- Australia adopted a “middle ground” gene-editing policy: CRISPR edits that do not introduce new genetic material are exempt from regulation, while template-based or insertional edits remain under OGTR oversight.  
- A PNAS paper demonstrated a CRISPR/Cas9-based “central processing unit” inside human cells, creating dual-core biological computers capable of complex Boolean logic.  
- Researchers published a universal preimplantation genetic testing platform that simultaneously screens for polygenic risk scores, monogenic disorders, structural rearrangements, and segmental aneuploidy in single embryonic biopsies.  
- Channel discussion covered DIY mass spectrometry, including RF quadrupole machining via centerless grinding and the use of High-Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) for ion separation at atmospheric pressure.  
- A Nature Communications paper reported colossal barocaloric effects near room temperature in neopentylglycol plastic crystals, suggesting solid-state refrigeration alternatives to vapor-compression cooling.  
- An arXiv preprint on “automated inference of criminality from face images” was critiqued for conflating subtle facial variation with social constructs, highlighting risks of physiognomic AI.  
- Participants debated the physical limits of isotope separation, questioning whether Casimir-effect-based devices could distinguish separable ions and whether closed-loop trajectories could be defined for long-lived isotopes.