- OpenPCR’s Kickstarter campaign ignited a debate on the economics of open-source hardware, with critics questioning the $500 price tag for the “open-source” Open Gel Box and defenders arguing that real-world R&D, burned circuits, and iterative prototyping make hardware far more expensive than software.

- A new open-source GPS tracker for cats (“catss” on GitHub) was released, offering real-time web-based tracking, ultra-low power consumption, and fully open server code as a grassroots example of IoT/bio-monitoring experimentation.

- Participants explored fluidic logic as a RepRap control alternative, discussing micron-scale fluidic gates, droplet-based memory, and high-temperature/radiation tolerance, referencing Tippett’s fountain fluidics primer and historical military/aviation applications.

- An 11-year-old’s biobrick robot (iGEM Washington-Software team) showcased advanced inverse-kinematics control, prompting debate over whether assembling commercial kits still qualifies as authentic DIY/maker innovation.

- The channel surveyed open-source industrial automation stacks—MatPLC, Beremiz PLCopen editor, and EMC—highlighting the need for open toolchains beyond proprietary PLCs in factory automation.

- Makerspace vs. hackerspace terminology was dissected, with “makerspace” viewed as a re-branding to avoid the “hacker” label, while networked hackerspaces with shared wikis and design patterns were praised for preventing redundant work.

- Filmmaker Ken Gumbs (of “Building Gods”) announced a new documentary focused specifically on the H+ / transhumanist community, while a Nigerian transhumanism outreach page (transhumanism.org/Nigeria) signaled early international expansion.

- Participants criticized the persistent use of “God(s)” metaphors in transhumanist discourse, arguing that the terminology is poorly defined, emotionally loaded, and hinders nuanced technical and ethical debate.