# Key Points from IRC Conversation

• Participants debated the viability of open source development for physical objects, referencing Erik de Bruijn's thesis and discussing whether approaches successful in software can effectively translate to hardware manufacturing.

• A significant discussion centered on building low-cost DIY versions of scientific instruments like Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) and Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STM), with cost estimates ranging from $200-2500 compared to commercial versions at $25,000+.

• The group explored technical challenges in DIY scientific instrumentation, particularly calibration issues and signal processing requirements to distinguish actual data from noise in homemade microscopes.

• Several DIY biology projects were mentioned, including gel electrophoresis equipment being built by the SoCal DIYbio group, PCR techniques, and miniprep procedures for DNA isolation and amplification.

• Participants shared resources for open manufacturing and DIY biology, including relevant mailing lists (openmanufacturing, diybio, hackerspaces, reprap-dev) and video collections at diyhpl.us.

• A WebGL tool for 3D modeling was shared, prompting discussion about appropriate licensing approaches (GPL versus BSD/MIT) for open source hardware projects.

• The conversation included critical assessment of organizations like the Seasteading Institute (questioning whether their fundraising has produced tangible technological outcomes) and Ray Kurzweil's approach to futurism (characterized as focused more on self-promotion than technological development).