- Robert Reid’s *Biological Emergences* is cited as challenging the primacy of natural selection, proposing that “natural experiments” and organism-environment interactions are the main generators of evolutionary novelty.  
- A 64-generation rat domestication experiment at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics produced tame vs. aggressive lines without mutagenesis; RNA-seq identified four candidate genes (Gltscr2, Lgi4, Zfp40, Slc17a7) and all brains were cryopreserved for future connectomics (bioRxiv preprint: http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2014/04/17/004234).  
- Discussion of why endangered species are not routinely whole-body cryopreserved centers on the need for intact females for cloning calibration, irreplaceable cultural information in adult brains, and current inability to bootstrap viable organisms from DNA alone.  
- Liz Parrish’s Reddit AMA as BioViva CEO prompts analysis of a self-experimentation loophole: structuring gene-therapy trials so that the subject is also a corporate shareholder, preserving informed-consent protections while bypassing traditional regulatory approval.  
- An OpenWorm journal-club session with Randal Koene on whole-brain emulation is announced; topics include open-source emulation frameworks, long-term stewardship of curated neuron models, and alternatives to video-based meetings.  
- A mouse cortex volume imaged at 3 × 3 × 20 nm resolution with the ATLUM microscope reveals individual synapses, supporting high-resolution connectomic studies (Cell paper: http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674(15)00824-7).  
- Participants note that domestication often produces “domestication syndrome” side-effects—reduced brain size, prolonged immaturity, increased pathology—linked to neural-crest developmental pathways.  
- Technical critique of hobbyist robot-arm control: LinuxCNC’s Cartesian acceleration limits ignore joint-angle-dependent torque constraints, leading to workspace over-restriction; fixes exist in an unmerged git branch.  
- New “transhumanism” section added to the DIYH+ wiki (http://diyhpl.us/diyhpluswiki/transhumanism/) to curate open-source transhumanist resources.