# Key Ideas from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• Open manufacturing was a central topic, with discussions of a visualization of the open manufacturing value stream, an open source laser cutter project ("Lasersaur") aiming for under $3,000, and Kanzure's acquisition of a PUMA 560 robotic arm for pick-and-place applications.

• Distributed computing systems were compared, particularly "Swarm" (a programming language for distributed computation beyond map/reduce) and Freenet, with debate about attribution of Freenet's invention.

• The Singularity Summit program generated interest due to its diverse speaker lineup including James Randi, Ray Kurzweil, Steve Mann, and Eliezer Yudkowsky presenting on intelligence augmentation despite his known skepticism.

• Task prioritization methods were explored, including the 80/20 rule, optimization functions, and economic-based priority systems for improving daily productivity.

• A philosophical discussion emerged about space manufacturing, advocating for shifting from Earth-based resource harvesting to utilizing materials already in space, with mentions of the Orion project and inertial fusion-based rockets.

• Personal health technology was discussed in the context of tonsillitis treatments, with participants expressing interest in personal medical diagnostic tools like endoscopes as alternatives to traditional medical interventions.