• A Minecraft-based neuron simulation was demonstrated that uses stacks of blocks to model sodium/potassium ion dynamics, gold pressure plates as neurotransmitter binding sites, and chests to set stimulation thresholds, illustrating how sandbox games can serve as educational neuro-engineering platforms.

• Cambrian Genomics closed a $10 million round and its accelerator Personal Probiotics is developing a DNA-printed vaginal probiotic virus (“Sweet Peach”) that combats yeast infections and STDs while emitting a peach odor as a functional indicator, showcasing synthetic-biology consumer applications.

• Researchers reported a laser process that converts graphite to nanodiamond films at only 3.7 GW/cm² under ambient conditions using ultrafast-pulsing lasers and a glass confinement layer, offering a scalable route to commercial thin-film diamond coatings without high-pressure equipment.

• A fully decompressed 6.3 kb φX174 bacteriophage genome (φX174.1) was synthesized to separate all overlapping reading frames and regulatory elements, then archived in yeast, providing a cleaner synthetic-biology chassis for future engineering.

• DNA brick self-assembly was used to grow micrometre-scale 2-D crystals up to 80 nm thick with user-defined 3-D nano-features such as cavities and channels, presenting a programmable platform for complex nanoscale architecture.

• The Underhanded Crypto Contest was announced, challenging participants to design cryptographic systems that appear secure to expert review yet contain subtle backdoors, extending the concept of the Underhanded C Contest to security-critical code.

• A $1,000 DIY Atomic Force Microscope Instructable was analyzed: it re-uses DVD optical-pickup units and piezo actuators for sub-nanometer positioning, but commercial AFM probes still cost ~€400 for five chips, prompting debate on whether low-cost AFM could substitute for SEM in imaging silicon chips.

• Rodney Brooks’ papers “Intelligence without Representation” and “How to Build Creatures That Think” were revisited, sparking discussion on behaviorist robotics, the need for intrinsic motivation, and the absence of an “embodied Turing test” to distinguish autonomous from human-controlled robots.

• Nengo and the Spaun large-scale neural model were highlighted as open-source tools that implement the Neural Engineering Framework to create biologically plausible cognitive architectures capable of digit recognition, working memory, and Raven’s matrices via basal-ganglia-based routing.

• Black-Friday hardware deals included $40 quad-core Intel-Atom and MediaTek tablets and a $29 Office Depot “Apex 7” 8 GB Android tablet with Intel Atom Z2520 and FM tuner, prompting amazement that complete computers now cost less than a tank of gas and are cheaper than Raspberry Pi boards for always-on hacking projects.