Doris Day and 3D Printing

3D printed miniature heads, artwork by S Zillayali, from Wikipedia

Doris day, Doris Day, 3D printing talks at CETC and Brexit effect on immigration.

Storm Doris swept into Cambridgeshire today, whipping our Christmas tree over and breaking it's pot. But perhaps the most gripping thing was watching the dilapidated section of a neighbours fence. At the start of the morning, a large plastic ball could be seen through the gaping gap at the bottom of the fence. The fence panel itself was held precariously in place by a rubber cycle tie fixed to a tree and braving the gusty wind. The ball however, was gradually being pressed into the gap, looking not unlike the vernix covered head of a baby slowly emerging from the womb. We would return to the window over a couple of hours as the ball inched its way through the gap. Finally, it popped out an the ball rolled freely in our garden.

This was trivial, as we sat safe in the comfort of our home whilst the wind whistled and buffeted the house. The storm wreaked across the county (as opposed to reeked havoc as reported by the Cambridge news, after all, it was blowing away from the sewage works), resulting in overblown lorries and accidents leading to the closure of the M11 Northbound and causing significant delays south.

Bit miffed that the same storm has been named 'Thomas' in Germany, where it also caused significant damage.

Like many, I couldn't help linking the storm Doris to Doris Day, who many remember for her bubbly and vibrant presence in films partnering with many of the male Hollywood leads, from Howard Keel, Clark Gable, Rock Hudson to Cary Grant. She is still alive and active, now concentrating on supporting animal welfare, including Republicans.

Jane and I were off this evening to the monthly Cambridge Enterprise and Technology Club (CETC) event with four speakers talking about the current cutting edge in 3D printing. Tim Minshall of the Institute for Manufacturing reminded us of the gloriously inaccurate but very illustrative graph of the Hype Cycle by the IT research and advisory firm Gartner. It describes the development of exciting new technologies, beginning with 'The Peak of Inflated Expectations', followed by 'The Trough of Disillusionment'. Then comes the gradual climb up 'The Slope of Enlightenment' to then reach 'The Plateau of Productivity'! Whilst the bubble is bursting for 3D printing hype, it could well be skipping the trough of depression, with Rolls Royce using 3D printing in the new models with more than 10, 000 3D printed components built in.

There was also TTPs Matthias Ediger demonstrating their innovative proprietary inkjet nozzle, which shot out liquid jets by vibration rather than pressure, followed by Vaiva Kalnikaite with nu-food, unusual tastes printed in clumps of flavoured blobs. Yes, this will be the next fashionable accessory, supplanting the pod coffee machines.

There was a statistically insignificant decline of 49,000 in the level of immigration to the UK, with much speculation but lack of clarity whether any changes are due to the Brexit decision or not. What is statistically significant is the dramatic increase in number of EU citizens in the UK having gained either citizenship or permanent residency, up by 50%. This reflects the underlying insecurity that I've certainly seen in friends and colleagues. News reports tending towards the potential negative impact of fewer immigrants, with one telling comment by interviewee, asked why British unemployed could not fill posts by immigrants if they left, "With so many vacancies available, there aren't enough of them"

Mexicans politely tell Tillerson that they are 'irritated', the White house apparently asking the security agencies for retrospective evidence that would support President Trump's travel ban. I'd been wondering why we have not heard much from Congress. apparently they are all on recess and instead there are 'Town Halls', where some are venting their anger at current policies to republicans.