- A newly-opened San Diego Fab Lab (headsonfire.org/hof_v3/fablabwelcome.html) was noted as having launched on 22 Nov 2008, adding to the global network of open fabrication spaces.  
- UCLA researchers announced work on “pushing nature beyond” its normal limits (newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-push-nature-beyond-76969.aspx), prompting a request for the full PNAS paper (pnas.org/content/early/2008/12/08/0807157106).  
- kanzure_ posted extensive notes on “typed/semantic shells” (heybryan.org/shell.html) and a long Google Groups message to openmanufacturing detailing recipe representation and PSL (Process Specification Language) examples.  
- Multiple NIST PSL resources were surfaced, including IDEF3 process-capture demos, STEP/STEPmod repositories, and a 20-question web form that maps real-world processes into PSL ontology concepts (mel.nist.gov/psl/).  
- A NIST report claiming $1 billion annual losses in the U.S. automotive supply chain due to poor manufacturing-data interoperability was highlighted, along with links to NIST’s interoperability cost-analysis and secure PSL portal (credentials: review-team / consensus).  
- Discussion of CAD tools compared SolidWorks to Pro/ENGINEER in the context of MIT OpenCourseWare mechanical-engineering classes.  
- gene mentioned that his former high school possesses specialty chemicals and an entire micro-fabrication facility, raising the idea of repurposing microfilm photography equipment for chip-making.