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"Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printers are popping up everywhere - from the home to the office; from the classroom to the workshop. PLA and ABS thermoplastic are the defacto standard materials used for these desktop 3D printers. But did you know that you could fabricate things with exotic 3D printer filament, too? You can now print in wood, metal, carbon fiber, and much more besides. As the name implies, exotic 3d printer filaments - also known as specialty or composite - filaments are advanced materials for your FDM 3D Printer. They combine thermoplastics like PLA and ABS with ingredients like metals, carbon fiber, wood, and glow-in-the-dark compounds to create hybrid materials with unique properties. With so much variety on offer, it's easier than ever to create functional, beautiful, and high performing prints in a variety of exciting materials. Read our guide to find out which 3D printer filament - regular or exotic - is right for you."

"If you ask any DIY fanatic what's on top of their wish-list, chances are pretty high they'll say a laser cutter or engraver. As you might expect, these exotic pieces of kit use high-powered lasers to cut through materials, or to engrave them with a design. Like a 3D printer, they're controlled by a computer, and work autonomously once provided with a design. Laser cutters aren't terribly new technology, and haven't quite captured the public attention like 3D printers have. However, they are incredibly cool, and much like 3D printers, prices have crashed to the point where they're now affordable for DIY enthusiasts. Which brings us on to a really interesting question: What one should you get? What can you make with it? And crucially, what should you do to ensure that you use them as safely as possible?"

ZooBorns brings you the newest and cutest exotic animal babies from zoos and aquariums around the world.

"I'm now a little over a month into my new role as the coordinator of our brand-new makerspace in my PS-8th grade school here in Seattle, and I'm honestly loving it every bit as much as I expected! Over the course of this month, 450 students made prototype boats for their stuffies (PK), built "doodle bots" (K and 1),  "hacked" their notebooks with surface-mount LEDs (2), made dioramas powered by Hummingbird Robotics kits (3 and 4), designed and laser cut labels for their new classroom spaces (5), made postcards using the greenscreen of themselves visiting exotic locales (5 French), built casino games for math class (6), and built symbolic representations of their personal core values (8). 7th grade will be building turbine-driven generators next week! And, that's not even a comprehensive list… In the process of collaborating with my colleagues to develop and implement these projects with our students, I've figured out a few tips to pass along to educators at other schools initiating similar programs."

"Erika Christakis' new book, The Importance of Being Little, is an impassioned plea for educators and parents to put down the worksheets and flash cards, ditch the tired craft projects (yes, you, Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey) and exotic vocabulary lessons, and double-down on one, simple word: NPR ED Why Kindergarten Is The New First Grade Play. That's because, she writes, "the distinction between early education and official school seems to be disappearing." If kindergarten is the new first grade, Christakis argues, preschool is quickly becoming the new kindergarten. And that is "a real threat to our society's future.""

"Excitement about 3D printing has steadily accelerated over the past decade - but this excitement has largely outpaced innovation and development in the field. As a researcher in 3D printing technologies, I've built 3D printers using all of the major technologies, as well as more experimental ones. What I've learned is that many of these technologies are composed of very well-understood materials, software problems and mechanical systems - things that engineers have been doing for decades. This, then, begs the question: Why isn't 3D printing better? Why are failure rates so high and why is reproducibility so difficult? It's clear that it's not due to working with exotic materials or advanced motion control. What's actually holding back innovation is how we think about those technologies: as separate pieces, rather than as elements of a system. "

"Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers are everywhere - from the home to the office, from the classroom to the workshop! The most commonly used materials in 3D printing are the thermoplastics PLA and ABS, but the list goes on (and on). Other materials that are sold as 3D printer filament include nylon, polycarbonate, carbon fiber, polypropylene, and many more! There are even special blends which can conduct electricity or glow in the dark! With so much variety on offer, it's easier than ever to create functional, beautiful, and high performing prints in a variety of exciting materials. Read our 3D printer filament guide to find out which 3D printer filament - standard, exotic, or professional - is right for you."