• Intel’s MKL-optimized Python distribution (bit.ly/intel-python) was recommended for 10-100× speed-ups on NumPy/SciPy and can be paired with GROMACS for open-source molecular-dynamics work.  
• The fully open-source IceStorm FPGA toolchain was showcased through a step-by-step build of the J1a swapforth CPU, demonstrating sub-$50 custom-processor development without proprietary tools.  
• A long-running paleo-diet debate produced a concise ruleset: exclude all grains, legumes, refined sugar and most dairy; allow sweet potatoes but not white potatoes; prioritize animal fats and organ meats; treat “paleo” as a biochemical heuristic rather than historical re-enactment.  
• Participants weighed mind-upload fidelity, concluding that 99.999 % memory loss would still yield a “useful” upload and that only the brain—not the rest of the body—requires high-resolution scanning.  
• General anesthesia was highlighted as a 500-year-old biomedical mystery: halogenated ethers are used daily, yet their molecular mechanism for erasing consciousness remains unknown.  
• Digital-amnesia resilience was discussed: cloud redundancy helps individuals, but EMP-hardened tape, microfilm and concrete-shielded servers at Google et al. are the true backstops against civilizational memory loss.  
• nmz787_i shared two projects: a “biological radio research” page (http://diyhpl.us/~nmz787/biological%20radio%20research/) exploring long-range or quantum biological communication, and the HTML5 bytebeat synthesizer (greggman/html5bytebeat) for minimalist algorithmic music.  
• SpaceX’s first successful Falcon 9 first-stage landing was celebrated with a direct timestamped link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5bTbVbe4e4&t=41m47s) as a milestone for reusable rocketry.