• Channel members criticized the proposed moratorium on CRISPR-Cas9 human germline editing, arguing that bioethicists reflexively oppose enhancement applications such as increasing intelligence or beauty without solid scientific justification.

• Three Chrome extensions that extend 23andMe were shared: “23++” adds Relative Finder features, “529andYou” locally scrapes and stores shared-segment data, and “Genes & Us” lets couples model possible genotypes for future children via 23andMe’s API.

• Open-hardware laptop discussion centered on the Novena (32-bit ARM, 4 GB RAM, 1920×1080) and the OpenLunchbox project’s goal of fully modular, blob-free CPU modules; AMD ARM64 and Intel Skylake were cited as paths to 64 GB open laptops.

• A PLOS Biology paper “Open Labware: 3-D Printing Your Own Lab Equipment” was highlighted, along with linked open-source designs for a DIY linear translational stage, 3-axis manipulator, syringe pump, OpenLabTools microscope, and RepRap-derived lab hardware.

• A garage-level scanning-electron-microscope project by Ben Krasnow (YouTube link) was shared as an example of accessible nanoscale imaging, complementing plans to use focused-ion-beam milling for micro-/nanofluidics and neural-electrode arrays.

• A campaign to create a free-software GSM baseband is reverse-engineering Openmoko’s TI Calypso modem, seeking $6 k for PCB-layout recovery and $900 for parts to release a quad-band GSM modem board in GNU PCB format.

• Discussion of acquired savant syndrome referenced Orlando Serrell’s baseball-impact case and the hypothesis that left anterior temporal-lobe trauma can unlock calendar-calculation and memory skills, with suggestions to image the skull for precise impact analysis.

• Reflective diffraction gratings were analyzed in terms of wavelength reflection angle, constructive/destructive interference, and CCD placement; historical optics included Ibn Sahl’s 984 CE treatise “On Burning Mirrors and Lenses” and the concept of blazed gratings used “on blaze” for maximum efficiency.