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In their lively and entertaining weekly discussion of issues related to higher education, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore the topics of higher education, lifelong learning, and exercising the brain. Ed and Jennifer practice what they preach, too, by introducing math puzzlers and brain teasers to keep listeners on their toes.

Higher Ed: Technology, Art, Ethics and More Converge in 3-D Printing

creative commons

3-D printing seems like a great deal. Need something? Print it up. Anything from food to clothing to houses to guns can be printed and used. But just because we can print it, should we? And what about people who don't have access to the technology?

In this week's episode of KUT's podcast Higher Ed, Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss the convergence of technology, economics, art, ethics, and morality in grappling with the issues raised by what 3-D printing can do. And what about the impact of 3-D printing on education and learning? Listen on!

This week, Ed and Jennifer tackle some pretty weighty topics, including what is art? How does technology impact art? What does the ability to print in 3-D mean in terms of equity and access? If this discussion seems too serious, hang on - they'll also talk about the solution to last week's math puzzler. Remember - the one about taking off your pants (and putting them back on!) when your ankles are tied together? It can be done; take a listen to find out how.

If you want to dig deeper into the issues associated with 3-D printing, check out the upcoming Brown Symposium at Southwestern University.

Jennifer Stayton is the local host for NPR's "Morning Edition" on KUT. Got a tip? Email her at jstayton@kut.org. Follow her on X @jenstayton.