecake to anybody else?
I mean, not that I'm against Nutella in or on anything, really.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:07 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
This sounds drastically unhealthy for you.
Indeed. As all the microbiome studies have suddenly made clear, fiber is the (not a) nutrient that we desperately need more of in our diets. And a thing that would absolutely clog up those inkjet nozzles.
posted by heyitsgogi at 11:09 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Indeed. As all the microbiome studies have suddenly made clear, fiber is the (not a) nutrient that we desperately need more of in our diets. And a thing that would absolutely clog up those inkjet nozzles.
posted by heyitsgogi at 11:09 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
A little extra fiber might help keep Halloween Jack's nozzle clear, if you know what I mean.
posted by phooky at 11:22 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by phooky at 11:22 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
"Edible food inks." Welp, it's been great, thanks everybody
posted by Sing Or Swim at 11:28 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Sing Or Swim at 11:28 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I 3D printed some poop this morning, y'all.
Wrong thread! You want the thread above this one on the front page.
posted by Wordshore at 11:41 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Wrong thread! You want the thread above this one on the front page.
posted by Wordshore at 11:41 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Y’all can take the fun out of anything! What a bunch of party 3d printers.
posted by BeeDo at 11:43 AM on March 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by BeeDo at 11:43 AM on March 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
Juicero, but for cheesecakes.
posted by rouftop at 11:57 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by rouftop at 11:57 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
I 3D printed some poop this morning, y'all.
Did you have to log on?
posted by chavenet at 12:00 PM on March 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
Did you have to log on?
posted by chavenet at 12:00 PM on March 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
News flash: Just about any food can be powdered and then reconstituted. Whether it's still appetizing or nutritious afterward is another story.
I *still* don't get the hype about 3D printing. People want to believe it's some kind of magical technology that can make anything, but it's really just squirting goop out of tubes.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 12:11 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I *still* don't get the hype about 3D printing. People want to believe it's some kind of magical technology that can make anything, but it's really just squirting goop out of tubes.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 12:11 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Metafilter: it's really just squirting goop out of tubes.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 12:14 PM on March 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Hairy Lobster at 12:14 PM on March 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
People want to believe it's some kind of magical technology that can make anything, but it's really just squirting goop out of tubes.
"And that, boys and girls, is how a mummy and a daddy who love each other very much make a baby."
posted by Wordshore at 12:15 PM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
"And that, boys and girls, is how a mummy and a daddy who love each other very much make a baby."
posted by Wordshore at 12:15 PM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
I strongly contest the description of what they made as 'cheesecake'.
posted by signal at 12:16 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by signal at 12:16 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
MetaFilter: really just squirting goop out of tubes.
C'mon, somebody had to do it. Honestly, I would 3D print my dinners if it were easier than popping something in the microwave but it's not. On Swedish national news tonight there was a segment from Ukraine about a small toy/puzzle shop that is using its 3D printer(s) mostly to create a first-aid item. It is shaped a bit like a small, wide cup. It has holes in it. It is taped over a person's eye or eyes after they have been injured in the war. That is the part where I got a bit damp.
3D printers are amazing in lots of ways. Don't blame the printers, it is a wonderful technology in many (not all ways). Don't blame Wordshore, he is obligated to reinforce his brand on the blue. Blame corporate greed. That is always a safe scapegoat.
posted by Bella Donna at 12:18 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
C'mon, somebody had to do it. Honestly, I would 3D print my dinners if it were easier than popping something in the microwave but it's not. On Swedish national news tonight there was a segment from Ukraine about a small toy/puzzle shop that is using its 3D printer(s) mostly to create a first-aid item. It is shaped a bit like a small, wide cup. It has holes in it. It is taped over a person's eye or eyes after they have been injured in the war. That is the part where I got a bit damp.
3D printers are amazing in lots of ways. Don't blame the printers, it is a wonderful technology in many (not all ways). Don't blame Wordshore, he is obligated to reinforce his brand on the blue. Blame corporate greed. That is always a safe scapegoat.
posted by Bella Donna at 12:18 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Dammit, I waited too long to post. I tip my hat to you, Hairy Lobster.
posted by Bella Donna at 12:18 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Bella Donna at 12:18 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Many a time have I said "this dinner would be perfect if only it had been made with lasers."
posted by adamrice at 12:19 PM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by adamrice at 12:19 PM on March 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
Whereas I've thought "this dinner party would be over a lot quicker if only I had lasers."
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:50 PM on March 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:50 PM on March 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
I know cheesecake. Cheesecake is a friend of mine. That's not cheesecake.
posted by Splunge at 1:03 PM on March 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 1:03 PM on March 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
I 3D printed some poop this morning, y'all.
