- i.materialise launched the “Machine-Man Human Augmentation Design Challenge,” an open competition for 3-D-printable body-enhancement concepts, with the notable twist that entries must contain no additional electronics.  
- Participants quickly noted that direct-metal 3-D printing (specifically DMLS in titanium) is now accessible through services like i.materialise, expanding the palette for implantable or intimate hardware.  
- CryptoQuick observed that the most obvious augmentation route under the “no-electronics” rule is simply to design sexual piercings or genital implants, highlighting the tension between functional and aesthetic human augmentation.  
- kanzure circulated the Open Source Hardware, Electronics and Robotics Convention (OSHWCon) announcement, reinforcing the channel’s ongoing interest in open-source toolchains for hardware development.  
- A pointer to STEP (ISO 10303) documentation and code was shared: kanzure uploaded an implementation overview (fundimpl.pdf) and raw STEP parsing files to diyhpl.us/~bryan/irc/step/, noting that his “lolcad” project currently cheats by generating correctly-formatted output rather than fully parsing EXPRESS schemas.  
- SENS Foundation’s year-end report was mentioned for its disclosure of candidate enzymes that can degrade lipofuscin, a key target in the repair-based approach to life extension.  
- SeaStanding (seasteading) received fresh coverage in The Economist and on Fora.tv, prompting discussion about how well-connected advocates translate ideas into mainstream media attention.