# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Conversation

• Participants discussed various approaches to sensory augmentation, including the NorthPaw wearable compass anklet that provides directional awareness through vibration, with consensus that tactile augmentation is currently most practical while visual augmentation remains expensive and olfactory augmentation challenging.

• The group debated what constitutes a "cyborg," with some arguing it requires cybernetics controllable by the user, while others referenced Kevin Warwick's neurotransceiver experiment that enabled sending/receiving nerve signals between humans as an example of true cybernetic-biological interaction.

• Conversation explored neuroscience topics including neuron directionality and signal propagation through cell membranes, axons, and dendrites, with resources being shared for further learning.

• Participants discussed potential improvements for the World Transhumanist Association (Humanity+), including reducing magazine spending, organizing technical contests, redefining transhumanism, and better connecting with disease-cure advocacy groups.

• The group examined self-folding materials technology that could automatically form complex 2D and 3D structures from 1D strings, with references to magnetically encoded tiles that fold sequentially.

• Technical discussion included using FreeFEM for genetic optimization of 3D-printable compliant mechanisms, with mention of challenges in importing CAD data and references to alternative resources like femhub.org.

• Participants analyzed technical specifications of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, comparing permitted versus actual drilling depths and discussing the rig's capabilities, with one user mentioning they had scraped and downloaded all relevant permits filed through the Minerals Management Service.