While the geniuses in Washington are overwhelmed by the thought of sorting out a couple of products from the 1930s, I notice from today’s consumer news that you can now order a 3-D printer that works in carbon fiber — or one that works in sugar, if that’s to your taste. We now have tiny — really tiny, as in almost microscopic — functioning windmills that can power electronic devices, not on the market but in the lab, and in your pocket soon enough.
How did we ever get a carbon-fiber 3-D printer without the president calling for the development of one in the State of the Union address?
The most spectacular contrast in modern life is the difference between the quality of the stuff you can buy and that of the stuff you can vote for. The short drive from a Home Depot to a DMV office is much more of a culture shock than a flight from Dallas to Lisbon.