- The channel circulated a Cell/Nature Neuroscience editorial calling for “A commitment to open source in neuroscience” (http://opensourceforneuroscience.org/ and http://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(17)30981-9).  
- A cluster of recent papers on error-correcting codes for insertions and deletions was shared, covering exact reconstruction, racetrack memories, and the fundamental limits of DNA data storage (arXiv:1604.03000, 1611.09073, 1701.06874, 1705.04732).  
- A Wilson Center white-paper on “How to Optimize Human Biology” (https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/how_to_optimize_human_biology_0.pdf) was distributed.  
- DIY DNA-storage experiments were discussed: kanzure confirmed successful PCR-based write tests and linked to a personal reading list on DNA data-storage papers (http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/DNA/data-storage/).  
- Noisebridge’s impending loss of its lease next summer (https://noisebridge.net/wiki/FundraisingCall) prompted debate on the viability of anarchist, open-door hackerspaces versus more selective, funded models.  
- Participants compared Bay-Area spaces: TechShop’s closure, Hacker Dojo’s laptop-centric culture, BioCurious (biotech community lab), and the possibility of transplanting Shanghai’s XinCheJian model to the Bay with Chinese financial backing.  
- NYC Resistor was described as a deliberately small, invitation-only “core group” plus classes, contrasting with Noisebridge’s open-door policy and Hack Manhattan’s more casual setup.  
- A brief side-thread explored cultural portrayals of robot servants vs. overlords, referencing Jack Williamson’s “The Humanoids,” Astro Boy, and Ghost in the Shell’s Tachikomas.