- A new arXiv paper (1603.03720) reveals unexpected biases in the distribution of consecutive prime numbers, raising potential implications for cryptographic randomness and security assumptions.  
- Researchers circulated “Stimulation-based control of dynamic brain networks” (arXiv:1601.00987), which explores closed-loop stimulation techniques to steer large-scale neural activity patterns.  
- Rodent and primate lesion studies show that removing up to 50 % of maternal cortical tissue abolishes parenting behaviors (pup retrieval, grooming, nest-building) while leaving mating intact, indicating dissociable neural circuits for social versus reproductive functions.  
- The Sprengel mercury-vacuum pump was proposed as a simple, self-replicable component for micro-factories; participants weighed gallium, indium, and lead-based solder alloys against toxicity, density, and melting-point trade-offs.  
- A first-time, non-smoker trial of nicotine gum reported ~20–30 % subjective improvements in focus and mood, prompting debate on measurement reliability, placebo effects, and tolerance-avoiding dosing schedules.  
- Foc.us released new sponge holders and a headband for its transcranial electrical stimulator, potentially enabling tACS during sleep.  
- A critical Git remote-code-execution vulnerability (CVE-2016-2324 / CVE-2016-2315) affecting all versions prior to 2.7.1 was flagged from oss-sec.  
- The large-scale brain model “BioSpaun” and its Nengo/NEURON implementation were shared, along with open-source code and videos of Spaun performing cognitive tasks.  
- Discussion of ULA executive Brett Tobey’s resignation after candid remarks about company inefficiencies versus SpaceX sparked debate on corporate politics, public relations, and competitive strategy, with participants asserting that legacy aerospace giants have a documented history of corruption.  
- Participants debated whether Mars exploration should favor helicopters (requiring denser air) or dirigibles/blimps (simpler to deploy), ultimately postponing the decision until actual arrival on Mars.