# Key Points from IRC Log

• A link was shared about code obfuscation for patent and court filings (http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/2011/06/code-obfuscation-for-patent-and-court-filings/), suggesting concerns about intellectual property protection in technical documentation.

• There was a brief technical discussion about fluorophores in what appears to be a DNA sequencing context, with comments about polymerase behavior and potential issues with nucleotide repeats.

• A user mentioned working on starting a hackerspace with about 11 members, followed by a discussion about the financial challenges of sustaining hackerspaces, referencing another group that failed because "they all realized they were broke."

• A philosophical discussion occurred about AI research, with one participant arguing that "working in AI" is an intractable problem similar to "curing cancer," suggesting focus should be on more specific, achievable goals.

• The conversation touched on whole brain emulation as a potentially tractable approach to general intelligence, contrasting with more romantic or poorly defined notions of artificial intelligence.

• A critique was shared of an article from Discover Magazine that proposed an analogy between human/computer intelligence and the right/left hemispheres of the brain, with participants expressing skepticism about the quality of this analysis.

• A quote about Richard Feynman's lectures was shared: "his lectures were beautifully clear... Until they had to use it. Then they realised that they didn't really understand it at all," prompting discussion about the gap between understanding concepts and applying them.