# Key Points from IRC Discussions

• Open source hardware is gaining mainstream distribution, with Parallax planning to sell products at RadioShack, while the transhumanist community organized multiple conferences including Open Hardware Summit, Open Science Summit, and Quantified Self 2012.

• Researchers discussed convergence of top-down and bottom-up nanofabrication approaches within 10-15 years, with specific mention of sub-micron printing technology using Taylor cones and electrohydrodynamic jet printing.

• Lab automation was a central topic, with debates about whether scientists should learn programming versus using natural language interfaces, and discussion of standardized APIs for lab equipment using JSON/XML to enable cross-platform automation.

• Participants highlighted the reproducibility crisis in science, noting that protocols are often not standardized or difficult to reproduce, suggesting that better protocol documentation and automation systems could significantly improve research efficiency.

• SKDB was described as an "apt-get for hardware" project creating standardized ways to share hardware designs with support for various CAD file formats, representing efforts to standardize open hardware development.

• A modified form of MDMA showing potential against blood cancers was discussed, with participants expressing frustration about pop science articles lacking links to original research papers.