- Neil Gershenfeld’s TED talk on Fab Labs was shared as a reference for distributed, open-source digital fabrication capabilities.  
- A $450 recording chamber and $80 micro-electrode arrays (MEAs) from the University of North Texas neural engineering group were identified as accessible hardware for DIY electrophysiology experiments.  
- Participants discussed exporting neuronal-spiral simulations to VTK format and the feasibility of converting VTK data for DirectX-based 3D viewers, highlighting cross-platform visualization needs.  
- The idea of genetically engineering trees to grow “leaf dollar bills” was floated as a tongue-in-cheek exploration of synthetic biology’s economic potential.  
- Practical challenges of using complex origami crease patterns as holiday entertainment were noted, underscoring the gap between theoretical folding algorithms and real-world dexterity.