- A new whole-brain imaging system for freely moving *C. elegans* was shared (YouTube link: “Imaging system tracks brain activity of a freely moving worm”).  The technique uses a genetically encoded calcium indicator whose fluorescence is read out in real time to monitor neural activity across the worm’s nervous system.

- Discussion of open-hardware PCR options: an Instructables design for an Arduino-based thermocycler (< $85) and a light-bulb PCR build (~ $25) were compared with the Chai Biotechnologies Open qPCR machine (dual-channel real-time PCR) as a higher-end but still open-source-friendly alternative.

- Ethereum’s investment merit was briefly debated; skepticism centered on its “disgustingly rent-seeking initial peg” and the view that short-term price moves are decoupled from technical fundamentals.

- The #hplusroadmap channel’s former “paperbot” (IRC bot that auto-fetched academic PDFs) was lamented as offline; users explained its workflow—monitoring chat for DOI or publisher links, then attempting retrieval via Zotero translators and falling back to Sci-Hub.

- Boston-area logistics came up: kanzure was on-site near MIT (Memorial Dr./River St.) and sought local food tips; cluckj (now in Philadelphia) pointed to nearby Trader Joe’s and suggested contacting Bosslab, which had recently resumed regular meetings.