You’ve Got the Whole Universe…3D Printed in a Marble

Sometimes it becomes necessary to update children’s songs for the current times. A more contemporary version of the children’s classic “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” might be something more like “He’s Got the Whole Universe 3D Printed in a Marble,” and while it doesn’t roll quite as easily off the tongue, it is significantly more accurate. And, of course, more mature than the version that my children are currently updating on their own to be: “He’s Got the Whole World Up His Nose…”

The reason it might be necessary to revisit these traditional lyrics is because of a contribution to Instructables from Noa P. Kaplan that will guide you through the process for creating this pocket sized universe. Before you let the power of creating your own universe go to your head, remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day and that the universe will take at least 30 steps to produce. It is, however, hard to resist the temptation to give this project a try – and given the enthusiastic comments at the end of her tutorial, you’re not alone if you felt compelled to share your excitement.

The bad news: the creation of this piece requires access to some very high-end machinery, expensive software, and pricey material.

The good news is that if you do have the ability to work within those constraints, Kaplan is an experienced teacher and that ability is reflected in the guide she has created. After graduating from Yale with a BA from the School of art and UCLA with an MFA in Design Media, she has gone on not only to create her own body of work but also to serve as a lecturer in the Design Media Arts Department teaching courses from Typography to Senior Projects Seminar.

Even if the project is unrealistic for most people, Kaplan was clearly able to do it and so there must be others out there who can as well. In addition, you never know what this type of project will inspire and sometimes that’s the point more than anything else. The fact that Kaplan has been willing to ‘pull back the curtain’ so to speak on her process will surely lead to inspiration that expands the possibilities. If I’ve learned anything about the 3D printing community it is that there are no barriers that won’t lend themselves to creative exploration.

Kaplan has clearly captivated many with this creation, as evidence by such responses to this release as:

“You’ve won the internet,” and, “I did not read the entire ‘ible, but I have to stop now and tell you I admire your imagination and vision. Your results are beautiful.”

I highly recommend that visitors to this Instructable take a moment to visit Kaplan’s website as well, because her other works is executed with the same level of care and elegance as this smaller piece. Her Valise Secrète is particularly tantalizing, but all of her works are well worth taking some time to consider.  Discuss this story in the 3D Printed Universe Marble forum thread on 3DPB.com.