- Azolla (duckweed) was discussed as a self-fertilizing invasive plant with potential as human food, but safety is uncertain because it may accumulate the neurotoxin BMAA; Wolffia globosa was noted as a safer micro-duckweed alternative.  
- A 2021 “self-replicating 3-D printer” concept that encodes motion commands on a punched data strip was critiqued: participants argued the tape would need impractical length and questioned how precise distances could be achieved with the proposed encoding scheme.  
- Mechanical alternatives to electronics for controlling motion were explored, including clock-escapement-like ratchets, differential screw/vernier mechanisms, and IBM Selectric-style whiffletree (whippletree) linkages that convert binary inputs into precise linear displacements.  
- High-resolution scans of Charles Babbage’s “flow notation” schematics for the Difference Engine were shared, along with links to the Plan 28 project and the British Museum’s digitized Babbage archives.  
- Links to open-source CAD tools were posted: a Rust-based kernel (github.com/ricosjp/truck) and the PartCAD package-management system for mechanical parts (github.com/openvmp/partcad).  
- A real-time molecular-configuration monitoring concept using scanning-probe microscopy was highlighted (ACS publication DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c02072).  
- A San Francisco “techno-optimist” meetup invitation on Partiful drew skepticism because it listed 194 attendees but provided no date, time, or location.