# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Participants discussed SKDB (Skill Database), a software project for representing physical objects and manufacturing processes, debating how to structure dependencies for hardware components and whether to create a generic package management system that could extend beyond software to hardware.

• The group worked through Git workflow issues related to repository management, file organization, and preserving file history when moving files between directories, recommending a "commit, git mv, commit" sequence for proper tracking.

• Technical discussions covered dependency resolution algorithms for hardware components, with debate about how to represent manufacturing processes like "fastening" and whether dependencies should be for functionalities rather than specific machine instances.

• Scientific papers on induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were shared, including research on how they can support full-term development of tetraploid blastocyst-complemented embryos, indicating interest in cutting-edge biotechnology.

• Constructed languages (conlangs) like Lojban, Ithkuil, and Toki Pona were discussed for their potential applications in knowledge representation and speech recognition, connecting philosophical language research to practical computer applications.

• Self-assembling nanogear technology was highlighted with links to articles from Popular Science and New Scientist about scientists designing versatile self-assembling nanoscale components.

• Resources on procedural sound synthesis using Markov models, Pure Data (PD) programming, and mathematical approaches to music theory through chord geometries were exchanged, showing interest in computational approaches to audio.

• Microfluidic gene synthesis was mentioned, with references to repository commits containing search results for microfluidics-related papers, suggesting ongoing work in DIY biotechnology approaches.