# Key Points from IRC Discussion on Transhumanism and Technology

• The conversation explored brain preservation techniques and whole brain emulation initiatives, with debate about which neural structures are essential to preserve identity, and mentions of organizations like the Brain Preservation Foundation, Mind Uploading Research Group (MURG), and Carboncopies.org.

• Participants shared technical resources including a YAML-formatted guide to neural anatomy (github.com/kanzure/brain/blob/master/human_brain.yaml) and discussed Henry Markram's approach to modeling brain minicolumns, with some criticism that his computational models are oversimplified.

• The DIYbio (do-it-yourself biology) movement was critiqued for the disconnect between extensive media coverage and mailing list participation versus the lack of actual open-source DIYbio kits being produced despite years of hype.

• Open hardware projects were highlighted, including Arduino-based autopilot systems for UAVs and resources like Dangerous Prototypes that create new open source hardware projects monthly.

• The group discussed telepresence technologies, including DIY telepresence robots and teledildonics, debating whether in-person communication offers higher bandwidth than online interaction and examining challenges like latency issues for applications such as telesurgery.

• Historical personal robots from the 1980s (Hero 1, Gemini, Newton) were reviewed, alongside a discussion of the relationship between military robotics technology and eventual consumer applications.

• Ancient Greek practices of "Hypomnemata" were referenced as historical precursors to modern self-tracking and self-management techniques, described as "instruments used for the constitution of a permanent relationship to oneself."