# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• An upcoming brain-machine interfacing event featuring Max Hodak was shared, with participants noting that improved consumer EEG headsets are expected to enter the market soon, and discussing how proprietary BCI hardware like Emotiv might be opened up through reverse engineering.

• DIY biology was a significant topic, with participants sharing Nature's article "Garage biotech: Life hackers" and discussing the growing movement of amateur scientists conducting biological research outside traditional institutions.

• IO Rodeo (iorodeo.com) was highlighted as an open source hardware company developing custom scientific equipment for neuroscience research at prestigious institutions like Caltech and Howard Hughes Janelia Farms.

• Space exploration tools were discussed, including Orbiter simulation software for calculating orbital transfers and delta-v requirements, with interest in making these technical tools more accessible to non-specialists.

• A German-language podcast about biohacking was shared, exploring how the DIY biology community is applying synthetic biology techniques and professional methods to private research projects.

• Participants discussed space settlement legal frameworks, including property rights on celestial bodies, sharing resources from spacesettlement.org/law.

• The open-source release of SimCity under the name "Micropolis" was noted as a significant case of commercial software being released to the community.