- Spatial.is AR/VR demo was proposed as a next-generation videoconferencing system, prompting discussion about how headsets obscure facial expressions and the need for eye-tracking or optical-mouse sensors to recover non-verbal cues.  
- A new comparative-neuroanatomy paper was cited showing that brain-mass scaling with non-neuronal cell counts and cerebellar-to-cerebral-neuron ratios is conserved across therian mammals (placentals + marsupials), implying ancient, shared developmental mechanisms.  
- Stanford/EPFL micro-drones equipped with winches can exert forces 40× their own weight and perform physical tasks such as opening doors, as reported by The Verge.  
- Participants shared the speculative-fiction “Slaughterbots” TED-style video (YouTube link provided) depicting autonomous killer micro-drones, sparking debate on the imminent reality of such weapons and the ethics of remote, process-free lethality.  
- John Deere’s 2015 DMCA exemption hearing was referenced, where the company argued that allowing farmers to repair tractors could enable piracy of Taylor Swift music via vehicle infotainment systems—a claim the U.S. Copyright Office ultimately rejected.