# Key Transhumanist and Technology Discussions

• George Church's Personal Genome Project was highlighted as an important open science initiative that sequences and publicly shares genomic data, with notable participants including Steven Pinker.

• Participants proposed creating an open Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) bio repository specifically designed to make biological data accessible to machine learning researchers, aiming to bridge the gap between ML and biology communities.

• The group analyzed tensions in open source hardware communities, comparing RepRap's open approach to 3D printing with MakerBot's commercial model, reflecting broader debates about commercialization versus community development.

• Technical limitations of the STL (stereolithography) file format were discussed, with interest in developing better alternatives using solid geometry models, mentioning OpenSCAD as a promising but limited option.

• Researchers debated optimization algorithms for 3D printed structures, discussing how to minimize material usage while maximizing rigidity, comparing approaches like simulated annealing versus gradient descent.

• The group critically assessed Craig Venter's synthetic cell announcement, noting it was less revolutionary than portrayed in media as it primarily involved inserting a synthesized genome (with minor modifications) into an existing cell.

• Warren Ellis comics with transhumanist themes were recommended, including Orbiter, Supergod, Global Frequency, Mek, Iron Man: Extremis, and Ministry of Space, with a link to a blog cataloging "Comics of Transhumanist Interest."