• A $721 genetics textbook and its $295 paywall sparked plans to scrape the online edition (OMMBID) with simple Python scripts, highlighting the ongoing tension between open science and publisher restrictions.  
• Open-source chemistry tool “Oscar” (http://stark-fire-6273.herokuapp.com/chemoinformatics/new) was showcased for structure recognition and text-mining, while publisher terms still forbid automated extraction.  
• A bacterial-radio art project (http://www.biofaction.com/synth-ethic/?p=44) uses genetically modified E. coli expressing sponge silicatein to deposit platinum/germanium circuits on glass, creating working AM crystal radios.  
• SEC’s 2010 proposal to require Python “waterfall” simulation code for asset-backed securities filings was circulated, illustrating a push for transparent, reproducible financial modeling.  
• DIY biology troubleshooting revealed that poor E. coli transformation yields were caused by harvesting cells past exponential phase and skipping the 30–60 min SOC outgrowth before antibiotic selection.  
• Participants estimated that a <$5 k open-source bench-top pipetting robot with vision-based feedback could save biotech labs $50–250 k/year, but current commercial systems are over-priced and calibration-heavy.  
• DNA synthesis economics: DNA2.0 reportedly ships ~100 genes/day (1.7 kb average) at ~$0.20/bp, implying ~$34 k daily revenue and ~50 % of the U.S. gene-synthesis market.  
• Space-elevator discussion clarified that tether tension comes from Earth-rotation angular momentum transferred to payloads via a counter-weight, with rotating momentum-exchange tethers (Hoyt designs) proposed as more debris-resilient alternatives.