• Emokit, an open-source driver for the Emotiv EPOC EEG headset, was released and extended by kanzure and daeken; the hardware is described as “awful” and consumer-grade EEG is viewed with skepticism, highlighting the tension between closed consumer neurotech and open-source reverse-engineering efforts.

• A cryonics-oriented tissue-engineering proposal suggests genetically enhancing brain endothelial stem cells to increase tensile strength, potentially improving cryopreservation outcomes while doubling as an anti-stroke therapy.

• Discussion of a “layers of openness” labeling standard for open-hardware projects was initiated but left unresolved, indicating ongoing uncertainty in how to certify or communicate degrees of hardware openness.

• The Soylent.me meal-replacement project received praise, with a call for full open data on individual amino-acid and micronutrient profiles to enable rigorous DIY nutritional experimentation.

• Houston’s DIYbio scene is expanding through TX/Rx Labs, RepRap-based education programs, and a new “design thing” initiative led in part by Jacob Shiach.

• The National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) and UNOS regulations were dissected: federal law bans organ sales for “valuable consideration” yet allows limited reimbursements, and participants explored whether an individual could legally register as a qualified Organ Procurement Organization.

• Black-market organ price data were compiled: kidneys fetch ≈ $1–2 k in Manila, $5 k in Chennai, and up to $20 k in South Africa, while whole transplant operations range from $5–70 k in India/China versus $100–860 k in the U.S., framing the economic backdrop for future regenerative-medicine markets.

• SENS Research Foundation announced its 2013 summer internships: $3 k for 10 weeks at WFIRM or ≈ $2 k per month for up to 3 months at the Buck Institute/SRF Center, with flexible start dates.

• A Nature Materials paper on “Rapid casting of patterned vascular networks for perfusable engineered 3-D tissues” was shared as a key resource for open-source tissue-printing researchers.

• GRBL firmware now supports height-probing for CNC machines, expanding capabilities for open-source precision fabrication.