... did you even watch the video? you can be miles away from the nearest car and still benefit from a helmet. yes, cars are dangerous and we can better multi modal infrastructure, but your comment doesn't apply here at all
been printing for 9 or so years now. it definitely comes in waves of both of those attitudes, but it also depends on your use cases. if you consider yourself a maker in any regard, it could be a tool you use daily. electronics parts, functional pieces, cosplay, and home goods are just a few of the categories i've used mine for.
3d printers can be super inexpensive to get into if you have the expendable income, especially compared to when i first started.
budget right now would probably be no more than $150/pan, and with good care at least a year's worth of cooking. i was raised well enough to not use metal utensils on coated pans so at least that will aid in the life of the pan
EPO in houston? i miss that place. and micro center. closest one to me is in san jose. wish they'd open one in seattle