• The channel revived NanoEngineer-1, a $1 M/year nanotech CAD package abandoned in 2008, with immediate goals of porting its Qt3 codebase to modern libraries, packaging it for Debian, and fixing build errors like the “RCSID_BENDS” symbol clash.

• A concrete proposal emerged to build a fully open-hardware atomic-force microscope (AFM) for ≈ $2,500 total development cost and ≈ $100–$250 in parts, aiming to deliver reprappable/3-D-printable plans and Debian-packaged software; existing references include Jürgen Müller’s $1,100 design and the archived Plastic-AFM project.

• SKDB, envisioned as “apt-get for hardware,” was discussed as a package-manager layer that would read .skdb files, schedule jobs on local machines (e.g., /dev/cnc), auto-generate tool-paths or human instructions, and interface with ERP systems like OpenERP for inventory and EDI-based parts ordering.

• The group debated funding models for open-source hardware, citing Google Summer-of-Code’s staggered payouts ($500 start, $2,250 mid-term, $2,250 final) as a workable template, and explored making bounties tax-deductible through Humanity+ (a 501(c)(3)) to subsidize projects like the AFM or NanoEngineer-1 modernization.

• A detailed wish-list of DIY-transhumanist projects totaling ~$1.7 M was posted, including open-source AFMs, DNA synthesizers, BCI headsets, and microfluidic PCR rigs, with Ben Goertzel suggesting a “$100 k open-source hardware fund” to revive milestone-based bounties versus up-front grants.

• Marcin Jakubowski’s Open Source Ecology / Global Village Construction Set was highlighted as a practical, non-utopian alternative to the Venus Project, with links to CEB press and tractor videos.

• A wearable tDCS “thinking cap” for creativity enhancement was discussed, framed as a repackaging of existing trans-cranial stimulation research rather than a breakthrough.

• The RepRap Gen3 protocol v1 document was found locked in a Google Docs file, prompting complaints about its accessibility and format, and sparking broader debates about open-source project management and documentation practices.