Fab Labs

The Fab Lab has been born and will be an increasingly important part of 21st century life:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fab_lab

Fab Labs allow rapid prototyping of inventions. Following the original model, they should be free and open to the public. You can use them to manufacture one-of-a-kind items, all you need is a digital file from a CAD program. The link below shows me using my local Fab Lab to make a bicycle mount for my GPS receiver.

http://videos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2009/06/lorain_county_community_colleg.html

By 2018 I might be able to go to my Fab Lab and make a weapon, RADAR unit, rocket pack, or other items useful for fighting Moon Nazis. Of course I might also use it to make mundane things like parts for my car, utensils for my kitchen, or paperclips for my office. And others might use it to make exotic things like sculptures of insects, artificial body parts, or even sex toys.