- A magnet-and-coil “piston-less” Stirling engine concept was proposed to eliminate mechanical losses while simultaneously generating electricity and purifying water, aiming for higher efficiency than traditional Stirling designs.  
- Microfluidic DNA synthesis was debated: one camp favors 1 µm³ reactors for density, while another argues they are too fragile and suggests starting with ~5 nmol per well using inexpensive reservoir-pump hardware.  
- Channel members analyzed 1985 and 2007 patents on array-based oligonucleotide synthesis, questioning how individual oligos are selectively addressed without photolithographic masks and collecting open hardware references (US6270730, US6932943).  
- A Freedom-Hosting exploit targeting Firefox 17 on Windows was dissected; the malicious JavaScript payload, Tor Project’s official response, and a DEF CON talk on JavaScript botnets were linked for further study.  
- Vintage automated peptide and oligonucleotide synthesizers from the 1980s–1990s were reviewed, revealing a global market of only ~1,000 installed units, prices from $20 k to $250 k, and the foundational solid-phase method that earned Merrifield a Nobel Prize.  
- Academic career toxicity was highlighted through Reddit threads documenting abusive labs, 12-year PhD attrition, and systemic exploitation, prompting warnings against pursuing traditional academic paths.  
- The USENIX car-hacking talk under temporary publication ban was discussed; participants sought live access to its findings on security flaws in modern vehicle ECUs.  
- A feasibility debate arose over consumer heart-rate monitors that could exploit the heart’s native electromagnetic signature, with signal-processing algorithms proposed to overcome EM interference.