# Key Points from IRC Log (April 16, 2011)

• Discussion of DIY brain imaging technology, with a link shared about near-infrared brain imaging that appears feasible for DIY projects (http://www.biopac.com/ResearchApplications.asp?Aid=65&Level=1).

• Conversation about transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) gaining media attention, with participants noting the simplicity of the technology (potentially just "a 9 volt battery, a resistor, and a wet sponge") and discussing a Nature article about it (http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110413/full/472156a.html).

• Debate about the regulatory concerns around cognitive enhancement technologies, with participants discussing the article's claim that "no one stands to gain enough return from therapies that can be administered using just US$1,000 worth of off-the-shelf equipment."

• Discussion of space colonization economics, with participants debating whether commercial activity in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) could drive space settlement without needing "profound visions of manifest destiny."

• Conversation about biological adaptations for space, with participants discussing radiation resistance in organisms like Tardigrades and Deinococcus radiodurans, and the potential to use radiotrophic melanotic fungi for energy production during long-distance space travel.

• Brief mention of Android root exploits being "surprisingly easy to find/make/use," suggesting interest in mobile device security and customization among participants.