4 ms·

So the drugs are 3d-printed? Maybe in pill form?

• sliverstorm 14y ago
  That implies one of the following: 1) The printer is capable of "printing" complex compounds using individual atoms 2) The printer is pre-loaded with cocaine, LSD, MDMA... My point being not everything can be printed...
  • zevyoura 14y ago
    There's a concept floating around for something called a 'chemputer' that would effectively be a 3D printer for chemistry: http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-chemputer-that-could-print-out-any-drug http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-chemputer-that-could-print-out...
  • stephengillie 14y ago
    Not everything can be printed today...
  • toufka 14y ago
    It actually wouldn't be much more complicated to have a machine into which you pour a bit of bakers yeast, sugar and water and out comes a highly-enriched biomolecule of your choice. Most (recreational) drugs can be created via natural biochemical pathways. Honestly, not that much more complicated than your espresso machine.
    • sliverstorm 14y ago
      Sure, but at that point it isn't a printer, and let's not forget that while any one particular chemical may have a simple synthesis process, different chemicals don't generally have the same process, which makes synthesizing an arbitrary chemical in a printer-sized box that sits on your desk a difficult prospect.