- nmz787 shared a 2016 NEJE laser-etcher PCB project (http://diyhpl.us/laser_etcher/NEJE_Laser_Etcher/) that uses direct-write laser exposure for DIY circuit boards, including spin-coating and imaging results.  
- Discussion of falling global birth rates linked to a Compact Magazine natalism article and the @morebirths Twitter account; participants debated economic vs. cultural causes and the limited impact of small cash incentives.  
- kanzure proposed the “human gigafactory” concept (https://diyhpl.us/wiki/human-gigafactory/)—a vertically-integrated, large-scale system for producing and raising billions of humans outside traditional family structures.  
- Participants explored non-coercive paths to population growth, including IVF accessibility, longer human lifespans, and targeted social conditions, while acknowledging the ethical tension around agency and “enslavement.”  
- RangerMauve and kanzure designed an experimental protocol for conferences that uses small-group “exploration” rounds followed by algorithmic pairwise introductions to achieve logarithmic rather than linear social-network sampling.  
- nmz787 outlined a long-term goal of ultra-cheap DNA synthesis to enable genetically engineered “Cinderella pumpkins” that grow into habitable, child-sized houses, noting existing giant-pumpkin breeding as proof-of-concept.  
- Links to new research: “All-atom protein sequence design using discrete diffusion models” (bioRxiv 2025.06.13.659451) and Nature Biotechnology paper on identifying non-canonical peptides with moPepGen (s41587-025-02701-0).  
- Toby Ord’s essay “The Half-Life of Genius” (https://www.tobyord.com/writing/half-life) was circulated, alongside side discussions on zero-knowledge proofs, RSA, and embryo-cloning work by Weizmann Institute faculty.