- The channel discussed the “Defensive Patent License” (DPL), a GPL-style non-aggression pact for patents, and the related “fair troll” business model aimed at neutralizing patent aggression; links to Foss Patents blog posts and Slashdot coverage were shared.  
- A call was made for funding a programmer to add STEP-file export capability to OpenSCAD, highlighting ongoing open-source CAD toolchain gaps.  
- The emcfab project (code.google.com/p/emcfab) was noted: an effort to turn a standard 3-axis mill into a rapid-prototyping machine using PythonOCC.  
- DIYbio community activity included an “Open Science Fund” T-shirt design contest announced at opensciencefund.org.  
- Skepticism was voiced about consumer DNA-testing services offering diet advice, questioning the clinical relevance of such data for average users.  
- The 2010 International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Chicago was debated; notable speakers listed included Freeman Dyson, Peter Diamandis, Buzz Aldrin, and Keith Lofstrom, with discussion of whether the event justified the $180 registration plus travel costs.  
- A brief exchange covered Paul Breed’s 3-D-printed rocket engine and the merits of James Dewar’s latest book, which some participants found poorly edited.  
- Historical curiosity: the 1960s Ivy League “nude posture photo” study was referenced as an example of large-scale biometric data collection.