- The channel debated how to encode manufacturing/assembly instructions in code: whether each step should be a human-readable string or a callable object, concluding that treating steps as functions (robot.align(), human.push()) is more flexible and avoids ambiguous commands.  
- Participants discussed extending instruction generation beyond simple part-mating to full “construction” workflows (machining, welding, gluing), noting the lack of prior open-source work on automatically generating such broader instructions.  
- Eugene Leitl’s 1990s “nematode upload” project was highlighted: an attempt to 3-D reconstruct and functionally emulate C. elegans from vitrified scans, with links to archived data and methodology.  
- Genehacker proposed repurposing Shuttle external tanks (26 500 kg Al-Li alloy) and other orbital debris as cheap radiation shielding for Mars missions, sparking side discussion on in-orbit manufacturing vs. lunar mass-drivers.  
- Practical bio-hacking topics included peptide microarrays for affinity assays, NPPOC-protected peptide synthesis as an easier alternative to DNA synthesis, and sourcing inexpensive amino-acid reagents.  
- Drew Endy’s possible attendance at a local DIY-Bio meetup generated excitement; meanwhile, a protocol from Current Protocols in Molecular Biology was pasted to the mailing list.  
- Software updates: SKDB commits added colored interface arrows in the GUI, began tracking connection graphs, and introduced early code for treating manufacturing “techniques” as objects.  
- Tangible Media Group’s “Tangible Bits” HCI research (MIT) was linked as relevant to the community’s interests in physical/digital interfaces and fab-lab work.  
- Torrent-tracker lists and instructions for ripping MMS class-video streams (mplayer -dumpstream) were shared to aid open educational resource gathering.