Britt Young
Writer and University of California, Berkeley lecturer who uses a prosthetic arm and reports on prosthetics and technology, contributing first-hand perspective and expertise for this episode.
Best podcasts with Britt Young
Ranked by the Snipd community
Dec 9, 2025 • 11min
3D printing was supposed to disrupt prosthetic costs. It hasn’t.
Britt Young, a writer and lecturer at UC Berkeley, provides a unique insight into the world of prosthetics, using her own experience with a prosthetic arm. She explains why 3D printing, although promising, hasn’t significantly reduced costs due to durability issues and the high expense of professional fitting. Young discusses the role of insurance in limiting access to advanced prosthetic technologies and emphasizes the need to reclassify prosthetics as assistive devices to lower barriers. She also touches on the potential for 3D printing in low-resource areas, highlighting both its promise and challenges.
Dec 9, 2025 • 11min
3D printing was supposed to disrupt prosthetic costs. It hasn’t.
In this insightful discussion, Britt Young, a writer and UC Berkeley lecturer who uses a prosthetic arm, unpacks the complexities surrounding 3D-printed prosthetics. She reveals why the technology, despite its early promise, has not significantly reduced costs. Britt highlights the hefty expenses of professional 3D printing, insurance hurdles, and legal barriers that inflate prices. Additionally, she shares inspiring stories of global initiatives using hobbyist printers, and suggests framing prosthetics as everyday assistive devices to drive change.
