• Open-source refractory materials discussion: participants compared aluminum, charcoal, graphite, mullite, cordierite, stainless steel 316, and clay/kaolin for building inexpensive high-temperature kilns and tube furnaces capable of ~900–1400 °C for CVD or charcoal-making.

• DIY furnace-insulation experiments: docl fabricated small bricks from a perlite/kitty-litter-clay aggregate, observed rapid surface glowing under torch heat, and priced bulk perlite at ≈15 ¢/kg unexpanded vs $26 for 2 ft³ expanded, noting that raw volcanic perlite can be “popped” at 850–900 °C.

• Chemistry of binders and cements: group considered waterglass (Na₂O·nSiO₂), lime (type-S hydrated Ca/Mg carbonates), calcium-aluminate cement, and hydrocarbon impregnation of charcoal to create stronger, refractory graphite-like blocks.

• Artificial-womb and organ-preservation links shared: Nature papers on extracorporeal pulsatile circulatory control for pig brains, 3-day normothermic human-liver preservation, TransMedics OCS devices, and a legal-philosophy paper on “constitutional rights to substrate-independent wombs.”

• Whole-brain emulation employment noted: Foresight Institute is recruiting a “whole brain emulation roadmap project manager,” flagged as a key opportunity for the community.

• Nuclear-waste vitrification and safety policy: Ashstar highlighted proven vitrification tech for radioactive waste and linked kanzure’s Twitter thread on rational nuclear-safety policy until fusion arrives.

• Psychedelics research signal: Stanford Magazine article on new clinical studies circulated as an example of institutional progress in cognition-affecting interventions.

• Toxoplasma gondii as a speculative neuro-engineering vector: tongue-in-cheek proposal to engineer the parasite to enhance human intelligence rather than induce cat affinity.

• Home-scale plasma incinerator concept: nmz787 sketched a two-stage, vacuum-assisted RF-induction plasma unit for safely disposing of bio-contaminated plastics in apartments.

• Community knowledge base updated: kanzure committed new “artificial wombs” page and additional links to the diyhpluswiki, with daily IRC logs archived at gnusha.org.