# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Open Source Ecology partnered with Gaia University to offer PhD programs in resilient community development, including topics like "Creating Advanced Civilization from Scrap Metal" and "Scalable, Open Source Product Development Pipeline," representing a formalization of open-source approaches to community resilience.

• Participants shared numerous digital fabrication resources including FabLab documentation, Contraptor.org (DIY CNC machines), OpenStructures.net (modular construction), and EMCFab, highlighting the growing ecosystem of open hardware projects and fabrication techniques.

• The group debated what constitutes true transhumanism in implanted technology, with consensus that simple RFID implants aren't meaningfully transhuman unless they enhance capabilities beyond what external devices provide, while sensory augmentations like a "compass sense" that allows perception of magnetic north would qualify.

• Discussion of fabrication lab costs revealed that comprehensive setups like MIT's Fab Lab exceed $2 million, raising important questions about accessibility and democratization of digital fabrication technologies.

• Technical challenges in building 3D printers were discussed, including temperature issues with extruders and Z-axis problems, alongside coordination efforts between RepRap community and SKDB group to avoid redundant work in creating standardized parts databases.

• Several research resources were shared from TED 2010, including Frederick Roth's lab work, Nicholas Christakis's social network research, and advanced materials development like spider silk as a Kevlar replacement, demonstrating the group's interest in cutting-edge scientific developments.