3D-Printed Dinosaur Bones "Like Gutenberg's Printing Press" For Paleontologists 39
Philip Ross writes "Uses for 3D printers are more widespread than ever, but researchers in Germany are expanding 3D-printing territory even further. For the first time ever, scientists from the Department of Radiology at Charité Campus Mitte in Berlin have recreated dinosaur fossils from blueprints made by computed tomography, or CT, scans. The ability to scan and 3D-print dinosaur fossils could have wide-ranging applications for not only paleontologists but also educators and private collectors alike."
Collectors? (Score:5, Insightful)
Because what private collectors interested in rare antiquities want is a plastic copy....
Paleontologists, sure. While there's no shortage of fossilized dinosaur bones, there are particular species that are in short supply. I can also see this being very useful for anyone who has a theory about assembling a skeleton that differs from the currently accepted model who wants to experiment without handling (and therefore potentially damaging) the real thing.
But not collectors.
Re:Collectors? (Score:4, Insightful)
Because what private collectors interested in rare antiquities want is a plastic copy....
Fossils are very rarely complete. If a collector has two-thirds of a T-Rex skeleton, they would absolutely want the last third in plastic for display purposes. Even if it's bright red PVA to highlight what's real and what's not.