- Rapamycin is being explored as a cognitive enhancer; a linked blog post reviews recent studies indicating it may improve memory and learning in animal models.  
- A 2001 Human Reproduction paper clarifies that the so-called “first genetically modified babies” were created via cytoplasmic transfer, not germline gene editing, debunking sensationalist headlines.  
- Channel members lament the lack of an HTTP API for ordering custom DNA oligos; one researcher needs 700 bar-coded primers to multiplex 16S rRNA amplicon libraries for Illumina sequencing.  
- kanzure proposes a synthetic-DNA spot market where labs could auction unused synthesizer capacity, and audy extends the idea to per-oligo bidding, potentially lowering costs and reducing waste.  
- Backyard Brains released “The Searcher,” an open-source, 3-D-printed micromanipulator for micro-electrode positioning that costs a fraction of commercial steel units and has already been used in optogenetic fruit-fly experiments.  
- Expert commentary on the 125 GeV Higgs-like signal from the LHC is shared, noting that decay channels and signal strengths align with Standard-Model predictions.  
- Juul distributes LibGen mirrors and torrents, providing URLs to the source code, MySQL dump, and a torrent-of-torrents for the ~8 TB collection to aid preservation.  
- A Pastebin list of torrent hashes revives a rare transhumanist media archive that had been unseeded for over a year, highlighting ongoing risks to open-source transhumanist content.  
- jmil solicits feature requests for open-source sugar-based 3-D bioprinting to guide the next round of experiments and tool improvements.  
- nmz787 seeks contacts inside MakerBot to explore potential collaborations or hardware integrations for DIY bio and 3-D-printing projects.