This week we had not one, but two speakers! Both of them were very different but equally interesting. Alan, who was from UPS, spoke to us about how UPS is leveraging 3D printing. Our second speaker was Dot. She is currently getting her masters in education here at the university. Dot came in and told us about biohacking.

Alan talked to us about a 3D printer in their Louisville center than can print a product and have it out to anywhere in the United States the next day! Having this competitive advantage puts them far and above their competitors.  It is common to have to wait 3-5 days for your package, but with UPS’s new 3D printing service, they are hoping eventually they will be able to get the customer’s their packages by that day or the next!

Dot was extremely interesting to me. She talked to us about 3D printing organs and bones (biohacking). When first coming into college, I thought I wanted to major in biology. So, my love for biology along with business was combined nicely during this discussion! 3D printing is obviously cool, but when it could save someone’s life, that brings it to a whole different level. Dot expressed how she believes that 3D printing of organs could save hundreds of thousands of lives because there are just not enough organ donors to fulfill those needs. Dot also talked a lot about the Foldscope. This is a paper magnifying glass that costs under a dollar to make and can be 3D printing to be distributed throughout under privileged schools across the world. Foldscopes could allow students who normally wouldn’t have a chance to work with microscopes!

Overall, this class opened my eyes to different ways 3D printing could not only make people’s lives better, but to change and save their lives as well.