- Edge.org conversation between Yuval Noah Harari and Daniel Kahneman on “Death is Optional” was shared, prompting criticism of the Hacker News discussion thread for its low-quality comments.  
- A 2007 review paper on AMPA receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity was circulated as a useful open-access neurobiology resource: http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/neuro/Review%20-%202007%20-%20AMPA%20receptor%20trafficking.pdf  
- HTC’s “Vive” VR headset was discussed; specs include dual 1200×1080 displays at 90 Hz, laser-based positional tracking, and high-frame-rate cameras, with links to early hands-on reports and the official site.  
- Sculptify’s pellet-fed 3-D printer (DAVID) was noted as finally bringing inexpensive bulk-polymer printing, though its $3 k price and 29 kg weight were seen as drawbacks; the machine accepts commodity pellets instead of filament.  
- Chrome tab-management extensions were evaluated: “Tabs Outliner” offers hierarchical lists in a separate window, “xTab” enforces a maximum tab count, and users lamented the absence of a native vertical scrolling tab bar.  
- An arXiv paper on “The habitable epoch of the early universe” (1312.0613v3) was linked, suggesting life could have arisen just 10–17 million years after the Big Bang when the cosmic microwave background provided habitable temperatures.  
- A brief aside on monastic rigidity cited the Carthusian monks’ 16-year deliberation before allowing a documentary crew to film their cloistered life, illustrating extreme latency in decision-making.