- Magic Leap’s early AR patents (US20150016777, US20130128230, US20130125027) describe retinal-projection and waveguide optics that could inform open-source augmented-reality hardware.  
- An open-source OpenBCI-compatible EEG kit was cost-modeled at ≈ $50 BOM plus ≈ $40 for electrodes, making sub-$100 8-channel brain-computer interfaces feasible at 100-unit production runs.  
- A DIY medical thread recounted field-suturing an axe wound with sterile thread and cyanoacrylate, prompting discussion of flesh staplers, UV-curable surgical adhesives (Solarez, MakerJuice), and wilderness first-responder protocols.  
- Nootropic efficacy debates summarized stimulants (caffeine, Adderall) as reliably focus-enhancing, while piracetam and fish oil showed no benefit; NSI-189 + magnesium l-threonate + dimethylglycine was proposed for neurogenesis and methylation support, with NSI-189 available online for $40–120.  
- kanzure’s “minimally viable nootropic” framework (http://diyhpl.us/wiki/nootropics/minimally-viable-nootropic/) was shared as an open-data checklist for safety and efficacy in self-experimentation.  
- A Nature Photonics paper on Time-Reversed Adapted-Perturbation (TRAP) was highlighted for enabling optical focusing through scattering biological tissue, with potential applications to non-invasive brain stimulation or imaging.  
- Microfluidic design philosophy clashed over valve-free chips (acceptable to nmz787_i) versus kanzure’s concern that omitting valves “mortally cripples” certain assays, illustrating a broader debate on complexity versus accessibility.  
- Participants argued that lab-equipment prices ($5 k thermocyclers, $200 k tools) are inflated by low-volume demand and “somebody-else’s-money” purchasing rather than intrinsic manufacturing cost, advocating open-source hardware to break the cycle.