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Neil
Gershenfeld collaborates on the Alda All-Angle Anti-red-eye
Periscope Prototype. |
Much
of the digital revolution took place at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology's world-famous Media Lab. In "Personal
Fab," Media Lab scientist Neil Gershenfeld demonstrates to
Alan what he believes are the seeds of the next revolution
in personal empowerment.
In his course called "How to Make (Almost) Anything," Gershenfeld's
students fabricate tangible objects from the plans they design
on computers, using computer-controlled machines to cut through
materials ranging from plastic to steel. Alan tries out a
one-of-a-kind bicycle made by one student based on a model
of Matisse's Blue Nude Number Two.
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| Alan
rides off on a student-designed, one-of-a-kind bicycle,
printed out on a powerful printer. |
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As
Gershenfeld tells Alan, "It's not just that students learn
to make a bicycle, they learn to make their bicycle.
Every bicycle is different, and part of expressing yourself
and the bicycle you want is what this is all about.
Then,
it's Alan's turn to express his ideas. Accompanied by Gershenfeld's
six-year-old twins, Alan designs and prints out the "Alda
All-Angle Anti-red-eye Periscope Prototype," which Alan hopes
will help reveal true-blue eye color in photographs. But the
first attempt isn't quite right, and it's back to the computer
for a quick redesign. Bingo - the perfect shot, with blue
eyes shining bright.
For
more on this topic, see the web feature:
Digital
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