- **Nootropic self-experiments**: Users reported that 500 mg citicoline restored “child-prodigy-level” motivation and reduced depression, while aniracetam improved mood but not drive; CDP-choline, alpha-GPC and centrophenoxine were highlighted as superior choline donors that cross the blood–brain barrier and synergize with racetams.

- **Open-hardware tDCS developments**: ThomasEgi published a minimalist constant-current driver schematic (0–2 mA) using only a transistor, two diodes and a potentiometer, and an IEEE paper on “array-type tDCS” was circulated showing FEM simulations that steer current from multiple anodes to reach deep targets like the right inferior parietal lobe with ~2 cm electrode spacing.

- **DIY transgenesis and gene-regulation discussion**: Sperm-mediated gene transfer (centrifuge sperm, resuspend in PBS with plasmid, inseminate) was presented as a garage-friendly route; participants sought methods to set 2–100 distinct expression levels simultaneously and warned that even well-known regulatory sequences require extensive optimization.

- **“Smart rat” breeding and simulation project**: Plans were outlined to over-express the NR2B gene (as in the Hobbie-J mouse) and breed rats for human-speech comprehension via color-word association rewards; NEURON-based auditory-cortex simulations were proposed to replace 50 000 generations of live breeding for target identification.

- **Garage bio-lab starter kit**: Links to the Wired UK “how-to” article on building a home bio-lab and the active diybio Google Group were shared, alongside kanzure’s curated paper collections (diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/) covering longevity, stem cells, neuro, and ultrasound neuromodulation.

- **Nootropic sourcing and regulatory climate**: HardRhino was recommended as the lowest-cost bulk piracetam supplier after a 28 kg reseller stockpile was exhausted in 2.5 months; customs delays on modafinil shipments and vendor exits from the piracetam market signaled tightening import enforcement.