- WHO issued a global moratorium on clinical use of human germline genome editing and released its first governance report; links to the 26 July 2019 statement and 144-page meeting report were circulated.  
- BioViva (Liz Parrish & Mitch Fernandez) is recruiting volunteers to build an open database cataloguing past and prospective gene-therapy trials to aid researchers and clinicians.  
- nmz787 acquired a residual gas analyzer (RGA) with the intent of doing low-cost mass-spectrometry experiments on biological or chemical samples.  
- Facebook’s “mind-typing” project using near-infrared optical signals was discussed and dismissed by participants as technically inadequate for real brain-computer interfaces.  
- A C++/Qt implementation of Eulerian Video Magnification (QtEVM) was shared as an open-source tool for subtle motion amplification in video analysis.  
- docl outlined an updated vision for modular “swarm” orbital-transfer infrastructure, moving away from single massive tethers toward distributed propulsion units that each siphon a small fraction of orbital velocity.  
- A New York Times article alleging Jeffrey Epstein’s interest in large-scale eugenics and direct recruitment of academically accomplished women as mothers sparked debate on definitions of eugenics and the sensational framing of the story.