First, it has removed the physical impediment and refactored it with a combination of software and hardware that replicates the effect of the physical object at a higher level of functionality.

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It demonstrates the high esthetic level a 'simple' object of everyday use can achieve.

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In science, the Uncertainty Principle says that you cannot precisely measure anything past a certain level of precision because the mere act of observing distorts the object of the measurement.

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Working at such a fine level of internal detail allows the stiffness and flexibility of an object to be determined at any point, says Siavash Mahdavi, the chief executive of Within Technologies.

ECONOMIST: 3D printing

As an object or image looks and behaves more like a human, the viewer's level of shinwakan increases.

ECONOMIST: Animation and robotics

At that level Stompy will live up to his name and crush any inanimate, non-volatile object of your choosing.

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