• A microfluidics textbook (shared via torrent) was evaluated for building a DNA-synthesis reactor; valve-less valving on page 207 was considered but rejected because the Reynolds numbers were too low for effective DNA synthesis.

• The SKDB “apt-get for hardware” project advanced: a new YAML-based package system now auto-loads data.yaml, enforces strict package-naming rules ([a-zA-Z0-9_-]), and returns transformation objects without mutating inputs; the lego package already has a working grammar.yaml mapping to Feature objects.

• Neuro-augmentation literature was mined for cortical folding mechanics, finite-element gyrification models, and β-catenin regulation of cortex size; one paper showed that adding phospholipids increases cortical size and induces gyri-like folds, while another demonstrated gene delivery via electroporation in mammalian embryos.

• A brain-augmentation tool wish-list was proposed: in-vivo DNA-synthesizer chips, implantable micro-electrode arrays, MRI/fluorescent reporter genes for “weather monitoring” of neural activity, rTMS/tDCS devices, and sandboxed neural-stem-cell cultures for pre-self-application testing.

• Open-manufacturing coordination was discussed: tropology from #openkollab explored overlaps with community wireless and open hardware; Eric Hunting’s writings and the openmanufacturing mailing list were recommended as existing venues, while Gingery-style lathe modifications (fennetic.net/machines/) were documented for future SKDB inclusion.

• Artificial-uterus research was noted as sparse: Kuwabara’s 1990s rat/goat work in Japan was abandoned after his death, and although embryogenesis knowledge is extensive, engineering an artificial womb remains underdeveloped.

• A practical reading strategy for dense papers was shared: skim methods/techniques first to judge feasibility, ignore fluff; a large paper stash (adl.serveftp.org) includes “Manipulating gene expressions by electroporation in the developing brain of mammalian embryos.”