- A new Science paper (DOI: 10.1126/science.abl6184) uses virus-like particles to show that the Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant packages ~10× more genomic RNA, explaining its higher infectivity and suggesting a route to improve viral-vector gene-therapy payload efficiency.  
- A channel member outlined a theoretical design for an all-optical, real-time 3-D microscope that replaces slow focus stacking: by cascading two or more “ideal” lenses whose focal lengths and spacings are chosen so the compound system yields constant lateral and axial magnification across a volume, the entire specimen stays in focus without digital post-processing.  
- The design process was described as iteratively solving the lens formula 1/x₁ + 1/x₂ = 1/f in SageMath, setting coefficients of the resulting rational polynomial to enforce depth-independent scaling; the author noted that finite sensor resolution and hyperfocal distance make the concept feasible even though classical optics textbooks assume a unique object-image conjugate plane.  
- Discussion briefly compared this approach to plenoptic (light-field) cameras already used in commercial 3-D metrology systems, acknowledging that current products are merely “the least shitty option” and hinting at market demand for simpler, purely optical solutions.  
- Links shared included a step-by-step guide to building a CPU from scratch (blog.robertelder.org/how-to-make-a-cpu/) and an NBC article on the FDA’s limited authority to recall benzene-contaminated hand sanitizers.  
- Lithography techniques were reviewed: interference (holographic) lithography for mask-free patterning of fine periodic structures, and the practicality of converting an electron microscope into an e-beam lithography system for <$100 k versus commercial >$1 M dedicated writers.