- Discussion of cost-reduction ideas for DNA microarray fabrication: replacing bottled acetonitrile and nitrogen with an internal air-compressor and flexible volume bag to eliminate gas cylinders and toxic-waste handling.  
- Open-source hardware links: Spartan-6 mini-PCIe FPGA board “Aggregate-1” (GitHub/polysome), Upverter’s claim of 32 k open-source hardware designs, and Octopart’s new CPL part-numbering scheme.  
- POSaM DNA-synthesis documentation audit: reagent lists and ABI-391 consumables were added to the DIYHplusWiki, while participants noted missing coupling activators such as 2-benzylthiotetrazole.  
- Brain–computer-interface news: Hackaday coverage of an open-source Teensy 3.1 EEG library that handles line-noise filtering and signal processing, aiming to lower the barrier to DIY neuroscience.  
- Speculative biology proposal: breeding cephalopods or dogs for human-level intelligence, referencing Stephen Baxter’s novel “Manifold: Time” and a blog post on canine cognitive enhancement.  
- Bitcoin/Lightning-Network update: new deployment draft (ozlabs.org/~rusty/ln-deploy-draft-01.pdf) that still requires CLTV and CSV soft-forks, plus GitHub issue #6454 on Bitcoin Core.  
- Intel 14 nm process details linked from AnandTech, NASA workmanship standards site posted for high-reliability hardware practices, and Curta mechanical calculator mentioned as historical computation inspiration.  
- Slide-surface chemistry notes: epoxy-silane treatment tunes surface tension for DNA attachment; alternative wafer or bead substrates proposed to reduce cleaning steps.  
- Molten-salt thermal-storage concept floated for on-demand electric kettles, storing heat in a salt tank to boil water instantly without continuous power draw.