# Key Ideas from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• The Microsoft Kinect was identified as revolutionary for robotics, providing 30Hz 3D point cloud generation at $150—three orders of magnitude cheaper than comparable systems—with drivers being rapidly developed for the Robot Operating System (ROS).

• Participants explored Cyclic Fabrication Systems (CFS) where networks of tools and processes can produce most of their own components, debating which elements remain "exotic" (like microchips) and which could realistically be produced in small-scale facilities.

• Ray Kurzweil's comments suggested desktop nanofactories could eventually provide everything we need, potentially achieving "the original goals of communism" through open source movements rather than government control.

• The group discussed sustainable aquaponics systems featuring vermicomposting, wastewater treatment, and modular greenhouses as alternatives to conventional agriculture, including technical specifications for no-electricity water pumps using hollowed tree sections.

• A philosophical debate emerged about bootstrapping self-sufficient systems, with some arguing for using landfill materials rather than raw resource extraction, and questioning whether true closure (complete self-sufficiency) is achievable.

• The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues meeting was streamed, with participants expressing concerns about potential regulation of DIYbio activities.

• An article titled "The Shadow Scholar" sparked discussion about academic dishonesty, teaching methods, and the ethics of education in relation to technology and knowledge sharing.