- A $3,000 open-source optical-projection tomography system called “OPTij” was highlighted as a low-cost 3-D imaging tool for labs (labonthecheap.com link).  
- Two articles were shared about an ultra-low-cost microfluidic pump made from balloons and nylon stockings, aimed at bringing microfluidics to resource-limited settings (ARC.gov.au and MedGadget coverage).  
- A debate on essential fatty acids concluded that only 0–4 % of dietary ALA converts to DHA in men (8 % EPA) versus ~9 % DHA in women (~21 % EPA), with arguments that endogenous conversion is insufficient for optimal brain maintenance and anti-inflammatory eicosanoid balance.  
- Practical dietary challenges were noted: difficulty obtaining fresh DHA, rapid oxidation of both fish and plant oils, and the wish for palatable delivery vehicles such as algae-oil ice cream.  
- Festo’s radio-controlled ornithopter “artificial birds” were critiqued for their energy density limitations compared with biological avian metabolisms, highlighting the superior specific energy of hydrocarbon fuels in living systems.  
- A side discussion on forest-to-fuel logistics considered mulching trail waste to produce methanol, tempered by regulatory concerns (e.g., Israeli licensing for chemical processing beyond beer fermentation).