• Open-source lab automation: participants debate building a sub-$3 k 8-channel liquid-handling robot that undercuts $15 k commercial systems (Tecan, Gilson) by using commodity peristaltic pumps (Swiffer WetJet cores), Allegro/Pololu stepper drivers, and either a single MCU with shift registers or daisy-chained 12-core microcontrollers; cost/accuracy trade-offs include $160 Celesco string-pot position sensors versus micro-switch homing and stepper-only positioning.

• Laser micro-machining: the group weighs a 405 nm Blu-ray laser diode (cheap, commodity optics) against a custom CO₂ tube for achieving 38 µm spot sizes, discussing lens fouling and power density issues.

• Novel separation chemistry: nmz787 proposes ground peanuts as an HPLC stationary phase inspired by George Washington Carver, contrasting it with atomic-absorption chromatography for elemental analysis.

• Business-model tension: “build-first” (prototype with $3 k budget then pitch Thermo Fisher/JCVI) versus “sell-first” (collect 10–20 non-binding purchase agreements from labs) strategies are debated; kanzure insists on interviewing 40 non-hobbyist buyers to validate demand before hardware is built.

• Historical and open hardware links shared: Nature news on 3-D-printed labware, 1984 Merrifield Nobel lecture PDF, $800 vintage Millipore Cyclone Plus DNA synthesizer on eBay, MIT FabMate-inspired open pipetting robot, and spacehack.org / Mach30 open-source space projects.

• EEG/BCI experimentation: ENKI-][ orders a $100 NeuroSky-based OCZ NIA headset; OpenViBE recommended as open-source software, though sensitivity limitations are noted.

• EV and hybrid vehicle hacking: hackerspace plans to scratch-build the XR-3 hybrid (minus electric drivetrain) using CNC plasma cutter and heliarc welder; comparisons drawn to 1 200 lb electric MR2 conversions, VW Beetle EV swaps, and 750 W e-bike builds.

• Functional mesostructure concept: termite-mound-inspired “meso-scale geometry that imparts macroscopic properties” is proposed as a new design keyword for programmatic CAD and bio-inspired materials.

• 3-D printing for microfluidics: UV-curable resin at $49 / L patterned with an ordinary projector is discussed as a high-resolution alternative to RepRap-class printers, enabling picoliter droplet projectors.