Thanks to germanforestgump for a helpful reply on Sunday, July 26th!
The link to the Shott company web site is quite interesting.
However, ** this ** section really hit the spot for me:
Begin Quotation:
Maybe we can motivate somebodies to create a collection of "scientific breakfast plates" made from hard material, each with an abstract of an basic scientific theme: physics, chemie, biology, nutrition,...
I´m sure, many parents would buy some for their breakfast-table to talk about the topics with their school-children!
For example something like this:
http://shop.aid.de/3999/fruehstuecksbre ... uer-kinder
End Quotation.
In this single statement I see both the great potential and the deepest pitfall of the Internet forum as it exists in 2015.
The potential is to create an entire industry with global scope.
The pitfall is that the potential is left unrealized.
In the case of Shapeways, which was founded in the Netherlands, there is a potential for some of its 400,000 designers to begin to make Knowledge Iconic ceramic plates immediately. Since only a tiny number of people from around the entire planet are currently visiting The Knowledge forum on a regular basis, it is unlikely the owner of a ceramics company is among them.
However! Each and every person who visits the Knowledge Forum is HIGHLY LIKELY to have the skills needed to design 3D Printer designs to convey Critical Knowledge Icons to the public.
Anyone who wishes to become the "owner" of a retail shop on Shapeways.com is free to do so.
My shop is quite modest, compared to many sites, so I encourage readers here to explore the vast scope of the Shapeways community.
My shop is visible at:
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/tahanson43206I have numerous items NOT on display, because they are in testing, or waiting for Shapeways approval, or obsolete and waiting for deletion.
Please note that while owning your own 3D Printer is an option these days for many readers, it is NOT necessary to own such a printer, because Shapeways invests in state-of-the-art equipment, and makes their capabilities available to their designers for modest fees.
In fact, Dr. Dartnell himself could create a shop with the appropriate title "TheKnowledge" and invite contributions of Knowledge Icons to offer.
Finally, please note that the Shapeways business model allows for FREE distribution of the STL files used to make Knowledge Icons. Thus, while the icons can be offered for sale from the Shapeways site, anyone with a 3D Printer can download the "make" files and print the items.
Thus, the "Knowledge Icon" idea ** could ** spread rapidly in this Internet age.
(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.