‘But they're shit.’posted by zamboni at 1:27 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
‘And yet at the same time they're art. Exquisite pieces of art. They re literally incredible.’
‘No, they're literally shit is literally what they are.’
fiber is the (not a) nutrient that we desperately need more of in our diets. And a thing that would absolutely clog up those inkjet nozzles.
We can 3d print concrete, a paste Metamucil shouldn't be a problem.
posted by Mitheral at 1:28 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
We can 3d print concrete, a paste Metamucil shouldn't be a problem.
posted by Mitheral at 1:28 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
but in short: the more processed a food is the worse it is for you
Not to get all rah-rah Technology Uber Alles but this part is redecorated Luddite nonsense. Your body has a set of chemical needs, and those can be met through processes that render things into and back out of goop. But as you go on to say…
and the more money it makes somebody else
This is the actual problem. It is within our power to make goop that is as nutritious as any “natural” source and quite likely moreso, it just isn’t cost-effective much in the way that imbuing said goop with appetizing texture and appearance - with or without compromising nutrition - is likewise not cost-effective. Capitalism poisons everything, and nowhere is that sentence more literally true than here.
posted by Ryvar at 2:30 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Not to get all rah-rah Technology Uber Alles but this part is redecorated Luddite nonsense. Your body has a set of chemical needs, and those can be met through processes that render things into and back out of goop. But as you go on to say…
and the more money it makes somebody else
This is the actual problem. It is within our power to make goop that is as nutritious as any “natural” source and quite likely moreso, it just isn’t cost-effective much in the way that imbuing said goop with appetizing texture and appearance - with or without compromising nutrition - is likewise not cost-effective. Capitalism poisons everything, and nowhere is that sentence more literally true than here.
posted by Ryvar at 2:30 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
"Print the heart-shaped herb."
posted by The otter lady at 2:35 PM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 2:35 PM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
"Print silphium"
posted by The otter lady at 2:41 PM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 2:41 PM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Can it print the food directly into my mouth? That would solve so many problems.
posted by abraxasaxarba at 4:00 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by abraxasaxarba at 4:00 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
It’s the matter compiler
posted by toodleydoodley at 4:01 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by toodleydoodley at 4:01 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
A little extra fiber might help keep Halloween Jack's nozzle clear, if you know what I mean.
Can and does!
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:10 PM on March 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
Can and does!
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:10 PM on March 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
I *still* don't get the hype about 3D printing. People want to believe it's some kind of magical technology that can make anything, but it's really just squirting goop out of tubes.
The UV resin stuff is actually pretty wild. That said, 3d printing is missing a killer app, and I doubt it will ever be mainstream.
posted by pwnguin at 4:10 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
The UV resin stuff is actually pretty wild. That said, 3d printing is missing a killer app, and I doubt it will ever be mainstream.
posted by pwnguin at 4:10 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
This is the actual problem. It is within our power to make goop that is as nutritious as any “natural” source and quite likely moreso, it just isn’t cost-effective much in the way that imbuing said goop with appetizing texture and appearance - with or without compromising nutrition - is likewise not cost-effective. Capitalism poisons everything, and nowhere is that sentence more literally true than here.
The problem is deeper than whether 3d printing cheescake is more profitable than just buying it by the tub. It's that given the choice between cheesecake and not-cheesecake, I reliably choose the former. The paper itself is more of a survey of the field, and covers some of these dimensions, though it basically handwaves problem raised as "we can fix it with more science."
Notably missing from the paper is any discussion of whether 3d printed cheesecake sans cheese helps build trust in 3d printed foods.
posted by pwnguin at 4:29 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
The problem is deeper than whether 3d printing cheescake is more profitable than just buying it by the tub. It's that given the choice between cheesecake and not-cheesecake, I reliably choose the former. The paper itself is more of a survey of the field, and covers some of these dimensions, though it basically handwaves problem raised as "we can fix it with more science."
Notably missing from the paper is any discussion of whether 3d printed cheesecake sans cheese helps build trust in 3d printed foods.
posted by pwnguin at 4:29 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
sans cheese
I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:17 PM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:17 PM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
“Millions of voices crying out in lactose intolerance” just doesn’t have quite the same dramatic heft or gravitas.
posted by Ryvar at 10:02 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Ryvar at 10:02 PM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
If the only tool you have is a 3D printer, everything will be turned into spaghetti.
posted by UN at 10:24 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by UN at 10:24 PM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
AskMe help: For complicated / irrelevant reasons a friend has suddenly 3D printed 18 pounds of Red Leicester cheese…
posted by Mchelly at 5:27 AM on March 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 5:27 AM on March 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
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