# Key Ideas from #hplusroadmap IRC Logs

• The H+ Summit featured Ed Boyden's presentation on optogenetics (controlling brain circuits with light), raising both scientific interest and ethical concerns about potential mind-control applications.

• Stephen Wolfram described his company's approach to "farming algorithms" through brute-force optimization methods for Mathematica, offering insight into commercial computational research methodologies.

• The DIY science community faced significant challenges, particularly the "publishing problem" where distributing information is free but obtaining legitimate peer review costs approximately $2,000 per paper in established journals.

• Brain preservation through plastination techniques was discussed as a potential method for preserving neural information, representing ongoing interest in technological approaches to extending human cognition beyond biological limitations.

• Tensions in the open hardware community were evident through discussions about MakerBot allegedly taking inventory from the RepRap Research Foundation, highlighting governance challenges in open-source hardware projects.

• The community demonstrated strong documentation practices, with Bryan Bishop (kanzure) receiving recognition for real-time transcription of conference talks, making them immediately available online at designfiles.org.